In a recent announcement by presidential spokesman Ajuri Ngelale, President Bola Tinubu has appointed Ola Olukoyede as the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). This significant appointment is part of a series of changes at the helm of the country’s focal anti-graft agency.
Ola Olukoyede’s appointment is for an initial renewable term of four years, pending Senate confirmation. His selection comes after the suspension of the previous EFCC boss, Abdulrasheed Bawa, on June 14, 2023, due to “weighty” allegations of abuse of office.
The President directed Abdulkarim Chukkol, the Director of Operations at the Commission, to serve as the acting EFCC chair while the Department of State Services (DSS) took Bawa into custody.
Olukoyede’s appointment is grounded in the powers vested in the President by Section 2(3) of the EFCC (Establishment) Act, 2004. Mr. Olukoyede boasts over twenty-two years of experience as a lawyer specializing in regulatory compliance, fraud management, and corporate intelligence. He also has a rich history with the EFCC, having previously served as Chief of Staff to the Executive Chairman from 2016 to 2018 and as Secretary to the Commission from 2018 to 2023.
President Tinubu’s spokesman, Ngelale, stated, “As such, he fulfills the statutory requirement for appointment as Chairman of the EFCC.”
Abdulrasheed Bawa’s Resignation
Furthermore, Abdulrasheed Bawa’s resignation led to Muhammad Hammajoda’s appointment as the Secretary of the EFCC. Hammajoda’s term is renewable for five years in the first instance, pending Senate confirmation. He brings extensive experience in public finance management, holding a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from the University of Maiduguri and a Masters in Business Administration from the same institution.
His career has included roles as a lecturer at the Federal Polytechnic, Mubi, as well as positions in the banking sector with the defunct Allied Bank and Standard Trust Bank.
The President emphasized the importance of the new leadership in the fight against corruption, stating, “The new leadership of the anti-graft commission is expected to justify the confidence given to them in this important national assignment as a newly invigorated war on corruption undertaken through a reformed institutional architecture in the anti-corruption sector remains a central pillar of the President’s Renewed Hope agenda.”
These changes in leadership signal a renewed commitment to combating corruption in Nigeria, as the EFCC adapts to new challenges and responsibilities in its role as a guardian against economic crimes.