75% of govt pilgrimage funds allegedly stolen, Olukoyede alleges - The Guardian Nigeria News
Olanipekun 'Ola' Olukoyede is the Chairman of the EFCC.
Olanipekun 'Ola' Olukoyede is the Chairman of the EFCC.
The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ola Olukoyede, has alleged that nearly 75 per cent of funds released by the Federal Government for Christian and Muslim pilgrimages were stolen by leaders of the agencies responsible for the programmes.
Olukoyede made the disclosure in Abuja while addressing the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council meeting and the public presentation of the EFCC’s Anti-Corruption Interfaith Manual for religious bodies.
The EFCC chairman said the alleged diversion was uncovered during investigations conducted by the commission into the activities of the Christian and Muslim pilgrimage bodies.
He described some of the discoveries as “mind-boggling”, alleging that officials entrusted with managing public funds for pilgrimage programmes diverted a substantial portion of the money.
According to him, some officials allegedly went as far as registering private companies in countries where Nigerian pilgrims travelled, creating what he described as serious conflicts of interest.
Olukoyede said the issue underscored the need for religious leaders and institutions to demonstrate integrity before demanding the same from their followers.
He warned religious leaders against mixing funds belonging to churches, mosques and other faith-based organisations with their personal resources or businesses.
“Whatever they give you, offerings, zakat and all of that, you keep it in that religious organisation. You are not supposed to mingle it,” he said.
The EFCC boss said religious leaders were free to engage in legitimate businesses but must keep such businesses separate from funds entrusted to them by their religious organisations.
He warned that diverting money belonging to a religious organisation into a personal business amounted to a criminal act.
Olukoyede also challenged pastors and imams to question the sources of unusually large donations, particularly when such money comes from public officials whose legitimate earnings could not reasonably explain their wealth.
He gave an example of a public servant receiving a huge donation at a place of worship and urged religious leaders not to simply accept such funds without asking questions about their source.
He said accepting unexplained wealth and publicly blessing its donor could amount to giving moral cover to proceeds of crime.
The EFCC chairman urged religious leaders to develop internal compliance mechanisms that would clearly define the boundaries between institutional and personal finances.
He said money held by religious leaders on behalf of their organisations was held in trust for members and for the propagation of the faith.
The meeting was attended by the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar; President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Rev. Daniel Okoh; Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume; and other religious and traditional leaders.
Akume urged religious leaders to use their platforms to condemn kidnapping, banditry, communal clashes and terrorism, describing violence as contrary to the values of faith.
