In a significant move to bolster Nigeria’s fight against corruption, President Bola Tinubu has announced the appointment of Mr. Ola Olukoyede as the new Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The appointment comes on the heels of the resignation of the suspended Executive Chairman, Mr. Abdulrasheed Bawa.
Presidential spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, disclosed this development in a statement issued on Thursday. According to Ngelale, the President’s action was in line with the powers vested in him under Section 2 (3) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act, 2004, which stipulates that “the Chairman and members of the Commission, other than ex-officio members, shall be appointed by the President.”
Mr. Olukoyede, a seasoned lawyer, brings over 22 years of experience as a regulatory compliance consultant and specialist in fraud management and corporate intelligence to his new role.
He also boasts a profound familiarity with the EFCC’s operations, having previously served as Chief of Staff to the Executive Chairman from 2016 to 2018, and later as Secretary to the Commission from 2018 to 2023. Ngelale emphasized that Olukoyede’s appointment aligns with the statutory requirements for the position of Chairman of the EFCC.
President Tinubu’s efforts to revamp the EFCC didn’t stop there, as he also approved the appointment of Muhammad Hassan Hammajoda to serve as the Secretary of the anti-graft Commission. Hammajoda’s term will initially be for five years, pending Senate confirmation.
Muhammad Hassan Hammajoda, a seasoned public administrator, holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from the University of Maiduguri and a Master’s in Business Administration from the same institution.
He began his career as a lecturer at the Federal Polytechnic, Mubi, and later transitioned into the banking sector, where he demonstrated his financial acumen with successful stints at the defunct Allied Bank and Standard Trust Bank.
Presidential spokesman Ajuri Ngelale concluded by noting that President Tinubu has tasked the newly appointed leadership of the EFCC with justifying the confidence placed in them for this critical national assignment.
This appointment coincides with a newly invigorated war on corruption, facilitated through a reformed institutional architecture in the anti-corruption sector, forming a crucial pillar of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda.
The President’s commitment to eradicating corruption remains steadfast, and the Nigerian public eagerly awaits the impact of this refreshed EFCC leadership.
