“… Nigeria undoubtedly has a serious fight to wage against corruption and this is not lost on the EFCC Chairman. “
- Photo: Mr Olanipekun Olukoyede, Chairman of the Econonmic and Financial Commission*
By Olumide Abiola
To the Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ola Olukoyede, ‘Corruption is the next deadliest affliction of humanity’.
This statement is consistent with the famous refrain by a former Nigerian president that
“If we don’t kill corruption, corruption will kill us. “
Perhaps nothing underscores these two poignant concerns than a fresh report released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) which indicated that N721bn was received as bribe by Nigerian public officials in 2023.
The report titled, “Corruption in Nigeria: Patterns and Trends”, was released by NBS on Thursday.
According to NBS, the N721bn paid in bribes across the country in 2023 amounted to about 0.35 per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product, GDP.
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.
Says 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 per cent 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.”
With the above, Nigeria undoubtedly has a serious fight to wage against corruption and this is not lost on the EFCC Chairman.
Olukoyede said apart from terrorism, corruption is the next deadliest affliction of humanity.
He said most of the governors being prosecuted today were those who couldn’t pay minimum wage.
He asked Nigerians to embrace whistleblowing by exposing corruption in the country.
Olukoyede made the disclosures while addressing stakeholders at the Unity Fountain in Abuja to commemorate the 2024 African Anti-Corruption Day.
He called for enhanced and consistent commitment to whistle blowing by Nigerians to tackle the menace of economic and financial crimes and other acts 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 to tackle it frontally.
“ One way of doing this is through the whistle-blowing initiative”.
Olukoyede said the fight against corruption required absolute commitment to integrity and unfaltering focus.
“We cannot win the war against corruption through lip service, emotional outburst or mere mob campaigns.
“There is need for commitment, passion, consistence and credibility of intelligence. Every whistle blown must point towards truth and evidential proofs”, he said.
He pleaded with the Nigeria Labour Congress and Civil society organizations to be part of the anti-graft war.
Olukoyede said “most of the governors being prosecuted today were those who couldn’t pay minimum wage.
“This is an urgent need for us to fight corruption and NLC will throw its weight behind the agency in all fight against corruption.”
NLC President, Joe Ajearo, promised that the union would fully support the EFCC in its fight against corruption.
Various stakeholders at the Road Walk bared their minds on the need for more affirmative actions against corruption.
The Chairperson, Conference of Civil Society and Coordinator Civil Military Co-operation (CIMCO), Adams Otakwu, commended the EFCC for galvanizing 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”.
Other speakers were the Representative of the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Vice Marshal Etim Markus, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, Nigerian Correctional Service, National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, among others
In Abuja, the Day was marked by a colourful Road Walk by staff of the EFCC and other stakeholders in the anti-corruption corridor. Amidst dancing, singing and exhilarating clarions, Olukoyede led the Walk from the Wuse 2 Zonal office of the EFCC through streets of Maitama and terminated it at the Unity Fountain.
To Olukoyede, most of the governors being prosecuted today were those who couldn’t pay minimum wage.
He asked Nigerians to embrace whistleblowing by exposing corruption in the country.
He called for enhanced and consistent commitment to whistle blowing by Nigerians to tackle the menace of economic and financial crimes and other acts of corruption.
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 to tackle it frontally.
“ One way of doing this is through the whistle-blowing initiative”.
Olukoyede said the fight against corruption required absolute commitment to integrity and unfaltering focus.
“We cannot win the war against corruption through lip service, emotional outburst or mere mob campaigns.
“There is need for commitment, passion, consistence and credibility of intelligence. Every whistle blown must point towards truth and evidential proofs”, he said.