ECOWAS Anti-Corruption Network Re-Elects EFCC Chair Olukoyede, Adopts New Guidelines
The Network of Anti-Corruption Institutions in West Africa (NACIWA) has unanimously re-elected the Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ola Olukoyede, as its President for a second term. The network also affirmed the adoption of critical new guidelines aimed at strengthening the fight against cross-border financial crime.
In a Communiqué issued at the close of its 7th Annual General Assembly (AGA) in Abuja on Wednesday, all ECOWAS member states present commended Olukoyede’s “remarkable leadership” in tackling trans-border economic and financial crimes across the sub-region.
New Guidelines for Borderless Investigations Adopted
Olukoyede and other Executive Committee members were re-elected for a new three-year mandate through a “consensus renewal” based on their performance.
Crucially, the member states noted “with satisfaction the adoption of the ECOWAS Guidelines on Borderless Investigations, Asset Tracing, Recovery, and Management.” The AGA called on all Member States to integrate these guidelines into their national frameworks to ensure harmonized implementation.
Read Also:
The AGA also reaffirmed its commitment to the 2001 ECOWAS Protocol on the Fight against Corruption and major continental and global conventions, urging member institutions to strengthen coordination with national financial intelligence units and law enforcement agencies.
Tinubu Calls for Resource Theft to be an International Crime
The Assembly’s concluding communiqué acknowledged the support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who formally declared the AGA open on Tuesday.
President Tinubu used the occasion to issue a stern warning, calling on ECOWAS to designate resource theft, particularly illegal mining and mineral smuggling, as international crimes. He argued that the menace poses a grave threat to the peace, stability, and economic prosperity of the subregion.
“The time has come for ECOWAS to designate resource theft, illegal mining and stealing of minerals as an international crime that threatens the stability of the region, and galvanize the world against trade in stolen minerals from West Africa,” President Tinubu said.
The NACIWA AGA welcomed new member institutions, including Nigeria’s Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) and the CPC Cabo Verde. The network emphasized the need for continued collaboration with civil society organizations, youth, and media networks to enhance public participation in the fight against corruption.
The report was signed by Dele Oyewale, Head of Media & Publicity for the EFCC.
By PRNigeria
