Chief Femi Falana, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, has stated that the appointment of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission chairmen from the same geopolitical zone by President Bola Tinubu is unlawful and has eroded the Federal Character Principle.
He said this when he appeared on Channels Television’s programme on Monday.
The human rights lawyer noted that if the chairman of the EFCC is from the northern region, then the chairman of the ICPC should be appointed from the southern region.
The current chairman of EFCC, Mr Ola Olukoyede and the ICPC Chairman, Prof Bolaji Owasanoye are both from the South-West geopolitical zone.
While condemning Tinubu’s appointment of Olukoyede as EFCC chairman who is also from the South-West just like the current ICPC chairman, Falana said, “There is no issue; the only issue that has been raised has to be considered by the government is that we have in this country, the Federal Character Commission Act and also by the virtue of Section 14 of the constitution, appointments must reflect Federal Character.
“If you are going to have the EFCC and the ICPC, the heads cannot come from 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.”
Though, Falana further added that Olukoyede is very much qualified to head the EFCC but he is not comfortable with the fact that the heads of both anti-graft agencies are from the South-West geopolitical zone.
“So, I am not comfortable with the fact that the heads of the EFCC and the ICPC are from the same zone. Apart from that, Mr Ola Olukoyede 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 is Section 2”, he submitted.
