The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has urged holders of public offices to imbibe the trait of accountability and transparency in discharging their duties, News About Nigeria reports.
He gave this call while speaking during a courtesy visit by a delegation of the NDDC management, led by its Managing Director, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, at the EFCC’s headquarters in Abuja.
While commending the Commission for its “Rewind to Rebirth” initiative, Olukoyede noted that it is possible to build a system of accountability, transparency, and integrity in Nigeria.
He also questioned the system of the country, stating that it allows fraud to flourish.
“The five minutes of interaction with the MD left me with a different perception of NDDC. I want to congratulate you and also thank you for your readiness and commitment to bring about change. Maybe we will begin to see an NDDC that is a symbol of pride, accountability, transparency, and being able to deliver on its mandate.
“That is what the NDDC should stand for and I want to thank you for bringing that to the table. From his presentation, you can see that he is somebody who is ready to bring about change, and that is the exact thing that we stand for in the EFCC.
“It is possible for us to build a system of accountability, transparency, and integrity in Nigeria.
“Always have it in the back of your mind that while you are on this side today, you might be on the other side tomorrow. Let it be the guiding principle for those in positions of trust in everything they do.
“That has always been my own guiding principle because you will not be there forever. You can protect certain things today, but if you leave, you will discover that the person closest to you, maybe someone who benefited from you, will be the one to expose you.
“Fundamentally, Nigerians are good people. The only problem that we have is the system in which we operate—a system that allows fraud to flourish. But if you take the same Nigerian who is corrupt in our system to an environment with strict regulatory compliance and structures, you will discover that he will behave,” he stated.
