The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has urged Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), not to allow themselves to be used as tools to engender corruption by dubious politicians.
EFCC’s spokesperson, Dele Oyewale in a Wednesday statement, said Olukoyede gave the advice when he received the executives of the Conference of Northern States Civil Society Networks, led by its Chairman, Ambassador Ibrahim Waiya, at the EFCC corporate headquarters, Abuja.
Olukoyede who said it was appalling to see CSOs veer off their mandate, also frowned at the tendencies of some CSOs to champion ill-motivated causes, and especially defend individuals and groups indicted for corruption, stressing that such tendencies impede the development and progress of the nation.
“Whatever that is not expedient should be abhorred. It is appalling to see Civil Society Organisations veer off their mandate and be supporting bad governance. There are instances where some state governments deliberately set up and fund Civil Society Organisations to attack agencies set up to enforce anti-corruption laws.
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“Please, let them know that such tendencies are against progress and development of the nation. Their platforms are not meant for such engagements.
“The CSOs are critical to the fight against economic and financial crimes. Some of the high-profile cases the commission has prosecuted were made possible by the efforts of some of the promoters of these CSOs.
“They are even playing the role of prosecution witnesses in support of anti-graft agencies. That is why, within six months of my appointment, I have met with the coalition of CSOs twice. For me, we cannot do it all alone. We surely need to collaborate to achieve the mandate,” he said.
The EFCC chairman also commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for taking crucial measures on the issues of consumer credit and the Student Loan Scheme, which he said has a great propensity for curbing corruption.
“Fifty per cent of my job would have been done by the time these policies come on stream. Imagine workers getting car loans and mortgage loans at 3, 4 and 5 per cent to be repaid in the next 30 years. It will reduce corruption to the barest minimum,” he added.
