EFCC chair Ola Olukoyede has directed staff of the anti-corruption agency to immediately declare their assets in line with civil service regulations and procedures.

He gave the directive on Tuesday at the Corporate Headquarters of the Commission in Abuja while addressing senior staff of the EFCC.

Mr Olukoyede stressed that fighting corruption required those at the vanguard to be above board.

“All of us are going to declare our assets from level 17 downward. I did mine, so there’s no reason for anyone to be afraid to do the same. Even the commission secretary did. You all may also have done it in the past, but there’s a need for all of us to do it again,” said the new EFCC chair.

Mr Olukoyede added, “We will declare our assets, and we are going to investigate it. We must live above board by setting the pace with good examples. As anti-corruption fighters, our hands must be clean, so we must declare our assets.”

He called on the EFCC staff to pay more attention to fighting economic and financial crimes, pointing out that such efforts should be geared towards growing the nation’s economy, creating a rightful environment for enhanced investment and strengthening its productive base.

“We must do our job to add value to the nation. Investors must have confidence in the economy, and we must help the country to be governed in an accountable and transparent manner. By doing this, it will offer us a new direction to redeem the image of the nation,” he said.

He charged EFCC personnel to be professional in their engagements with the public.

“Please, I beg you, let our hands be clean and put our house in order. Some may not like me, but I am going to do the right thing and treat everybody equally irrespective of religion, ethnicity and region,” stated Mr Olukoyede.