EFCC Chairman Appointment: Tinubu Launches, Rewards Corruption - Wiseloaded
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EFCC Chairman Appointment: Tinubu Launches, Rewards Corruption

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EFCC Chairman Appointment: Tinibu Launches, Rewards Corruption
On October 12, 2023, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity; Chief Ajuri Ngalele issued a release that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the appointment of Pastor Ola Olukayode as the Executive Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The statement further revealed that Pastor Olukayode is a lawyer and former Executive Secretary of EFCC. Rights and Freedom Advocates (RIFA) view the appointment as insult on good Nigerians.

Meanwhile, the release was laced with subterfuge and illegality as it claimed Pastor Olukayode was executive Secretary of the Commission between 2018 and 2023 when the same person was suspended in 2020 along with former EFCC Chairman Ibrahim Magu for corruption, insubordination and gross misconduct which made Magu to have left the Commission till date and Olukayode was also not cleared or recalled till date. So, why did the release lie on the tenure of Olukayode as EFCC Executive Secretary if no ulterior motives? Besides, how would a man with gloomy past and blurred record head a critical institution of EFCC type?

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Even though Section 2 (3) of the Economic And Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act 2004 provides that: ’The Chairman and members of the Commission other than ex-officio members shall be appointed by the President and appointment shall be subject to the confirmation of the Senate’, the same Section 2 of the Act specifies the persons eligible as the EFCC Chairman when it states in 2(1) The Commission shall consist of the following members – a) a chairman, who shall -(i) be the Chief Executive and Accounting Officer of the Commission. (ii) be a serving or retired member of any government security or law enforcement agency not below the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police or equivalent; and (iii) Possess not less than 15 years cognate experience”.

So, the law establishing EFCC is clear that Olukayode is not only unqualified, his appointment is a testimony that Tinubu administration has just launched corruption as its insignia and is posed to reward and celebrate only corrupt people which good Nigerians must resist. Is President Tinubu telling Nigerians that there is no other Nigerian with unblemished record who can lead EFCC or Nigeria is too big for him to rule?

In the meantime, Olukoyede as Chief of Staff to former EFCC Chairman and later as the Executive Secretary only played administrative roles in the EFCC without mainstream law enforcement experience required by the EFCC Act for whosoever is to be appointed as EFCC Chairman.

More so, Olukoyede’s account is still under investigation and frozen for corruption allegation. Why appointing such a questionable character as EFCC Chairman if Tinubu is not bent at covering shady deals which EFCC is out to expose? Is Olukayode appointment not a victory for corrupt people to thrive and destroy the economy more which has been geometrically destroyed since Tinubu assumed Presidency of Nigeria?

The Senate and other good Nigerians must reject and condemn Tinubu attempt to decimate EFCC by appointing corruption personified as its head. The Presidency must, as a matter of urgency, looks for a credible person to replace Olukayode except it wants the citizens to vent their anger in a surprise way.

Luqman Soliu
President,
Rights and Freedom Advocates (RIFA)

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