Tunde Bakare
The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr. Ola Olukoyede, on Tuesday, November 5, 2024, expressed the Commission’s resolve to work with the Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB, in the fight against corruption, economic and financial crimes, stressing that every effort must be made by every stakeholder to build strength against corruption.
The EFCC boss stated this in Abuja when the Chairman, Code of Conduct Bureau, Dr. Abdullahi Usman Bello paid him a courtesy visit at the Commission’s headquarters, Jabi.
Olukoyede, while stating that both agencies have related mandates, added that there was need for them to strengthen their existing collaboration.
“I don’t see it as a courtesy visit, I see it more for the need for us to strengthen our existing collaboration. It is important for all of us to note that the two agencies are mandate -aligned, we are set up to fight corruption and financial crimes in the land.
“One of the things that we have been talking about with respect to the functions of CCB is the ability to be able to do investigation and to really ensure that investigations and prosecution are pursued very rigorously.
“You don’t fight corruption with kid-gloves in Nigeria, it will never work, You don’t plead with people, You don’t beg people, everybody knows that corruption is bad.
“Fighting corruption is what nobody wants to do but somebody has to do it. All of us desire to see a better Nigeria, but a better Nigeria will not just drop from the sky, we have to work for it. Foreigners will not come and do it for us, we have to deal with it by ourselves and we have what it takes to deal with it”, he said.
The EFCC Chairman also charged the CCB’s boss to revive the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, to make it functional and effective which will further strengthen the fight against corruption.
On his part, Bello stated that his Bureau needed support and collaboration with the EFCC for more robust fight against corrupt practices.
“EFCC is an organization that has distinguished itself and we want all the assistance and support that we will get from you and I hope and I believe we will get it”, he said.