The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Ola Olukoyede, has urged local government chairmen across the country to uphold accountability in the management of council resources.
Speaking at the Gombe State Local Government (LG) Summit on Wednesday, Olukoyede stressed the importance of transparency, warning that LG chairpersons are not immune from investigation and prosecution for financial misconduct. He made it clear that the EFCC would not hesitate to take action against any council leader found engaging in fraudulent activities.
“Local government chairmen do not have immunity, and we are not going to wait until you finish your tenure to come after you,” Olukoyede said, urging council leaders to be more responsible in their financial dealings.
The EFCC chairman pointed out that despite the resources allocated to local councils, the impact is often not felt by the communities, with many councils failing to become true drivers of growth and development. He described them as “caricatures,” existing only in name.
Olukoyede encouraged LG chairmen to set up compliance units within their offices to ensure proper monitoring of resources and the effective delivery of projects. He also revealed that the EFCC had established a Fraud Risk Assessment and Control (FRAC) department to track the usage of increased funds from the federation account.
The EFCC Chairman added, “We will be paying you visits occasionally to monitor how you are using the funds. We will come in the evening. Sometimes you may even be seeing us in your dreams,” reinforcing the Commission’s commitment to keeping local governments accountable for their spending.
