The senate has confirmed the appointment of Ola Olukoyede and Muhammad Hassan Hammajoda as Chairman and Secretary of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
The Red Chamber also confirmed the appointment of Halima Shehu for appointment as National Coordinator and Chief Executive Officer of the National Social Investment Programme Agency.
Their confirmation followed their appearances before the Senate on Wednesday, for screening and confirmation.
The Street Journal reports that Tinubu had on Thursday, October 12, appointed Olukoyede and Hammajoda as the new EFCC Chairman and Secretary respectively for a renewable term of four years in the first instance, pending Senate confirmation.
Olukoyede’s appointment came four months after the suspension of the former EFCC chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa.
Just a day ago, upon the receiving the President’s letter seeking the confirmation of the appointees by the Senate, members of the Centre for Democracy and Human Rights stormed the premises of the National Assembly to oppose the choice of Olukoyede as the chair of the EFCC.
During the protest, the group’s National Secretary,Adebayo Ogorry, alleged that the appointment of Olukoyede contravened the extant laws guiding the appointment of the EFCC chairman.
“The action of President Tinubu in making the appointment of Mr Olukoyede into such a high office with enormous responsibility as the Chairman of the EFCC in flagrant breach of the provisions of the laws of the parliament is contrary to the oath he took on May 29, 2023 to protect and defend the laws of the nation,” he said.
But Human Rights Lawyer, Femi Falana argued that Olukoyede was qualified for the position.
Olukoyede is the first southern westerner to be appointed as the chairman of the antigraft agency since its inception. Previous chairmen have been northerners.
He is also the first Christian to chair the agency as all other past chairmen have been Muslims.
Comments