*Says nothing cultural about spraying, abusing naira

Wale Igbintade

The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ola Olukoyede, has said that his commission is currently investigating 18 sitting governors.
He has also debunked the claim that naira spraying was part of the culture and customs of Nigerians, insisting that there was nothing cultural about abusing the country’s currency.
Speaking during a sensitisation programme organised in Lagos for stakeholders, including movie producers and bureau de change (BDC) operators, on the ills of naira mutilation and abuse at the weekend, Olukoyede said the agency would take action when the tenures of the governors elapse.
He narrated how a former governor was arrested in the United Kingdom because a hotel manager thought he was mad for spraying pounds.
The EFCC boss said the former governor in question fled Nigeria to the UK a day after he handed over power.
“I will give you an experience we had in EFCC. There was a time in this country when we were investigating a governor. We don’t wait until they finish their tenures before we investigate,” he said.
“As I’m talking to you, I’m investigating 18 governors who are still serving. When they leave (office), we will go to the next level.
“This governor was investigated while he was in office. Immediately, he finished his tenure, the following day, he took off to England to avoid the arrest of the EFCC.
“Coincidentally, that week happens to be his birthday. He organised a birthday party in the hotel where he was staying.
“While the party was going on, he started spraying pounds 50 bills and 10 bills. So, the manager of the hotel was called. He came down and saw the former governor spraying pounds. He had never seen such a thing in his life, so he had to call 911.
“When the Metropolitan Police came, he asked that they should help arrest the former governor. The ex-governor was arrested, and they wanted to put him in an ambulance.
 “The people — his friends, colleagues, and two governors — who went to London to celebrate with him had to intervene.
“They said the ex-governor was not a madman because the hotel manager thought he was mad, and he was handed over to the EFCC.
“He was prosecuted and jailed, but was later pardoned. You could see that even the British do not allow people to spray or stamp their currency”, he added.
Speaking on how to curb the abuse of naira, Olukoyede said the naira is not only a means of exchange, but also “our sovereignty”.
“People claim that naira spraying is part of our culture and customs. Assuming without conceding that it’s true, I think culture and customs must add value to us and evolve the way our lifestyle has evolved. There’s nothing cultural about spraying and stamping the naira. The EFCC is mandated to enforce all naira abuse. The commission will be failing in its operation by succumbing to such blackmail. We must all lend our voices to restore the integrity of our naira because it’s our sovereignty,” Olukoyede explained.
Olukoyede, who said he filed over 5,000 corruption cases last year alone, also said it’s very difficult to prosecute politically exposed persons and convict them, especially former governors, because they have the wherewithal to hire lawyers and delay the prosecution.
“More than 65% of the cases we filed last year were on civil servants, politically exposed persons. There was a case of a former governor we spent 11 years on interlocutory injunction from the Federal High Court up to the Supreme Court before the apex court decided that he (ex-governor) had a case to answer.
“Do you know what it takes to prosecute former governors?” he asked.
“We received calls from the high and mighty. At times, we have to relocate from our homes. We’re constantly under pressure.”
On how to nip corruption in the bud, the EFCC chairman said: “I also established a fraud risk assessment unit to prevent money from being pilfered. Within one year of the unit, we have prevented N10billion from being stolen.
“The EFCC also owns an anti-corruption radio, 97.3 FM, for public enlightenment and anti-corruption efforts to curb the activities of fraudsters.”
He also explained that, unlike in the past when some of the money recovered was relooted, the commission, according to him, is poised to use money recovered judiciously.
“We have also recovered a university, which we later changed to the University of Applied Sciences, Kashia Kaduna, from a former director in the civil service who diverted about N12 billion to build a university. The university is one of the best private universities we have around.”
He said that out of 194 foreigners who were arrested in Lagos on charges of illegal cryptocurrency, 168 of them have been convicted.
“As of yesterday, 168 of the foreigners have been convicted. We are ready to clean our economic sector to make it attractive to foreign investors.
“Yahoo, Yahoo, and other associated crimes have done a lot of reputation damage to us. At one time, Nigerian passports could enter 12 developed countries without a visa. But today, the international passports of Cameron and Ghana are better than ours,” he lamented.
Corroborating the EFCC chairman, Director General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mallam Lanre Isa Onilu, said abuse of naira is not only unlawful, but it’s also unethical.
“For civic responsibility and national cohesion, we must ensure that we treat our naira in a dignified manner. “The National Values Charter also dwells on how to curb the abuse of the naira.
“We have our television commercials running on some stations to sensitise Nigerians about this,” he added.

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