EFCC Secretary’s Confirmation Suffers Setback

The Senate Tuesday differed the confirmation of Olanipekun Olukoyede, as the secretary of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Olukoyede, who hails from Ekiti State, is the Chief of Staff to the Acting Chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Magu.

President Muhammadu Buhari in a letter to the Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki, dated September 10, 2018 nominated him as secretary to the Commission.

Saraki who read the letter in plenary on October 3, 2018, referred it to the Senate Committee on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes, to screen the nominee and report back to the chamber.

Senator Chukwuka Utazi (Enugu North), Chairman of the committee presented the report his committee to the chamber yesterday.

Utazi told the upper chamber that Olukoyede satisfied the committee expectations and answered all questions posed to him by committee members.

The Senator also told his colleagues that the nominee demonstrated competence and sufficient experience to occupy the office for which he was nominated.

He noted that the committee, having found the nominee qualified and worthy of the office, recommended that he be confirmed as requested by President Buhari

Utazi said: “The nominee appeared before the Committee on Wednesday October 24, 2018. The members subjected to scrutiny the curriculum vitae of the nominee and other relevant documents relating to his background and educational qualifications and the work experience of the nominee.

“The Committee found that Olanipekun Olukoyede is a trained lawyer. He gave in-depth responses to the questions asked by the members which we believe will add value to policy formulation and implementation in the EFCC.

“The Committee is satisfied that the nominee has the requisite experience, integrity, professional competence and industry to discharge the functions of the position in which he is nominated.

“The Committee also noted that there was no adverse security report against the nominee and the scrutiny carried out on the nominee shows that the nominee possesses the necessary academic and administrative experience for the position.

“The Committee therefore, recommended that the Senate should confirm the appointment of Olukoyede to the office of the Secretary of EFCC”.

Senator James Manager (Delta South) in his contribution observed that only few members of the Committee signed the report of the screening.

Manager said that since the nominee satisfied the requisite experience and professional requirement, he should be confirmed.

“I observe that only few signatures appeared on the signature column. However, going through what the Chairman of the Committee has presented, and knowing full well that this is not very normal time for the Senate, it will not be easy for a chairman of a Committee to have all the members to attend but however, from the number that appeared am sure that they formed quorum.

“From the report of the Committee, since the nominee has the requisite experience and professional competence, that is what we are looking for in a nominee for the kind of office that we screen him for, I therefore, suggest that any other thing can be ignored so that we confirm the nominee,” Manager said.

According to The NATION, on the issue of low turn-out by members of the Committee during the screening, Utazi explained that some of the senators were out of Abuja on oversight functions while others were engaged on electioneering activities.

He confirmed that the committee formed quorum during the sitting where the nominee was screened.

A member of the Committee, Senator Isa Misau (Bauchi Central), opposed the confirmation of the nominee vehemently.

Misau said that most members of the Committee were not carried along in the screening exercise.

The Central Senator said that observed during the screening that some of the nominees were not competent to hold the offices for which they were nominated.

He wondered why only three senators signed the signature page of the Committee report.

Misau asked the Senate to suspend the confirmation of the nominee so as to allow members of the Committee to meet and further deliberate on the report before the Senate could adopt it.

He said, “I observed that only three members out of eight members signed the signature page. What I want is that this report should be stepped down so that we the members of the Committee can go through it because I participated actively in the screening of the nominees.

“There are some of them that are not competent to hold the offices for which they were nominated. I did not sign the report because I am just seeing this report now. It has not been sent to my office. Nobody invited me to come and deliberate on this report and I was part of the screening.

“And during the screening, I made objection on certain people who are not supposed to hold the office. So, the members of the Committee should study it and not just the Clerk of the Committee to write report and come and submit to the Senate in plenary.”

Saraki in his ruling asked the Committee Chairman to meet with other members to discuss the report to avoid divergent positions on the confirmation of the nominee.

Utazi explained that he invited all members to the screening of the nominee but only a few of them attended.

Saraki ruled that members of the committee should meet and present their report today.