GOMBE – The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr Ola Olukoyede, has urged local government chairmen across Nigeria to prioritize accountability, emphasizing that they are not shielded from investigation and prosecution for fraud.
Speaking at the Gombe State Local Government Summit on February 19, 2025, Olukoyede warned the council leaders to be prudent in managing public funds, stating unequivocally, “Local government chairmen do not have immunity, and we are not going to wait until you finish your tenure to come after you.”
Expressing concern over the persistent poverty and underdevelopment in rural areas despite significant financial allocations, the EFCC chairman lamented, “The impact of these resources is not felt by the people living in these areas.
Councils, instead of becoming catalysts of growth, have become caricatures existing only in name.” To address this issue, he urged local government chairmen to set up compliance units to monitor resource utilization and project implementation.
Olukoyede also introduced the EFCC’s Fraud Risk Assessment and Control (FRAC) Department, which will conduct oversight visits to local councils in Gombe State to ensure transparency in managing funds from the Federation Account.
He warned that the EFCC would actively monitor their activities, stating, “EFCC will be paying you visits occasionally to monitor how you are using the funds. We will come in the evening. Sometimes you may even be seeing us in your dreams.”
He commended Gombe State Governor, Alhaji Muhammad Inuwa, for his commitment to good governance and financial prudence, remarking, “If most governors are like you, I will have less work to do.”
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Adding to the discussion, the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Musa Adamu Aliyu, criticized the lack of transparency in local governance, revealing that “only seven out of the 774 local government councils in Nigeria have websites,” making it difficult to track their expenditures.
Governor Inuwa, in his opening remarks, emphasized that the summit was aimed at enhancing the capacity of local government administrations in the state, especially following the recent Supreme Court ruling granting them autonomy.
He stressed, “For autonomy to be beneficial and useful, the councils must have the capacity and discipline to utilize their resources for the good of the people.”
The governor also noted that Gombe State was well-prepared for financial autonomy, having already granted it to its 11 local government councils before the ruling.