By Joshua Tosin Ogunsakin 
The Vice Chairman of the South East Constitution Review Committee, Senator Onyekachi Nwaebonyi, has expressed optimism that corruption in Nigeria’s public sector could be completely eliminated if the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) maintains its current momentum and efficiency.
In an interview with Arise News on Wednesday, Nwaebonyi lauded the EFCC Chairman and his team for transforming the agency from what he described as a “media trial agency” into one delivering measurable outcomes.
“You remember that before now, EFCC was doing more of a media trial without achieving much results. But you can see within these two years plus, EFCC has secured a lot of convictions, showing that they are working. And I believe that if they continue in this way, then very soon corruption will be completely eradicated in our public system,” he said.
The senator also noted that the EFCC operates with a commendable degree of independence, urging the commission to periodically update Nigerians on the progress of high-profile investigations, including cases where evidence may be insufficient.
“Law is a game, governed by rules and facts. So if somebody brings up a petition that so and so politician has embezzled a certain amount, it is left for the EFCC or any other agency doing the investigation to investigate, to know whether that allegation is true or not. EFCC is doing a good job. We are not dictating for them. They are a bit independent in their investigation,” Nwaebonyi said.
He added that providing transparency in cases where no prima facie evidence exists would help dispel the perception that all politicians are corrupt.
“Most of these high-profile cases that have no prima facie case against such individuals should be made public, so that Nigerians will not say all politicians are thieves, because not all politicians are thieves. We still have good leaders who are out to set things right for the development of this country,” he concluded.
Meanwhile, on October 16, 2025, the Presidency commended the EFCC for what it described as a remarkable transformation since its establishment, praising the agency’s evolution into one of the country’s most effective anti-corruption institutions.
Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination and Head of the Central Results Delivery Coordination Unit, Hadiza Bala Usman, made the remarks during a visit to the EFCC headquarters in Abuja, where she presented the Commission’s Performance Charter to the Executive Chairman, Ola Olukoyede.
“You should all be proud of yourselves, seeing your trajectory,” Usman said. “Some of us have been observing the EFCC journey for a long time, and I just want to say that collectively your staff and the organisation should be very proud of what has been built in these years. Every day you visit EFCC, you see how it has improved. I’m not sure there’s any organisation that has grown the way the EFCC has grown from 2000 to date.”