Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Femi Falana, has said that both chairmen of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, cannot come from the same geopolitical zone.
Falana stated that appointing the chairmen of the two anti-graft federal agencies in Nigeria from the same geopolitical zone is against the federal character principle.
He noted that since the chairman of the EFCC is from the southern region, the northern region should produce the chairman of the ICPC.
The senior lawyer said EFCC chairman, Ola Olukoyede, is “eminently qualified” to head the anti-graft agency having previously served as Chief of Staff to the EFCC Chairman (2016-2018) and Secretary to the Commission (2018-2023) as well as having 22 years cognate experience.
Both Olukoyede and ICPC Chairman, Prof Bolaji Owasanoye (SAN), who has been in office since February 2019, are from the South-West geopolitical zone.
On October 12, President Bola Tinubu appointed Mr Olukoyede as the new EFCC boss for a renewable term of four years in the first instance, pending Senate confirmation.
Olukoyede’s appointment followed the controversial resignation of embattled ex-EFCC boss, Abdulrasheed Bawa, who was suspended on June 14, and detained by the Department of State Services, DSS, over “weighty” allegations of abuse of office levelled against him.
Olukoyede’s appointment has been met with criticisms, as many claim that he is not an Assistant Commissioner of Police and not qualified to lead the EFCC.
