The Senate has confirmed Ola Olukoyede as the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), News About Nigeria reports.
The Senate also confirmed the appointment of Muhammad Hammajoda as the Secretary of the anti-graft agency.
Additionally, the Senate screened and confirmed the appointment of Halima Shehu as the Chief Executive Officer of the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA).
President Bola Tinubu nominated Olukoyede as the chairman of the EFCC and Hammajoda as the secretary of the nation’s anti-graft agency on October 12, 2023. The confirmation of both men followed their screening by the upper chamber on Wednesday afternoon, about a week after they were appointed by President Tinubu.
During their screening and confirmation, Olukoyede stated that financial crimes have overwhelmed the structures and systems in Nigeria. He vowed to curb them without fear or favor and in line with the provisions of the law. Furthermore, he emphasized his focus on preventing corruption rather than merely enforcing punishment on offenders.
The leadership of the EFCC has experienced a major shakeup in the last few months since the assumption of the presidency on May 29, 2023. This was prompted by President Tinubu’s suspension of the EFCC boss, Abdulrasheed Bawa, on June 14, 2023, indefinitely, to allow for a proper investigation into his conduct while in office.
Bawa’s suspension followed allegations of abuse of office, which led to the President directing the Director of Operations at the Commission, Abdulkarim Chukkol, to step in as the acting EFCC chair, while the Department of State Services (DSS) took Bawa into custody.
However, the Senate has now confirmed Olukoyede as the new chairman, displacing Chukkol from his acting capacity.
