Tinubu commissions Awka Zonal Directorate Office of EFCC to strengthen anti-corruption drive
By Ejike Abana | IchieTimes
President Bola Tinubu has commissioned the new Awka Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, located at Udoka Estate, Awka, Anambra State.
The President was represented at the commissioning ceremony by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas.
Speaking at the event, President Tinubu reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to combating corruption as part of the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
The Executive Chairman of the EFCC, Olanipekun Olukoyede, said the establishment of the Awka Directorate, alongside new offices in Ekiti and Katsina states, was aimed at expanding the commission’s presence and improving access to justice in the fight against financial crimes.
Olukoyede said the expansion would also help protect legitimate economic activities and contribute to regional development.
The EFCC chairman disclosed that the commission had received more than 49,000 petitions and investigated over 39,000 cases, while implementing internal reforms aimed at improving its operational processes.
He said the commission was also adopting a more preventive approach to financial crime by monitoring Federation Account Allocation Committee, FAAC, releases to help safeguard public funds before they are misappropriated.
Olukoyede called on members of the public to embrace whistleblowing and remain vigilant about financial transactions.
He also charged EFCC personnel to operate strictly within the law, stressing that efforts to enforce the law must not result in oppression of members of the public.
The Governor of Anambra State, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, who served as the keynote speaker, welcomed the establishment of the directorate in the state.
Soludo described the expansion as important to taking anti corruption efforts closer to the grassroots.
He said fighting crime was a collective responsibility, stressing that sustainable development would be difficult in a society affected by economic and financial crimes.
The governor pledged the support and cooperation of the Anambra State Government to enable the EFCC effectively carry out its mandate.
Also speaking, the Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodinma, commended the Federal Government for supporting the expansion of the commission’s operations.
Uzodinma said increased financial allocations to subnational governments required effective monitoring and accountability, while describing the EFCC’s evolving operational approach as one with a human face.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Financial Crimes, Senator Emmanuel Udende, and the Chairman of the House Committee on Financial Crimes, Hon. Ginger Obinna Onwusibe, reiterated the National Assembly’s support for the commission.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Anambra State Traditional Rulers’ Council, Igwe Chidubem Iweka, called for stronger preventive measures against corruption.
He advocated the integration of anti corruption education into the primary school curriculum and suggested the use of traditional oaths of office for public officials as an additional preventive measure.
The newly commissioned Awka Zonal Directorate is expected to strengthen intelligence gathering, accelerate financial crime investigations and expand the EFCC’s operational reach across Anambra, Imo and other parts of the South East.
