The Senate has given its official approval for Ola Olukoyede to take on the role of Chairman at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). In addition to this, the upper chamber has also confirmed Muhammad Hammajoda as the Secretary of the anti-graft agency.
This confirmation process took place during a Senate session on Wednesday, approximately one week after they were nominated by President Bola Tinubu. The Senate also conducted a review and granted approval for the appointment of Halima Shehu as the Chief Executive Officer of the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA).
Significant leadership changes have taken place within the country’s primary anti-graft agency in recent months since President Bola Tinubu took office on May 29, 2023. On June 14, 2023, President Tinubu took the decision to suspend Abdulrasheed Bawa indefinitely from his position as the head of the anti-corruption agency.
The suspension was made to facilitate a thorough investigation into Bawa’s conduct during his tenure, in response to substantial allegations of abuse of power. Following this decision, the President directed Abdulkarim Chukkol, who serves as the Director of Operations at the Commission, to assume the role of acting EFCC chair while the Department of State Services (DSS) took Bawa into custody.
With the recent appointments announced last Thursday and the Senate’s subsequent formal confirmation on Wednesday, Ola Olukoyede is now officially at the helm of the commission. Ajuri Ngelale, the presidential spokesperson, clarified that Olukoyede’s appointment is initially for a renewable term of four years. Additionally, the President appointed Hammajoda to serve as the Secretary of the EFCC, also for an initial renewable term of five years.
Notably, Olukoyede’s appointment faced strong criticism, with some analysts and senior lawyers arguing that he did not meet the required qualifications, particularly as he did not hold the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police, which they considered essential for leading the nation’s primary anti-graft agency.
However, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, presented a counter-argument on Monday, asserting that Olukoyede is indeed “eminently qualified” to lead the commission. Falana cited Olukoyede’s prior roles as Chief of Staff to the EFCC Chairman (2016-2018) and Secretary to the Commission (2018-2023), along with his 22 years of relevant experience.
