The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr. Ola Olukayede, has appointed Mr. Michael Nzekwe as his Chief of Staff. He has also named Zonal Heads for each of the 14 Zonal Commands of the Commission.
Nzekwe’s Appointment and Background
Nzekwe, a top investigator, lawyer, and former Commander of the Ilorin Zonal Command of the EFCC, is a grade one officer of the Commission. He has served in various departments within the Commission, including Legal and Prosecution Department, Office of Operations (now Office of Investigations), Department of Internal Affairs (now Department of Ethics and Intelligence), Servicom, and Asset Forfeiture Unit.
A seasoned administrator, he has attended several trainings and courses locally and internationally, including the Advanced Security Intelligence Officers Course organized by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA. The appointment takes immediate effect, and he has assumed duties.
Restructuring and Repositioning of EFCC
Olukayede, in his restructuring and repositioning of the EFCC, further upgraded all the Zonal Commands of the Commission to the status of offices, with each of them headed by a Director. To this effect, 14 new Directors have been appointed to head each of the Zonal Commands.
Furthermore, to strengthen and reinvigorate the security architecture of the Commission, the Security Unit of the EFCC has been upgraded to a Department with a seasoned officer named as Director, Security and Chief Security Officer.
Creation of New Departments and Reshuffling
A new Department has also been created within the Executive Chairman’s office, and it is headed by former Makurdi Zonal Commander of the EFCC, Mr. Friday Ebelo, who also doubles as Director and Coordinator, Special Duties, at the corporate headquarters of the Commission.
The former Department of Internal Affairs has been renamed Department of Ethics and Intelligence, and minor reshuffling affected in some Departments at the headquarters.
Fraud Risk Assessment and Control Department
An important component of the restructuring is the creation of a new Department to drive the Preventive Mandate of the EFCC. Olukayede, in a strategic move, created the Fraud Risk Assessment and Control Department to handle this all-important function of the Commission. The Department has commenced operations, and its impact would be felt more across the country in a short while.
Rationale Behind the Restructuring
Olukayede says that the ongoing restructuring is meant for the repositioning and strengthening of the EFCC to deliver on its assigned mandate optimally. The restructuring is aimed at making the EFCC more efficient, effective, and responsive to the challenges of fighting economic and financial crimes in Nigeria,” he said.
The restructuring is also in line with the Strategic Plan of the Commission, which seeks to reposition the EFCC as a world-class anti-corruption agency that is proactive, technology-driven, and intelligence-led.
Challenges Ahead and Way Forward
The restructuring of the EFCC is a step in the right direction, but it is not without challenges. The Commission still faces the challenge of inadequate funding, which has hampered its operations over the years. The government needs to provide adequate funding to the EFCC to enable it to carry out its mandate effectively.
Another challenge is the perception of the EFCC as a tool for political witch-hunting. The Commission needs to work hard to change this perception by ensuring that its operations are transparent, fair, and non-partisan.
The EFCC also needs to collaborate more with other law enforcement agencies, both within and outside Nigeria, to effectively fight economic and financial crimes. The Commission should also engage more with the public to create awareness about its activities and to enlist their support in the fight against corruption.
Conclusion
The restructuring of the EFCC by Olukayede is a welcome development that has the potential to reposition the Commission for greater effectiveness in the fight against economic and financial crimes in Nigeria. However, the success of the restructuring will depend on how well the Commission is able to overcome the challenges it faces and how well it is able to deliver on its mandate.
The government, the public, and other stakeholders have a role to play in supporting the EFCC to succeed in its task of ridding Nigeria of economic and financial crimes. It is only by working together that we can build a corruption-free Nigeria where all citizens can thrive and prosper.
