ALLEGATION OF DEBT RECOVERY DELAY AND BOTTLENECK BY EFCC COMMISSION STAFF

Based on the public outburst of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission Chairman, Mr Ola Olukoyede, in his New Year message that exposed the Commission’s investigators’ staff for bribery and corruption reports, which shows a new sheriff in town, attributes from him as the new helmsman of EFCC.
It is now observed upon discovering a purported deliberate delay mechanism in recovering funds paid into the Commission account by fraudsters or debt-accused persons by complainants.
In the recent discovery, you are now directed to either wait for approvals, which often take between four to five months from the Abuja office before funds can be released to you after fraudsters or accused persons have paid said funds to the commission custody or wait indefinitely without any recourse.
In reference to the Minister of Interior, Mr Tunji-Ojo’s progressive and commendable policies to erase usual delays in citizens’ activities of passport document obtainment in Nigeria, which was a whole hell of an experience from previous administrations. He commanded other government agencies to follow suit to avoid unnecessary bottlenecks created by corrupt officials in delaying government documentation and approvals of paper henceforth.
In the case of EFCC, it would be disheartening to witness an agency saddled with responsibilities of sanitizing the economic and financial transactions and sanctity of a nation to be found with reports of negative administrative policies and deliberate bottlenecks created within its offices scattered all over the nation.
I refer to the chairman’s New Year broadcast, where he frowns at findings of EFCC operatives and investigators enmeshed in bribery and corruption in carrying out their duties, adding that the craze and quest for gratifications would no longer be tolerated. We, therefore, urge the Economic and Financial Crime Commission Chairman, Mr Olukoyede, to look into the matter of the commission offices all over the nation and, without any further delay, employ modern-day technology and facilities to release people’s funds and properties in their custody without further delay. According to him, the Commission is accorded the responsibility of accountability within governmental and private entities and individuals to further promote progress and economic fortune in Nigeria.
In his words, he says:
The EFCC chairman, “who described the situation as embarrassing for the anti-graft agency, said the Department of Internal Affairs of the agency has been directed to be more active and vigilant to monitor every staff member in all their engagements.
He warned that such conduct would no longer be tolerated under his watch, vowing he would wield the big stick against investigators taking bribes.
Olukoyede said: “At this point, I need to strongly reiterate the issue of discipline, integrity, and a sense of responsibility in our work. Public opinions about the conduct of some of our investigators are adverse. Some of our investigators’ craze and quest for gratification, bribes, and other compromises are becoming too embarrassing, and this must not continue.
“Let me sound a note of warning in this regard. I will not hesitate to wield the big stick against any form of infraction by any staff of the Commission. The Department of Internal Affairs has been directed to be more ardent in its work and monitor every staff in all their engagements. The image of the Commission is too important to be placed on the line by any corrupt officer.”
To take this matter seriously, the EFCC Boss, Mr Olukoyede, must take urgent steps concerning this matter of delaying the release of drafts in which EFCC recovers from fraudsters back to the owner without further delay because many people have been frustrated by this new system, which is not to be.