By Emmanuel Uffot
In furtherance of the wave of recent appointments by President Bola Tinubu, he has approved the appointment of Mr Olanipekun Olukoyede as the new Executive Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC).
According to the Presidential Spokesman Mr Ajuri Ngelale who announced the appointment on Thursday October 12, 2023 he said the appointment of the new EFCC boss which is subject to confirmation by the Senate, follows the resignation of the suspended embattled EFCC Chairman Mr Abdulrasheed Bawa.
Until his appointment, Olukoyede who is a seasoned lawyer with over 22 experience specialising in regulatory compliance consulting, fraud management and corporate intelligence served as Secretary of the anti- graft Commission.
He had earlier served as the Chief of Staff to the then acting Chairman of EFCC Ibrahim Magu from 2016 -2018 when he assumed the position of Secretary from 2018 till his latest appointment.
The Presidential Spokesman said the appointment of the new EFCC boss is in accordance with Section 2 (3) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( Establishment) Act, 2004 which best the authority on the President to appoint the Chairman and member of the Commission excluding the ex- officio members.
Going by the provisions of his tenure, he is to serve an initial term of 4 years which is renewable for a second term.
In the same vein, the President has also approved the appointment of Mr Muhammed Hassan Hammajoda as the Secretary of the Commission. The position was hitherto held by the new EFCC Chairman Mr Olukoyede.
Hammajoda who is a seasoned public administrator with cognitive experience in public finance management will hold the position for initial term of 5 years.
Like the Chairman, his position could be renewed for a second term and is also subject to confirmation by the Senate.
President Tinubu has charged them to reciprocate the trust placed on them for the important national assignment, and key into the revitalised anti- corruption efforts of his administration executed through a reformed institutional framework in the anti- corruption sector which remains one of the key component of his Renewed Hope Agenda.
The new Executive Chairman of EFCC Mr Olukoyede is the sixth Chairman of EFCC since its establishment in 2003 by former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
The EFCC which was set up with the responsibility of enforcing all economic and financial crimes laws in Nigeria had Mallam Nuhu Ribadu AIG rtd, currently National Security Adviser as the pioneer Executive Chairman from 2003 – 2007.
Others were, Mrs Farida Waziri, AIG rtd ( 2008-2011.
Ibrahim Lamorde DIG rtd (2012-2015).
Ibrahim Magu Acting Chairman ( 2015-2021).
Abdulrasheed Bawa (2021-2023).
As at the time of this reports, reactions on his appointment by analysts and security and political watchers were still sketchy.
However it is instructive to note that the office of the EFCC Chairman dating back to the era of Mallam Nuhu Ribadu has been like a banana peel as all the former EFCC boss were ousted in controversial manners.
