Federal Government through the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, on Monday, announced the appointment of Mr. George Ekpungu as the new Secretary of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
If confirmed by the Senate, Ekpungu, who was Cross River State Commissioner for New Cities Development under Governor Ben Ayade between 2015 and 2018, will serve for five years.
Ekpungu, who also once worked with the EFCC, contested the Ikom/Boki Federal Constituency election in 2019 on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party but lost.
AGF spokesman, Umar Gwandu, said in a statement on Monday titled, ‘Buhari Appoints Ekpungu EFCC Secretary, Names Board Members’, that four others were appointed as board members.
The statement partly read, “President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed George Abang Ekpungu as the Secretary of the EFCC.
“The appointment is for a fresh tenure of five years. Also appointed as board members of the EFCC are Luqman Muhammad (South South), Anumba Adaeze (South East), Alhaji Kole Raheem Adesina (North Central) and Alhaji Yahya Muhammad (North East).”
The statement noted that the appointment was in line with Section 2 (1) and Section 4 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Act, 2004.
Former EFCC Secretary, Ola Olukoyede, was suspended along with the then acting Chairman, Ibrahim Magu, in 2021.
Ekpungu’s appointment foreclosed the return of suspended Olukoyede to the agency inspite of the fact that the Justice Ayo Salami investigation and report that led to his removal has never been made public.
The secretary is the second most powerful office in the commission after the chairman.
Section 8(2) of the EFCC Act says the secretary shall be the head of the secretariat of the commission; responsible for the administration of the secretariat and the keeping of the books and records of the commission.