EFCC Boss Charges Engineers on Integrity

​IKERE-EKITI — The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ola Olukoyede, has challenged fresh engineering graduates to reject corruption and uphold the highest standards of transparency and accountability as they step into professional practice.

​Speaking in Ikere-Ekiti, Ekiti State, during the induction ceremony of 45 engineering graduates from the Bamidele Olumilua University of Education, Science and Technology (BOUESTI), Olukoyede delivered a compelling keynote address titled, “Integrity, Accountability and the Fight Against Economic and Financial Crimes: Building a Culture of Transparency and Responsibility in Nigeria.”

​Addressing the newly minted professionals, the EFCC chief warned that compromised standards in infrastructure development not only endanger human lives but severely undermine public trust and national growth. He stressed that professional integrity remains the absolute bedrock of ethical leadership.

​”Where there is integrity, no public official will embezzle public funds, and where there is integrity, no engineer will certify a poorly executed project,” Olukoyede stated, noting that unchecked corruption allows bad actors to falsify records, manipulate contracts, and divert public resources meant for societal development.

​Sharing key metrics from the anti-graft agency’s ongoing mandate, Olukoyede disclosed that the commission has secured 10,872 convictions and recovered monetary assets valued at over N1.288 trillion over the past three years. However, he maintained that enforcement and prosecution alone cannot eradicate corruption without a fundamental realignment of national and individual values.

ADVERTISEMENT

​To tackle systemic vulnerabilities, Olukoyede highlighted that the commission utilizes a preventive strategy through its Fraud Risk Assessment and Control (FRAC) department, which works proactively to seal systemic loopholes across Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs). He also urged the students to steer clear of cybercrime and internet fraud, warning that short-term criminal gains permanently ruin long-term reputations.

​Earlier in his remarks, the Vice-Chancellor of BOUESTI, Prof. Babatunde Omojola, lauded the EFCC chairman for championing systemic reforms and honoring the institution’s invitation. He urged the inductees to uphold professional standards and deploy their technical expertise to foster national growth.

​Echoing similar sentiments, the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Engr. S.A. Akinola, noted that the faculty is actively driving innovation through student-led projects in automation, sensor-based systems, and renewable solar energy solutions, while calling for broader institutional partnerships to advance contemporary engineering training.