A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has said the newly appointed Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ola Olukoyede, is eminently qualified to head the anti-graft agency.
Mr Falana stated this during an interview on Channels TV on Monday, while reacting to the controversy that trailed Mr Olukayode’s appointment.
According to him, those challenging the appointment have not acquainted themselves with the provisions of the law.
According to him, Mr Olukoyede, who has served as the Chief-of-Staff to a former EFCC chairman and as the secretary of the commission, has acquired enough cognate experience to head the agency.
He, however, urged the government to adhere to the provisions of the Federal Character Commission Act, saying it was unlawful to have both EFCC and ICPC chairmen from the same zone.
He said: “No, there is no issue. The only issue that has been raised, which for me, has to be considered by the government, is that we have in this country the Federal Character Commission Act, and also by virtue of Section 14 of the constitution, appointments should reflect federal character.
“We have the EFCC and the ICPC; the heads do not come from the same zone. If there are two positions in this country in the public service, one must go to the North and one must go to the South.
“If there are four, two must go to the North, two must go to the South. If there are six, one must go to each geopolitical zone. That is the law in Nigeria today.
“I am not comfortable with the fact that as of today, the heads of the EFCC and the ICPC are from the same zone. Apart from that, Mr Olukoyode is eminently qualified to head the EFCC.
“My colleagues who have criticised the appointment have not looked at the relevant provisions of the EFCC, which in Section 2 which provides that the chairman must be at least an Assistant Commissioner of Police or its equivalent in the security service or a law enforcement agency.”
