•Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ola Olukoyede
The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ola Olukoyede, has called on local government chairmen across the country to be prudent and accountable.
Olukoyede stated that they do not have immunity from investigation or prosecution for fraud, reports The PUNCH.
He added that the EFCC would not wait until the end of any local government chairman’s tenure before initiating a probe.
This was contained in a statement issued today by the EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale.
According to Oyewale, Olukoyede made the remarks in Gombe State while speaking at the Gombe State Local Government Summit.
He said Olukoyede urged local council chairmen to manage the vast resources at their disposal responsibly, stressing: “Local government chairmen do not have immunity, and we are not going to wait until you finish your tenure to come after you.”
The EFCC chairman lamented the stagnation, poverty, and deprivation prevalent in rural areas across the country, despite the enormous resources allocated to them over the years.
“The impact of these resources is not felt by the people living in these areas. Instead of serving as catalysts for growth, councils have become mere caricatures that exist only in name.”
To ensure prudent resource management and accountability, Olukoyede recommended that chairmen establish a compliance unit to monitor resource allocation and project implementation.
“He informed them that the Commission has established a Fraud Risk Assessment and Control (FRAC) Department, adding that officers from the department would be visiting local government councils in Gombe State to monitor the use of enhanced allocations from the Federation Account,” the statement read.
Oyewale further stated that Olukoyede warned chairmen that the EFCC would periodically monitor their funds.
“The EFCC will be paying you visits occasionally to check how you are using the funds. We will come in the evening. Sometimes, you may even see us in your dreams,” he said.
The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, Musa Aliyu, expressed dismay that only seven out of the 774 local government councils in Nigeria have websites, making it difficult to monitor their expenditures.
In his opening remarks, Gombe State Governor Inuwa Yahaya said the summit was designed to strengthen local government administration in the state and ensure it meets public expectations in light of the new autonomy granted to councils.
“For autonomy to be beneficial and useful, councils must have the capacity and discipline to utilise their resources for the good of the people.”
He noted that Gombe State was not caught off guard by the Supreme Court ruling, as it had already granted financial autonomy to the 11 councils in the state.
