Comfort Isaac
The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ola Olukoyede has urged the National Assembly to enact a law against unexplained wealth.
He noted that such law would boost the fight against economic and financial crimes and other acts of corruption.
This was contained in a statement issued by the EFCC Spokesperson Dele Oyewale on Thursday.
The statement said Olukoyede made the appeal at National Conference on Public Accounts and Fiscal Governance convened by the Public Accounts Committee of the Senate and House of Representatives.
Olukoyede decried the lack of legislation against unexplained wealth, maintaining that corruption is strengthened when people living above their means are not brought to book.
He also called for transparency in resource management at all levels of government stressing that Nigeria is bountifully blessed with resources but without prudent management, nothing tangible would be achieved.
His words, “I want to make an appeal to you all, please, pass the bill on unexplained wealth. We need transparency in resource management. That’s all we need. Everywhere you go in Nigeria, you see natural resources all around you. We will succeed if we are resolute about resource management.
“Mismanagement of resources is behind banditry, kidnapping, terrorism and other acts of insecurity”.
The chairman also called on custodians of stolen assets abroad to cooperate with the EFCC in getting the assets returned to the country, arguing that “ custodians of stolen assets are as guilty as those that stole the assets”.
In his remarks, the House Committee Chairman on Public Accounts, Honourable Bamidele Salaam appreciated the EFCC Chairman’s contributions and called for a review of the nation’s cost of labour to make Nigerians live above inducements to corruption. “ We must do something about our wage system if we are serious about the fight against corruption”, he said.
