ANEEJ Backs EFCC Boss on Staff Asset Declaration
BENIN CITY, NIGERIA. November 3, 2023… The Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice, ANEEJ, a leading anti-corruption watchdog in Nigeria has thrown its weight behind the newly appointed Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) Boss, Ola Olukoyede for directing staff of the Commission to immediately declare their assets in line with the civil service regulations and procedures as a bold move towards accountability and internal cleansing of the commission.
The Executive Director of ANEEJ, the Rev. David Ugolor, made the position known in Benin City, following the directive of the EFCC Boss, stating that “it is a right step in the right direction.” He noted that as anti-corruption fighters, there is the need to live above board by setting the pace with good examples.
“We welcome the decision of the EFFC Boss which is apt at this point in time to instill confidence in Nigerians, owing to the incessant dismissal of the commission’s chairmen without following the rule of law, and has put the war against corruption in doubt before Nigerians and the international communities. The move for the commission’s staff to declare their assets is in line with the popular saying that “those who seek equity must come with clean hands”, Ugolor stated.
He further contended that “the war against corruption must not be left for the anti-corruption agencies alone. We all have a role to play to conquer corruption that has brought poverty and developmental challenges to Nigerians. We must all rise to defend the nation’s integrity by joining the war against corruption at all strata of the society. The EFCC Boss has started on a good note, “we encourage him strongly to continue the momentum and not allow political interference to deter the good prospect he has set for the commission, irrespective of religion, ethnicity, and region”, Ugolor added.
The ANEEJ helmsman advised that while at the leadership of the commission, the EFCC Boss should use his office to grow the economy and add value through the non-conviction-based approach to fighting corruption. The slow judicial processes should not be allowed to hamper the efforts of the commission to deliver justice, fairness, and equity to politically exposed persons and their corrupt cases.
“We hope to see a transparent and accountable anti-corruption stride geared towards improving investor’s confidence in the economy and redeeming the image of the nation”.
Recall that, the EFCC is a financial crime commission created to investigate all financial crimes including advance fee fraud, money laundering, counterfeiting, illegal fund transfers, futures market fraud, contract scams, etc, as well as the coordination and enforcement of all economic and financial crimes laws.
ANEEJ and its eight (8) cluster members are implementing the “Enhancing Anti-corruption and Social Inclusive Reform Initiatives in Nigeria” project, which is a subset of the Strengthening Civic Advocacy and Local Engagement (SCALE) project being implemented by Palladium with support from USAID. The project is advocating for reforms in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), to improve the livelihoods of the people of the oil-rich Niger Delta Region.
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