By Nathaniel Zacchaeus, Abuja
The Senate yesterday confirmed the appointment of Mr Ola Olukoyede and Mr Muhammad Hammajoda as Chairman and Secretary of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
They were screened during plenary when lawmakers demanded to know the strategies they would deploy to fight corruption different from what their predecessors had done.
The Senators decried the use of anti-graft agencies by the political elite as a tool to settle political scores.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio and other senators specifically decried the operational style of the anti-graft agency.
He lamented that the EFCC engaged more in sensation rather than investigation.
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He also deplored the Gestapo manner the EFCC operatives invaded the residence of Rochas Okorocha, former Imo State governor, to arrest him.
He said the act establishing the anti-graft agency should be reviewed to make it more efficient.
“We need to take a thorough look at the EFCC act and review the law,” he said.
There was, however, laughter among the senators when the Senate President jokingly told Olukoyede, not to use him as an example in the anti-corruption fight.
The newly confirmed EFCC boss had cited Akpabio’s name as an example in his presentation on investigating a graft case but suddenly stopped when he realised the mood of lawmakers in the Chamber.
He had said, “If we are investigating the Senate President for example…” Olukoyede said, prompting lawmakers to burst into laughter.
The laughter became louder when Akpabio told the EFCC boss not to cite his name as an example in the investigation of a corruption case.
Akpabio said, “I’m very glad that the nominee wants to use the Senate President as an example. But Mr Nominee, leave the Senate President for now, look at this direction (pointing at the seats of opposition lawmakers).”
Olukoyede, after the loud laughter, continued his speech without mentioning anyone’s name, saying “If you are fighting corruption, you become the enemy of everybody.”
Olukoyede pledged to commit more energy to preventing graft rather than deploring resources to fighting it.
He said, “The time has come for all anti-corruption agencies to focus more on prevention than enforcement. Enforcement is a very strong tool in our hands and we are going to apply it very seriously.
“The savings of an average civil servant in Nigeria all through his service years cannot build the type of houses they are building and cars they are riding. The problem we have is just like the proverbial monkey that was locked up in a cage with a bunch of ripe bananas. The owner stood outside with a cane.
“The monkey would either eat the bananas get beaten and be alive, or allow the bananas to get rotten and die of hunger. Everyone wants to live a luxurious life and the incentives are all over the place. I will do more in the areas of blocking the leakages. We spend more money fighting corruption when we could have spent less to prevent it.
“Without downplaying the importance of enforcement. There is what we call a transactional credit system. 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, 1000 anti-corruption agencies will not do us any good and that is the reality.
“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? An average Nigerian does not own a home, when he has the opportunity, he steals. Even if he did not have the opportunity he would create one”
Olukoyede solicited the cooperation of the Senate to review the administration of criminal justice system laws to encourage the personnel in charge of anti-graft agencies.
He said, “To encourage our criminal justice system to work, the substance should be taken above technicalities. We must encourage our criminal justice system to adjudicate in such a way that it will not drag on 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 work, you will see the great work the anti-corruption agencies are doing.
“I surveyed between 2018 and 2020 on fifty entities in Nigeria. Both human and corporate entities. I picked just one scheme, one species of fraud, which is called contract and procurement fraud. I discovered that within the three years, Nigeria lost N2.9trn.
“When I put my figures together, I discovered that. If the country had prevented the money from being stolen, it would have given us 1000 kilometres of road, it would have built close to 200 standard tertiary institutions. It would have also educated about 6,000 children from primary to tertiary levels at N16m per child.
“It would have also delivered more than 20,000 units of three-bedroom houses across the country. It would have given us a world-class teaching hospital in each of the 36 states of the country and the Federal Capital Territory.
“This is where we are coming from, this is where we are. Where we are going, depends on the decision the Senate would take this afternoon,” he added.
