President Bola Tinubu has formally submitted a letter to the Senate, seeking confirmation for his appointees to key positions within the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). In the letter, President Tinubu nominated Ola Olukoyede as the substantive Chairman of the EFCC and Muhammad Hammajoda as the Secretary of the commission.
The Senate received this letter and announced it during a plenary session, with the Deputy Senate President, Jibrin Barau, reading the communication. These nominations come after the President suspended the former EFCC Chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa, nearly four months prior.
The appointments and nominations within the EFCC are significant, given the agency’s crucial role in combating financial crimes and corruption in Nigeria. However, they have also generated controversy and protests, with some groups questioning the suitability of the nominees and their compliance with existing laws governing EFCC appointments.
The Centre for Democracy and Human Rights, for instance, recently protested the choice of Ola Olukoyede as the next EFCC Chairman, claiming that the appointment violated the extant laws governing such appointments. These developments highlight the ongoing scrutiny and debate surrounding key positions within Nigerian government agencies.