Stephen Enoch
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has launched a directorate aimed at preventing corruption in Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) across Nigeria.
The Fraud Risk Assessment and Control Directorate will closely monitor government operations, particularly in the award of constituency project contracts and procurement processes, which the EFCC Boss believes is the breeding ground for the majority of public sector corruption.
EFCC Chairman Olanipekun Olukoyede made this known during a statewide consultative meeting on fostering transparency, accountability, and citizen participation in constituency projects across Nigeria.
The event, held at Aminu Kano Centre for Democratic Studies (Mambayya House), was organized by the Resource Center for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED) with support from the MacArthur Foundation.
One of the broad objectives of the consultative forum is to convene key stakeholders and address challenges in constituency project implementation, promoting accountability, gender equality, social inclusion, and active citizen participation in Kano state.
According to Olukoyode, rather than waiting for crime to take place and then fighting it, the EFCC has taken a proactive step to ameliorate fraud by establishing the Fraud Risk Assessment and Control Directorate to prevent crimes.
He hinted that the directorate will investigate MDAs by monitoring their contract and procurement processes, ensuring that they conform to the law and that there are no underhanded dealings.
Olukoyede stressed the importance of focusing on contract and procurement practices, which he noted are responsible for over 90% of public corruption.
“If you can sanitize that system, you will see good project delivery and execution. People take money, and they don’t execute the projects, that’s where public corruption comes in,” he added.
He further explained that the EFCC would not only identify fraud but intervene early in the process. “From the day the money is released, we monitor the process. If we detect fraud in the contract process, we alert the authorities to correct it and ensure transparency.
While acknowledging that this approach may not eradicate corruption, Olukoyede emphasized that “if we can tighten the system, even the little corruption that remains can be tackled effectively.”
In his welcome address, Ibrahim Zikirullahi, Executive Director of CHRICED, highlighted the deep frustration many Nigerians feel, knowing the country is richly endowed yet its citizens continue to suffer in poverty.
He noted that the masses have long grappled with the painful paradox that while Nigeria is blessed with immense resources, they still wallow in poverty, misery, and extreme deprivation.
“One of the greatest tragedies of our nation is that since the return to democracy in 1999, trillions of Naira allocated by the government at various levels have failed to improve the lives of ordinary Nigerians,” he pointed out.
Zikirullahi stressed the need for urgent reforms, particularly in the handling of constituency projects. “As we tap into the potential of constituency projects, we must confront the pressing need for reform.
“We must advocate for greater transparency, accountability, and community involvement in both the planning and execution phases of these projects.”
He further emphasized the importance of citizen engagement, stating, that empowering citizens to actively participate in decision-making, can ensure that constituency projects truly reflect the needs and aspirations of the communities they are meant to serve.
Professor Muhammad Sani Gumel, Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Bayero University Kano, also weighed in on the implications of corruption in constituency projects.
He emphasized that the diversion of funds by certain lawmakers has led to a shortfall in access to basic amenities such as education, healthcare, and water.
Prof. Gumel also reiterated that the lack of education, especially among the youth, leads to heightened ignorance, which fuels crime and criminality in society.
