The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has cautioned the National Productivity Centre (NPC) against giving awards to financial crimes suspects.
This was disclosed in a statement published on the EFCC website dated September 6, 2024.
The caution was issued during a courtesy visit to the EFCC headquarters in Abuja by the NPC Director-General, Baffa Babban Dan’agundi.
Warning Against Issuing Awards to Crime Suspects
The NPC is a federal government parastatal responsible for stimulating and promoting productivity consciousness in all sectors of the Nigerian economy, including spotlighting unique personalities among others.
But EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede tasked the NPC to go beyond merely giving productivity awards and work towards measuring productivity in all 774 local government areas and at the federal level.
Olukoyede urged the NPC to carefully select recipients of productivity awards in the interest of justice and the government’s anti-corruption efforts.
“In the past, we have seen awards given to all manners of criminals and other financial crimes suspects… Be diligent in the people you give awards to,” the EFCC Chairman stated.
He also welcomed collaboration with the NPC, stating that it would help in tackling corruption, which, according to him, is a major obstacle to productivity in the country.
“There is a nexus between the issue of productivity and corruption. I believe this is an area where we can collaborate and work together. You have a huge assignment and task at hand. Previously, the only thing we heard about your agency was the giving of productivity awards and nothing else,” Olukoyede said.
According to the EFCC, the two agencies have agreed to work together in areas such as training, administration, and Servicom.
“We are open to acquiring knowledge at all times. If there are areas where we can collaborate, particularly in administration and Servicom, we are open to it,” he said.
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The NPC chief agreed to collaborate with the EFCC on a wide range of initiatives aimed at tackling corruption and boosting productivity in key sectors of the economy.
Dan’agundi was quoted as saying that the partnership would help his agency achieve its mandate of monitoring the productivity of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) in the country.
“We have started working with some of the MDAs, and they are sending many accolades. We had only three training sessions when I came, and I understand we have a lot to do in terms of improving the productivity of the MDAs and the country at large.
“We believe the mandate of this agency should be put into use, and we have already begun some of these actions… We hope you’ll work with us and that you will give us this opportunity, and we pray we don’t disappoint you,” Dan’agundi said.
The EFCC is empowered by law to track and prosecute financial crime suspects irrespective of their standing in the society, except governors who have immunity while in office.
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