The 2024 African Anti-Corruption Day was marked by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in a special way: The anti-graft agency was more visible than in previous years in the activities to mark the day, with the theme: “Effective Whistleblowing for Corruption-Free Nigeria.
At the head of the agency’s team on the streets of Abuja to mark the day was the EFCC Chairman, Olanipekun Olukoyede.
According to Olukoyede, who spoke at the Unity Fountain in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, where those who took part in the activities for the day gathered, Nigeria’s path to greatness lay in combating corruption. This was a view also shared by those who joined the EFCC boss in talking and walking against corruption.
Olukoyede called for enhanced and consistent commitment to whistle blowing by Nigerians from all walks of life to tackle the menace of economic and financial crimes and other acts of corruption. He said the fight against corruption has become more compelling owing to its increasing threat to individual, corporate and national quest for growth and development. He charged Nigerians to be more prepared to explore the whistle blowing initiative as a demonstration of their sincerity and seriousness to break the fangs of corruption.
He said: “Aside terrorism, corruption ranks as the next deadliest affliction of humanity in every region of the world. In view of the danger and threat to our existence which corruption represents, it is imperative that individuals, communities, corporate bodies and indeed the whole world join hands together to tackle it frontally. One way of doing this is through the whistle-blowing initiative.”
Olukoyede, who led the walk from the Wuse 2 Zonal Office of the EFCC through the streets of Maitama and terminated it at the Unity Fountain, enjoined Nigerians to show commitment by fully embracing the demands of the whistle blowing policy of the government. The policy, launched on December 21, 2016 by the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Finance, is an anti-graft programme that encourages people to voluntarily disclose information about fraud, bribery, looted government funds, financial misconduct, abuse or embezzlement of government assets and any other form of corruption or theft
Olukoyede said the fight against corruption required absolute commitment to integrity and unfaltering focus, adding: “We cannot win the war against corruption through lip service, emotional outburst or mere mob campaigns. There is a need for commitment, passion, consistency and credibility of intelligence. Every whistle blown must point towards truth and evidential proofs.
Indeed, a report after the event by the National Bureau of Statistics indicated that N721 billion was received as bribes by Nigerian public officials in 2023. The report, titled: “Corruption in Nigeria: Patterns and Trends,” was released by the NBS last week. The body said the N721 billion paid in bribes across the country in 2023 amounted to about 0.35 percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product.
The report, which was based on a survey conducted with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, stressed that the average cash received by public office holders in 2023 was N8,284, an increase from an average of N5,754 in 2019.
The report read in part: “According to the 2023 survey, the average cash bribe paid was 8,284 Nigerian Naira. While the nominal average cash bribe size increased since 2019 (from NGN 5,754), this does not account for inflation. The inflation-adjusted average cash bribe in 2023 was 29 percent smaller than in 2019 in terms of what could be bought with the money. Overall, it is estimated that a total of roughly NGN 721 billion (US$1.26 billion) was paid in cash bribes to public officials in Nigeria in 2023, corresponding to 0.35 per cent of the entire Gross Domestic Product of Nigeria.”
Another report by the NBS, which was quoted by the media also showed that the amount of bribe given during the 2023 general election increased by 5 percent when compared to the greasing of palms in the 2019 polls. Indeed, some opposition parties alleged that the 2023 elections, which produced President Bola Tinubu, governors and lawmakers, were marred by corruption. Some electoral officials and security agencies accused of receiving bribes in a bid to allow for alterations of results are still undergoing prosecution.
This was why some of those who participated in the 2024 African Anti-Corruption Day said the task before Olukoyede, who was appointed by President Tinubu on October 12, 2023, is an herculean one. The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero, who participated in the African Anti-Corruption Day walk, stated that the NLC will fully support the EFCC in its fight against corruption. Ajaero said: “Most of the governors being prosecuted today are those who couldn’t pay minimum wage. This is an urgent need for us to fight corruption and the NLC will throw its weight behind the agency in all fights against corruption.”
The Chairperson of the Conference of Civil Society and Coordinator, Civil Military Cooperation, Adams Otakwu, commended the EFCC for galvanising Nigerians to stand against corruption. Otakwu said: “It may interest us to know that upon all the threat to national security, inclusive of terrorism, insurgency, proliferation of small arms and light weapons, the most insidious of them is corruption and that is why the fight against corruption must be tackled head on.” He called on the government, National Assembly and international community to support the EFCC by providing adequate funding to enable the Commission carry out its mandate.
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Indeed, many believe that Olukoyede, who is from Ikere-Ekiti in Ekiti State is on the right track with some of his actions so far, the latest being the trial of two operatives of the commission for their highhandedness during an operation at a hotel in Lagos State. The restructuring of the anti-graft commission is also said to count for the lawyer, who has shown a lot of restraint, even when attacked, especially in the court and media.
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