Ola Olukoyede, Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has charged Shehu Ma’aji, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the North West Development Commission (NWDC), to pursue the Commission’s regional development mandate with diligence while upholding strict standards of accountability and transparency.
Olukoyede gave the charge on Wednesday, when Ma’aji led a delegation of senior officials of the NWDC on a courtesy visit to the EFCC’s corporate headquarters in Jabi, Abuja.
The EFCC Chairman emphasized that the establishment of regional intervention agencies was aimed at accelerating development across Nigeria’s geopolitical zones, adding that performance and accountability would be key measures of success.
“I encourage you to be committed to that mandate. It is a big responsibility. The essence of setting up these intervention agencies is to ensure that each region can develop at its own pace.
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“We have received several regional commissions here, and the message has always been the same: you must be seriously committed to your mandate.
“Within one year of budgetary releases, we want to see tangible developmental projects on the ground, so that the trust reposed in you by the government and the Nigerian people is not betrayed”, Olukoyede said.
He further stressed the importance of transparency in the management of public funds, noting that strong internal controls from inception would help the Commission avoid future challenges.
“From day one, do not sign any document you are not sure of. As you begin to put your management team together, profile them thoroughly, especially those handling procurement of goods and services.
“Choose people you trust because, at the end of the day, you are the chief accounting officer and you will be held responsible,” he cautioned.
Olukoyede advised the NWDC leadership to scrutinize all processes in the spirit of openness, adding that preventive measures were always preferable to remedial actions.
According to a statement by Dele Oyewale, Head, Media & Publicity, he assured the Commission of the EFCC’s willingness to collaborate.
“We are ready to work with you to ensure that you start on a good note and sustain the tempo. I believe we can work together in the spirit of collaboration,” he said.
In his response, Ma’aji sought a formal partnership with the EFCC to ensure that the NWDC remains aligned with best practices in governance and financial management.
He explained that the Commission was established to drive coordinated socio-economic development across the North West geopolitical zone through infrastructure delivery, social interventions, economic empowerment and institutional strengthening.
“As a new public institution entrusted with significant public resources, we recognize that transparency, accountability and strong internal controls are fundamental to achieving our mandate and sustaining public confidence.
“The EFCC, as Nigeria’s foremost anti-corruption and economic crimes enforcement agency, plays a critical role not only in enforcement but also in prevention and institutional strengthening. That is why we considered it important to seek your guidance from the outset”, Ma’aji said.
He described the proposed collaboration as a preventive, advisory and capacity-building partnership aimed at entrenching integrity, sound financial management and compliance systems within the NWDC from inception.
According to him, the initiative aligns with the Federal Government’s broader governance reform objectives and complements ongoing efforts to ensure that public institutions operate transparently, deliver value for money and are insulated from financial misconduct and reputational risks.
Ma’aji also clarified that the NWDC was not designed to compete with state or local governments, but to function as an intervention agency addressing developmental gaps across the seven states of the North West.
“I have 21 senators, 91 members of the House of Representatives, 186 local government areas and 2,003 electoral wards in this region, all looking to the Commission to intervene where there are developmental challenges.
“We are talking about a population of about 54 million people, with between 18 and 30 million youths who must be engaged in productive economic activities. If they are not positively engaged, they may engage themselves in other ways. This underscores the enormity of the task before us”, he said.
