EFCC chairman urges fiscal discipline to boost LG efficiency
The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Chairman Ola Olukoyede advocates for greater transparency and prudent resource management at the local government level.
Ola Olukoyede, emphasized the critical need for fiscal discipline, transparency, and efficient resource management to enhance local government administration in Nigeria.
Speaking at a workshop organized by the Ministry of Local Government in Kaduna, Olukoyede highlighted the positive impact that prudent resource management could have on grassroots development.
Olukoyede underscored the importance of discipline in resource allocation, stating, “The local government is structured as a means to enhance development and service delivery, improve governance and deepen democracy. There is no way we can have enough resources for the people, but when we apply discipline in the allocation of what we have, we will be able to meet many of the needs at the grassroots.”
He urged Nigerians at the grassroots to actively participate in ensuring fiscal responsibility by offering information to the EFCC. Olukoyede stressed the role of whistleblowing, stating, “Fiscal discipline cannot be achieved if the people are not involved in how they are governed. I urge Nigerians at the grassroots to be more determined in their quest for better lives and to join the EFCC in exposing corrupt practices.”
The EFCC’s boss, speaking through the Kaduna Acting Zonal Commander, ACE1 Aisha Abubakar, highlighted the importance of collaboration in the fight against economic and financial crimes.
Emphasizing a focus on preventive measures, Abubakar stated, “International best practices in the fight against graft put preventive frameworks on the front burner. Crimes are better tackled when incentives to corruption are reduced to the barest minimum.”
Local government officials were called upon to drive economic development in their jurisdictions by avoiding wastages and corruption. Olukoyede emphasized that the objective of the war against corruption is to drive economic development, create wealth, and generate job opportunities.
Kaduna State’s Deputy Governor, Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe, stressed the need for financial discipline at the local government level to align with global best practices and avoid disruptions in the financial system.
She stated, “We need you at the local government level to key into positive policies like this in order for us to succeed.”
Sadiq Mamman Lagos, Commissioner for Local Government Affairs, Kaduna State, commended the EFCC’s preventive and enlightenment programs, noting their positive impact on understanding the agency’s objectives.
He highlighted the role of these programmes in enhancing fiscal accountability, crucial for the developmental growth of rural areas and Kaduna State.
The workshop featured various sensitization lectures by resource persons from the Kaduna Zonal Command of the EFCC.
