The Minister of Education, Maruf Olatunji Alausa, has commended the Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, for what he described as raising the anti-graft agency to its “highest level of standards.”…
The Minister of Education, Maruf Olatunji Alausa, has commended the Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, for what he described as raising the anti-graft agency to its “highest level of standards.”
Alausa gave the commendation on Tuesday during the handover of beds and mattresses recovered from a cybercrime operation to the Federal Ministry of Education at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja.
The development was disclosed in a statement shared on Tuesday via the EFCC’s official X handle.
According to the statement, the items handed over comprised 501 double-step bunk beds, 939 mattresses, and 12 wooden beds with mattresses, all recovered during a special anti-cybercrime operation codenamed Operation Eagle Flush and forfeited to the Federal Government.
Commending the EFCC chairman, Alausa said the Commission had undergone remarkable reforms under Olukoyede’s leadership.
“Chairman, I commend you for bringing the highest level of standards to the EFCC,” the minister said.
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He also praised President Bola Tinubu for appointing Olukoyede to head the anti-corruption agency, describing the President as a leader with a keen eye for talent.
“President Bola Tinubu said one thing. He said he will never give somebody an assignment he does not know they can handle. Today, Mr President is the best talent hunter in this country, and presumably in the world.
“When he brought Mr Ola Olukoyede to the EFCC, the President knew what he was doing. Today, three years later, we have the cleanest EFCC in the history of this country,” Alausa said.
The minister further stated that the Commission had not been used to victimise innocent Nigerians, stressing that it has operated within the rule of law throughout Olukoyede’s tenure.
“We have never seen that in the last three years. We have an EFCC that is operating within the confines of the rule of law,” he added.
Alausa also applauded the Commission for adopting a proactive approach to tackling corruption, particularly in public procurement, which he identified as one of the major sources of corruption in government.
“Beyond trying to be proactive in fighting corruption, beyond identifying where we have the most burden of corruption, the biggest part of corruption in our government has to do with procurement. He has worked assiduously to really help reduce that in a proactive manner, not a reactive manner. That’s what leadership is all about,” he said.
The minister disclosed that the recovered beds and mattresses would be distributed to Federal Unity Colleges across the country, noting that the education sector has continued to benefit from the EFCC’s asset recovery efforts.
Speaking during the handover, Olukoyede said the gesture was aimed at ensuring that proceeds of crime are redirected to improve the lives of Nigerian children and youths.
According to him, Operation Eagle Flush led to the arrest and investigation of 792 suspects, including 193 foreign nationals, who were subsequently convicted, while the foreign suspects were deported to their respective countries.
He said the handover aligns with the Federal Government’s commitment to improving the quality of education.
“The decision to hand over these facilities to the Federal Ministry of Education is in line with the Federal Government’s determination to improve the quality of education in Nigeria,” Olukoyede said.
The EFCC chairman added that President Tinubu approved the donation because young Nigerians remain the biggest victims of corruption.
“Children and the youth are the greatest victims of corruption and should naturally be the first beneficiaries of the proceeds of such a crime,” he said.
Olukoyede noted that the donation was carried out in line with the provisions of the Proceeds of Crime Act and forms part of the Commission’s broader support for the education sector.
He cited the transfer of N50 billion in recovered funds to the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) and the conversion of Nok University into the Federal University of Applied Sciences, Kachia, Kaduna State, as examples of how recovered assets are being deployed for public benefit.
“In line with the provisions of the Proceeds of Crime Act and the approval of the Federal Government, this gesture is a continuation of support to the educational sector, including N50bn of recovered funds to the Students Loan Scheme and conversion of Nok University to a Federal University of Applied Sciences, Kachia, Kaduna State,” Olukoyede said.
