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• Warns that his govt’ll pursue anti-graft war with vigour 

•Pledges prudent financial architecture, stronger support for nation’s anti-corruption institutions

• Inaugurates multi-billion naira economic, infrastructure projects in Ekiti 

•Shettima rallies support for Oyebanji’s reelection as gov

Deji Elumoye in Abuja

PPresident Bola Tinubu on Tuesday declared total war on corrupt public officials, saying there is no 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, Tinubu, who was represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to strengthening anti-corruption institutions and ensuring accountability across public and private sectors.

He issued a blunt notice to corrupt officials in the country, warning that his administration will pursue the anti-graft war without retreat.

He described 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 resolve to actively pursue domestic fiscal reforms and overhaul Nigeria’s financial architecture to ensure the execution of programmes aimed at removing economic distortions, stabilising macroeconomic indicators, and restoring investor confidence.

Tinubu said Nigeria’s long-term prosperity depended on the credibility of its public institutions, warning that development becomes impossible when corruption obstructs the relationship between citizens and the state.

The president said, “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.”

He stated that the Economic and Financial Cries Commission (EFCC) was established to protect the economy from criminal enterprises and preserve public confidence in governance, adding that government will continue to provide the institutional support required for the commission to carry out its mandate effectively.

Commending Executive Chairman of 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.

He stated, “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.”

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 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 linked anti-corruption efforts to economic recovery and investor confidence, stating that recovered assets have contributed in expanding support for government intervention programmes.

He said, “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.”

Earlier, 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 decentralise operations and bring anti-corruption enforcement closer to the people.

Tinubu stated that “the edifice we are ‘commissioning’ today is the crystallisation of a unique vision in institution-building and consolidation”.

Governor Biodun Oyebanji said the state government provided significant 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.

Oyebanji stated that the establishment of the zonal office had fulfilled the promise made by the state government after EFCC expressed interest in situating a directorate in Ekiti.

Earlier, on arrival in the state, Shettima, on behalf of Tinubu, performed the ground-breaking of the Ekiti Knowledge Zone (EKZ) in Ekiti State.

He said the project aligned with the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda and reflected the administration’s commitment to expanding opportunity through education, technology and innovation.

Tinubu stated 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 were turning the country away from dependency and brain drain towards an economy powered by innovation, human capital, and home-grown 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 had earned a reputation for producing generations of scholars and demonstrating the transformative power of education.

The president stated, “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 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.

The president praised Oyebanji for responsible governance, fiscal discipline, and strategic leadership that helped bring the project to fruition.

Earlier, Oyebanji said the knowledge centre will advance industrialisation, technology, entrepreneurship, and sustainable economic growth in the state.

He stated that the EKZ will strengthen equity and seal the state’s place “as a destination of choice for innovation, research, investment, and enterprise”.

The governor added, “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.”

Meanwhile, Shettima strongly advocated the re-election of Oyebanji in the June 20 governorship election in Ekiti State. He thanked the people of the state for voting massively for Tinubu in the 2023 presidential election.

He spoke on Tuesday when he inaugurated the 1.2-kilometre Asiwaju Bola Tinubu Flyover at Okeyinmi Ado-Ekiti, on behalf of 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, Tinubu got 201,494 votes from Ekiti State.

He said the state’s presidential election results trended for over 24 hours before other states started polling.

“Ekiti gave us 67 per cent 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 Representatives seats. Ekiti is a land of promise.”

The vice president said Tinubu deserved open commendation for his transparency in ensuring that states got what they were 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.

Shettima stated, “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).”

Declaring his public endorsement of the governor, Shettima emphasised the strong confidence of the federal government in 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 re-election 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.”