By Adadareporters
Human rights lawyer Femi Falana, Monday, faulted the appointment of the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission from the same geo-political zone as the chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission.
Arguing however that the chairman of EFCC ‘is eminently qualified’, Falana stated that, “My colleagues who have criticised the appointment have not looked at the relevant provisions of the EFCC which is Section 2. The only issue for me which has to be considered by the government is that we have in this country, the Federal Character Commission Act and also by virtue of the constitution, section 14, appointments must reflect the Federal Character Commission.
“So if you’re going to have the EFCC and the ICPC, the heads cannot come from the same zone. If there are two positions 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 South, and two must go to the North. 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 the heads of the EFCC and the ICPC are from the same zone.”
Tinubu had appointed Mr Ola Olukoyede as the new EFCC chairman to replace the embattled chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa, who had been on suspension since June.
