EFCC Chairman Alleges Public Officials Take Money Every Minute

Ola Olukoyede, chairman of Nigeria's Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has said that public officials take public funds every minute. He made the remark in Abuja on Thursday during the 80th birthday celebration of Kanu Agabi, a former Attorney-General of the Federation. According to Olukoyede, the EFCC gets more than 20,000 corruption complaints each year. He described the extent of the theft described in many of the cases as shocking. "I receive over 20,000 petitions in a year in respect to public corruption, all terrible. What is going on? Like every minute, public officers take money, and if you go through some of our case files you will weep. The way people take national resources and Nigerians are victims of these fraudulent activities. And we must come together for once in our lifetime and say no to the activities of some of our leaders," Olukoyede said. He also said that some public officers enter office with less than 100,000 in their accounts, yet the agency traces millions of dollars to them within three years. He added that some people acquire hundreds of houses while serving in office, and warned that corruption is damaging the country. Olukoyede emphasized that public officers must be answerable for their time in office, saying transparency should remain the standard in public service.