Cautions public officials against graft, fraud

Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr Ola Olukoyede, yesterday cautioned public officials against fraudulent practices, stressing that public service is a responsibility to protect public resources rather than an opportunity for self-enrichment and compromises.

He gave the caution in Abuja while speaking at a two-day induction programme organised by the Bureau of Public Service Reforms.

The programme, themed: ‘Institutional Governance and Regulatory Compliance’, was organised for CEO, Chairman and Members of the Governing Board of South-South Development Commission (SSDC}.

Speaking on ‘The Role of EFCC in Improving Accountability in the Public Service’, he said accountability required that public resources be managed ethically, efficiently and in the best interest of citizens.

He, however, noted that corruption has continued to frustrate prudent management of government resources in Nigeria.

Olukoyede identified common forms of corruption in the public service to include outright stealing from the treasury, diversion of public funds, bribery and kickbacks, misappropriation of funds, procurement and contract fraud, payroll and pension fraud, as well as duty tour allowance fraud.

Drawing from his experience in regulatory compliance, he described contract fraud as the most prevalent form of corruption in the public sector.

“From my experience in regulatory compliance, by far the most common form of corruption within the public service space is contract fraud, where those who lead government establishments set out to enrich themselves by rigging the procurement process.”

According to him, contract fraud often manifests through contract splitting to evade approval limits, bid manipulation in favour of preferred contractors or entities in which public officials have interests, the award of contracts to unqualified companies, and payments for poorly executed or unexecuted contracts.

Recalling the rationale for the establishment of the EFCC, Olukoyede said the Commission came into being in 2003 to combat corruption and economic and financial crimes in both the public and private sectors through investigations, prosecutions, asset recovery, and public education.

He pointed to limited resources and manpower, inadequate public support, widespread cynicism, delays in prosecuting high-profile corruption cases, and persistent but largely unsubstantiated allegations of selective investigations as some of the challenges confronting the anti-corruption fight.

Addressing participants directly, the anti-graft czar urged them to resist the temptation of viewing their appointments as opportunities to enrich themselves.

He advised the officials to familiarise themselves with the Financial Regulations, Public Service Rules, and the Procurement Act, and to ensure strict compliance with all extant regulations to avoid investigations and prosecution for corruption-related offences.

Olukoyede further warned them against engaging in businesses incompatible with public office, operating foreign bank accounts, seeking contracts from the institutions they serve either directly or through proxies, and conducting financial transactions outside recognised financial institutions.