May 04, (THEWILL) – The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr Ola Olukoyede recently disclosed that the anti-graft agency was closely monitoring the 2025 budget implementation by Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, to ensure that releases made to them are not stolen.
This is a welcome development. If the agency can accomplish this rather onerous task, institutional corruption would have been dealt a major blow at its root. For several years, relevant civil society organisations, public spirited persons, some stakeholders including the Senate have made similar cases with documented facts about the cesspool of corruption that the MDAs have become over the years.
The EFCC’s prolonged N109 billion corruption case against former Accountant-General of the Federation, AGF, Ahmed Idris, is a case in point. Almost every year, the National Assembly and the MDAs go through this route without fail, particularly during yearly budgetary defence.
But with his current stand, Mr Olukoyede appears to be ready to translate theory into practice. We say so because in July last year the anti-graft agency’s boss lamented how the MDAs literally stole the country blind personally and collectively and stripped the treasury of requisite funds for developmental purposes.
Coming at a time that the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, had set up Anti-Corruption and Transparency Units, ACTUs, at the MDAs to promote accountability and transparency, the EFCC Chairman should be able to realise his set goal with determination.
Like any other institutions, MDAs are rule based but over the years, they have been found wanting. They breach regulations, wilfully violate set rules such as the Public Procurement Act and fail to submit audited accounts.
Indeed, on October 23, 2023, the Senate at the end of its two-day retreat at Ikot-Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State, organised by the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies NILDS, lamented this sordid affair of corruption and unfolded what they termed a comprehensive strategy to prevent it.
Among others, they called for clear, transparent guidelines for revenue generation, retention, spending efficiency by the MDAs as well as adopting technology in expenditure management and driving adherence to fiscal rules and benchmarks.
Even so, these calls for prevention and detection of corruption have failed to see the light of the day.
On his part, Olukoyede had taken notice of these sordid inclinations of the MDAs, when, almost a year ago, he complained bitterly about it.
While receiving the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) management team led by the Chairman, Mohammed Shehu, in July last year, Olukoyede lamented that, “When I look at some case files and see the humongous amount of money stolen, I wonder how we are still surviving. If you see some case files, you will weep. The way they move unspent budget allocation to private accounts in commercial banks before midnight at the end of a budget circle, you will wonder what kind of spirit drives us as Nigerians.”
Almost a year later, we hope he has seen and heard enough about this matter and he is ready to walk his talk. Nigerians are tired of hearing beautiful anti-corruption speeches by public officers that make headlines and nothing happens afterwards.
With his renewed commitment, we hope he will do as he said. Well, he said the Commission has put sound measures in place to prevent budgetary allocations to MDAs from being stolen. That is where the Commission’s new department of Fraud Risk Assessment and Control, FRAC, comes in. Coupled with its collaboration with the Nigerian Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative, NEITI, the Human and Environmental Development Agenda, HEDA, Ministry of Solid Ministry Development which has been very imaginative and creative in dealing with illegal mining in the country, the EFCC should be able to fulfil its ambition to reduce significantly, if not eliminate corruption in the MDAs.
“If we can do 50 percent of capital budget implementation, Nigeria will be fine infrastructure wise. So far, the first quarter has gone, and we are working to stop budget allocations of MDAs from being stolen. In sane societies, budget allocations are not stolen. So, this year you’ll be seeing more prevention. In the event that people have less to steal, there will be less for us to recover. That’s one of the areas where we’re trying to hone our skills and build our commitment, “ Olukoyede said.
We agree with this position and expected to see him deliver on his promise.
