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Ola Olukoyede, the new Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission during his screening at the Senate on Wednesday, October 18, 2023, told senators to champion the fight against corruption.
While fielding questions from the lawmakers, Olukoyede urged the senators to ensure the anti-corruption fight starts from the National Assembly.
He said he was ready to work diligently no matter whose ox is gored.
Olukoyede said, “Let the fight against corruption begin from this hallowed chamber. If you are fighting corruption, you become the enemy of everybody.”
He submitted that anti-corruption agencies should focus more on prevention rather than enforcement, adding that if corruption is not prevented, no amount of enforcement by anti-graft agencies would stop it.
According to him, Nigeria spends more money fighting corruption when it could have spent less to prevent it.
“If we continue to allow Nigerians to buy houses, cars and other luxurious properties by cash, because we don’t have an effective credit system, one thousand anti-corruption agencies will not do us any good and that is the reality, he said.
“We must create an atmosphere to make sure that people have choices. If I don’t steal money, can I afford to train my children in school with good standards? If I don’t steal money, can I buy a car after I have worked for five years? If I don’t steal money, can I put a three-room bungalow in place after I have worked for 20 years?”
Olukoyede also called on the judiciary to place substantive justice above technicalities when dealing with corruption cases. He maintained that corruption cases should not be allowed to adjudicate for a very long time.
“Prosecution should not be allowed to last for a maximum of five years from the court of first instance to the Supreme Court. The Senate can work on that very seriously. If we make the administration of the criminal justice system really work, you will see the great work the anti-corruption agencies are doing,” Olukoyede said.
After answering some of the questions posed to him by the lawmakers, the Senate confirmed him as the new Chairman of the EFCC.
The Senate also confirmed Muhammad Hammajoda as the Secretary of the commission.