The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr. Ola Olukoyede has charged new cadets of the Commission to be driven by the values of integrity and discipline in the course of their duties as officers of the EFCC.
He gave the charge on Friday, September at the Passing out Parade of 404 EFCC cadets at Nigeria Police Mobile Force Training College, Ende Hills, Akwanga, Nasarawa State.
The cadets comprise 294 detective superintendents and 110 detective inspectors.
The EFCC’s boss charged the new officers to be anti-graft fighters buoyed by patriotic disposition and accountable conducts, adding “Being an operative of the EFCC carries heavy responsibilities of personal discipline, integrity, courage and accountability. Your training essentially offered you a firm foothold in law enforcement and organisational discipline. The EFCC has zero tolerance for corruption and compromise. You are coming into an organisation that places a high premium on integrity and rectitude”.
Continuing, Olukoyede stressed that, “you must fit adequately into the mould of officers that are well-rewarded and morally upright. Integrity, for us, is not a slogan, it is a rule of engagement and an article of faith in the work we do. It is often said that he that comes to equity must come with clean hands. Nothing can be truer than this. You cannot offer the nation what you don’t have. Anti-corruption officers must be above board at all times”
He further stated that, the sustenance of the Commission’s culture of exemplary law enforcement, anchored on global best practices is at the heart of its huge investment in the training of its cadets.
“The Commission has invested heavily in your training. This is because we believe in turning out officers that are moulded and grounded in sound intellect, physical agility, courageous comportment and accountable conduct. Our officers are trained to square with and even tower above their global counterparts. This is owing to the scope of our mandate which is broad and global. So, in your individual capacities, you are equipped as an international law enforcement officer and you must see yourselves as such”
He scored the EFCC high in its adherence to its mandate because “the Commission has shown that it is capable of tackling any economic and financial crime and this is not just self-adulation or aggrandisement. It is owing to its development of effective manpower that can weather the storms of investigations and prosecution of cases. We will continue in this trajectory. Fresh officers coming into the fold of the EFCC should seek to surpass existing records of progress in their various sections and units. We are eager to break the siege of graft in our land and by our individual and corporate determination, we will surely sail through”.
The Reviewing Officer of the Parade and governor of Nasarawa State, His Excellency, Engineer Abdullahi Sule, congratulated the cadets for demonstrating resilience and determination.
