….Niger Delta group urges new chairman to overhaul agency

From Fred Itua, Abuja
Leaders of a leading Niger Delta group, Citizens Network for Peace and Development in Nigeria (CNPDN), has called on the newly-appointed chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukayode to overhaul the anti-graft agency for optimal performance.
General Secretary of the body, Francis Okereke Wainwei, in a chat a with Daily Sun, said the new EFCC helmsman has the requisite qualities to pilot the affairs of the Commission.
Speaking on behalf of other leaders of the region who are members of the group, Wainwei noted: “The appointment of Ola Olukayode is a welcome development. He is a round peg in a round hole. Mr. Olukayode as a seasoned lawyer shall be able to pilot the affairs of the Commission in the right direction by adhering strictly to the rule of law.
“Mr. Olukayode has a robust wealth of experience as a former secretary of the Commission and a former Chief of Staff to a past Chairman of the Commission.
“His wealth of experience puts him in a vantage position to navigate the Commission to greater heights.
“He has the requisite capacity and character to reposition the Commission to effectively discharge its mandate by discreetly doing thorough and detailed investigations before going to court,in order to enhance its prosecutorial capacity and proficiency.
“The era of non-diligent prosecution of cases and media trial of suspects should end in his tenure.
“He should also ensure that competent officers are given investigative duties and such officers should be properly motivated to avoid compromise that normally leads to the discharge and acquittal of culpable suspects by the courts due to lack of concrete evidence.
“The appointment of Mr. Ola Olukayode is therefore, highly commendable and a step in the right direction.
“Mr. President has once more, demonstrated his legendary knack for recruiting the right people into sensitive public offices with this appointment.”