Lawyers’ group urges senate to confirm new EFCC boss

By Sunday Ani

President of the League of Patriotic Lawyers,  Abubakar Yesufu, has urged the Senate to confirm the nomination of Ola Olukoyede as chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and ignore those he described as naysayers.

He said the confirmation would also bring ethnic balancing to the leadership of the Commission.

Briefing newsmen yesterday in Lagos, Yesufu said Olukoyede’s numerous qualifications, training and retraining made his nomination a round peg in a round hole.

He said: “The nomination of Olukoyode by President Bola Tinubu is a breath of fresh air in the Commission. We urge the Senate to confirm the appointment immediately.

“With a lawyer at the helm of affairs of the Commission, the outfit would have a human face. The Commission would also be well positioned, and taken to the next level. He would ensure that crimes can be detected before commission, thereby avoiding the arduous task of prosecution, conviction, and recoveries that are often involved in the beleaguered attempt to sanitize the country of corrupt practices.

“This is why we enjoin the Senate to proceed and confirm the appointment and ignore the ‘naysayers,’ who are waving the flag of ‘non-qualification’ at this young, vibrant and dynamic new EFCC boss.

“Apart from the ethnic balancing, which Olukoyede is bringing to the equation as the first EFCC boss from the South, his numerous qualifications, training and retraining showed that he’s a round peg in a round hole.

“Olukoyede is a member of the Institute of Arbitration in France. He is also an alumnus of Kennedy School of Executive Education, University of Harvard, United States. He has more than 22 years cognate experience as a regulatory compliance consultant, and specialist in fraud management and corporate intelligence. He also worked in the law firm of the former vice president, Yemi Osinbajo, before joining the EFCC, where he acted as the Chief of Staff to the then executive Chairman, Ibrahim Magu, between 2018 and 2023, and gave a good account of himself as a focused personality, assisting in positioning the outfit.”