By Christian Aburime
The Governor of Anambra State, Prof. Chukwuma Charles Soludo, has described the fight against corruption and financial crimes as a collective responsibility, stressing that no society can achieve meaningful development where economic and financial crimes are allowed to thrive.
Soludo stated this while delivering the keynote address at the official commissioning of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Awka Zonal Directorate at Udoka Estate, Awka.
He commended the EFCC for expanding its operations to the grassroots, noting that the presence of the commission in Awka would strengthen efforts to combat financial crimes across the region.
According to the governor, the fight against financial crimes requires the support and cooperation of all Nigerians. He recalled an experience from his time as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, when he honoured an invitation from the EFCC in connection with an investigation involving the Minting Company. He said he followed the process until the investigation was concluded, stressing that members of the public deserve to know the outcome of investigations.
The commissioning was performed on behalf of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, who reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment, under the Renewed Hope Agenda, to creating the necessary environment for anti-corruption agencies to effectively carry out their responsibilities.
Also speaking, the Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma, expressed appreciation to President Tinubu for what he described as an expansion of the financial space available to subnational governments. He welcomed the decentralisation of EFCC operations and commended what he described as the agency’s evolving approach to enforcement.
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 commitment of the National Assembly to providing legislative support for the effective operations of the EFCC.
The Chairman of the Anambra State Traditional Rulers’ Council, Igwe Chidubem Iweka, called for stronger preventive measures against corruption. He advocated the introduction of anti-corruption education in primary schools and the use of traditional oaths of office for public officials as part of measures to promote integrity in public service.
In his address, the Executive Chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Olanipekun Olukoyede, said the establishment of the Awka Zonal Directorate, alongside recent expansions in Ekiti and Katsina States, was aimed at strengthening the commission’s institutional presence, improving access to justice and protecting legitimate economic activities.
Olukoyede said the commission was increasingly placing emphasis on prevention, including monitoring Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) releases to help safeguard public funds before they are misappropriated. He also urged communities to embrace whistleblowing and maintain vigilance over financial transactions within their respective areas.
The EFCC chairman assured citizens that officers of the commission are deployed to enforce the law within the limits of their legal mandate and not to oppress members of the public. He said the Awka Zonal Directorate would strengthen intelligence gathering, accelerate financial crime prosecutions, protect public revenues and contribute to investor confidence across Anambra and Imo States and the wider South-East.
The new EFCC Directorate in Awka will serve as an operational hub for Anambra and Imo States, further expanding the commission’s presence and capacity to respond to financial and economic crimes in the region.
