.Warns govt’ll pursue anti-graft war with vigour
Deji Elumoye in Abuja
President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday declared total war on corrupt public officials saying there is no longer any hiding place for them in his government.
Speaking during the unveiling of the EFCC Zonal Directorate Office Complex in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti state capital, the President who was represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima expressly stated that corruption will have no refuge under his administration.
He also reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to strengthening anti-corruption institutions and ensuring accountability across public and private sectors.
Unequivocally, he issued a blunt notice to corrupt officials in the country, warning that his administration will pursue the anti-graft war without retreat, describing the new EFCC facility as a strategic investment in institutional capacity, public trust and national development.
“The message is clear: there are no hiding places for the corrupt. Nigeria will not tolerate graft, and such conduct will be punished under our laws,” he stated.
The President restated his firm resolve to actively pursue domestic fiscal reforms and overhaul Nigeria’s financial architecture to ensure the execution of programmes aimed at removing economic distortions, stabilizing macroeconomic indicators, and restoring investor confidence.
Tinubu said Nigeria’s long-term prosperity depends on the credibility of its public institutions, warning that development becomes impossible when corruption obstructs the relationship between citizens and the state.
“Nigeria’s future rests on the strength of the institutions we build and the faith we invest in them. No nation can rise above the integrity of its public systems because development is defeated when corruption is allowed to stand between citizens and the promises of the state,” the President said.
He noted that the EFCC was established to protect the economy from criminal enterprises and preserve public confidence in governance, adding that government would continue to provide the institutional support required for the Commission to carry out its mandate effectively.
Commending the Executive Chairman of the EFCC, Mr Ola Olukoyede, and members of the Commission, Tinubu praised their persistence and professionalism in advancing Nigeria’s anti-corruption agenda.
According to him, the fight against corruption cannot succeed through rhetoric alone but requires strong institutions, modern facilities and operational support.
“Our administration considers it important that law enforcement agencies, which are critical to our collective safety, security, prosperity and general well-being, should have the necessary facilities to enhance their efficiency,” he said.
The President expressed confidence that the inauguration of the Ekiti Zonal Directorate Office Complex would strengthen the commission’s effectiveness and encourage officers to intensify efforts against economic and financial crimes.
He described anti-corruption agencies as strategic partners in the administration’s broader economic reform and national security agenda.
Tinubu highlighted recent outcomes achieved by the EFCC, including actions against cyber-enabled financial crime, illicit financial flows and organised criminal networks.
He cited the Commission’s dismantling of a foreign-controlled cryptocurrency syndicate in Lagos, along with other enforcement actions, as evidence of growing institutional capacity and improved coordination in tackling financial crime.
The President also linked anti-corruption efforts to economic recovery and investor confidence, noting that recovered assets have contributed to expanding support for government intervention programmes.
“Through aggressive asset tracing and recovery, the Commission has made resources available for critical social investment programmes such as the Student Loan Scheme, NELFUND and CREDICORP,” he said.
Earlier, EFCC Chairman, Mr. Ola Olukoyede said the creation of the Ekiti Zonal Directorate will address longstanding operational challenges affecting both Ekiti and Ondo States, as well as improve the speed and efficiency of investigations and prosecutions.
He described the inauguration as a major milestone in the commission’s efforts to decentralize operations and bring anti-corruption enforcement closer to the people, stating that “the edifice we are ‘commissioning’ today is the crystallisation of a unique vision in institution-building and consolidation.”
On his part, Governor Oyebanji said the state government provided enough support for the zonal office, including office accommodation and a 220KVA standby generator, as part of its commitment to transparency, accountability and inter-governmental collaboration.
He noted that the establishment of the zonal office has fulfilled the promise made by the state government after the EFCC expressed interest in situating a directorate in Ekiti.
Earlier on arrival in the state, Vice President Shettima, on behalf of President Tinubu, performed the groundbreaking of the Ekiti Knowledge Zone (EKZ) in Ekiti State, saying the project aligns with the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda and reflects the administration’s commitment to expanding opportunity through education, technology and innovation.
He noted that Nigeria’s long-term prosperity will depend less on natural resources and increasingly on the country’s ability to invest in knowledge, innovation and human capital.
The President said the policy programmes of his administration are turning the country away from dependency and brain drain, toward an economy powered by innovation, human capital, and homegrown enterprise.
He described Ekiti as one of Nigeria’s strongest symbols of intellectual achievement and educational aspiration, even as he said cross the country, Ekiti has earned a reputation for producing generations of scholars and demonstrating the transformative power of education.
“Ekiti is known not for the accident of mineral wealth, but for the discipline of the mind; not for inherited privilege, but for the stubborn faith that education is the ladder by which ordinary families climb into history.”
Tinubu expressed appreciation to the African Development Bank (AfDB) for supporting the initiative, saying the institution’s involvement reflects growing confidence in Nigeria’s human capital potential and the development possibilities within subnational economies.
ThecPresident praised Governor Oyebanji for what he described as responsible governance, fiscal discipline and strategic leadership that helped bring the project to fruition.
Earlier, Governor Oyebanji said the knowledge centre will advance industrialisation, technology, entrepreneurship, and sustainable economic growth in the state.
More importantly, he noted that the EKZ will strengthen equity and seal the state’s place “as a destination of choice for innovation, research, investment, and enterprise.
“The zone is far more than a physical development. It’s a platform for opportunity. It will stimulate enterprise, foster innovation, create pathways for technological industry, and attract both domestic and international investment,” the governor added.
Meanwhile, the Vice President has strongly advocated for the reelection of Governor Oyebanji in the governorship election billed to hold in Ekiti State on June 20, 2026, just as he thanked the people of the state for voting massively for President Tinubu in the 2023 presidential election.
He stated this on Tuesday when he inaugurated the 1.2-kilometer Asiwaju Bola Tinubu Flyover at Okeyinmi Ado-Ekiti, on behalf of President Tinubu, as part of his one-day working visit to Ekiti State.
Inaugurating the flyover named after the President, Shettima recalled that in the 2023 presidential election, President Tinubu got 201,494 votes from Ekiti State, noting that the state’s presidential election results trended for over 24 hours before other states started polling.
“Ekiti gave us 67 percent of their total votes. No candidate got 25 percent in Ekiti State besides the APC candidate (President Tinubu). And in Ekiti, we won all the three senatorial seats and the six members of the House of Representative seats. Ekiti is a land of promise,” he stated.
The Vice President said President Tinubu deserved open commendation for his transparency in ensuring that states get what they are due to get, pointing out that what he got in Borno State in eight years was what some states had gotten within one year, following the removal of fuel subsidy.
“And I want to commend the President because this project was completely funded by state resources, which is a reflection of the commitment made by the President to ensure that states get what they deserve to get on a monthly basis.
“States are able to execute landmark projects without borrowing a dime from financial institutions. We have to show gratitude (to the President),” he added.
Declaring his public endorsement of the governor, Shettima emphasized the strong confidence of the Federal Government in Governor Oyebanji’s leadership, even as he demanded support for the continuation of the administration in the state.
Assuring that he would return to the state for Oyebanji’s reelection campaign, the Vice President said, “Ekiti is a land of equity. Ekiti is the most educated state in the Nigerian federation. I believe you will reciprocate the landmark accomplishments of Governor Oyebanji in the next couple of weeks.
“I will be back in Ekiti on Tuesday. I will go around the northern community in Ekiti to mobilize votes for Governor Oyebanji because he deserves to be re-elected.”
