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The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Olanipekun Olukoyede, has commended Governor Dauda Lawal for what he described as transformational leadership and visible development in Zamfara State.
Mr Olukoyede gave the commendation while delivering the keynote address at a lecture marking the 30th anniversary of Zamfara State at the Government House in Gusau on Friday.
He said he conducted due diligence on the governor and the state before accepting the invitation to speak at the anniversary event.
The EFCC chairman explained that his office’s ethical demands rarely allowed him to attend political events or visit government houses, but that his findings about Zamfara and the governor’s performance convinced him to accept the invitation.
“By virtue of the ethical demands of my office, I don’t attend political events; I don’t go to the Government House as a matter of principle. But when I received this invitation, something told me to accept and see what was going on there,” he said.
Mr Olukoyede said he subsequently briefed President Bola Tinubu on his findings and the need to support the governor’s development efforts.
“I told him what I have seen about Zamfara and the need to support the work His Excellency, Dauda Lawal, is doing in this state,” he said.
The EFCC chairman, who disclosed that it was his first visit to Zamfara, said the new airport, newly constructed roads and solar-powered streetlights were among the visible signs of development he observed on arriving in Gusau.
He noted that Zamfara had, for years, remained among the less-developed states in the country despite its natural resources and the efforts of previous administrations.
According to him, the physical transformation of Gusau reflects a broader change taking place across the state.
“However, today, the contemporary outlook is shifting; indeed, the physical evolution of Gusau serves as a powerful metaphor for the broader Zamfara State,” he said.
Mr Olukoyede also commended the state government’s efforts in education, noting that Zamfara had recorded steady improvements in its performance in national examinations conducted by the National Examinations Council, NECO, and the West African Examinations Council, WAEC.
He said the expansion of public infrastructure and improvements in other sectors reflected deliberate reform initiatives by the state government.
The EFCC chairman said the anniversary theme, “Accountability and Responsibility in Transformational Government,” was particularly relevant to the state’s development efforts.
He added that inviting the EFCC chairman to address the people of the state demonstrated the governor’s commitment to transparency and accountability.
Earlier, Governor Lawal said the anniversary theme, “Reflections, Achievements, and the Future,” was designed to examine the challenges that had shaped the state’s development and identify the responsibilities of leaders in building a better future.
The governor said the anniversary had provided an opportunity for intellectual discussions beyond the ceremonial activities, with papers examining public accountability, community participation in tackling insecurity, preservation of history and culture, and the relationship between security and socio-economic development.
He said the discussions were closely connected to his administration’s development priorities, particularly its Six-Point Rescue Agenda and the Zamfara State Development Plan 2025–2034.
According to him, the development plan provides a long-term framework for economic growth, infrastructure, social welfare, human capital development, governance and environmental sustainability.
“We must turn these commitments into measurable improvements in people’s lives,” he said.
Mr Lawal thanked the speakers, discussants, organisers and other participants for their contributions to the anniversary lecture.
Other speakers at the event included professors Tijjani Muhammad Bande, Su
laiman Kura, Murtala Rufai and Taofik Aminu.
