*As groups vow to thwart appointments

By Kingsley Omonobi

ABUJA—Indications have emerged that two former Deputy Directors of Operations of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Tunde Ogunsakin and Assistant Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Lamourde, are soon to be appointed Chairman and Director of Operations of the anti-graft agency by the Jonathan administration in a bid to reposition the commission.

Presidency sources confirmed the development to Vanguard in Abuja yesterday, even as it has emerged that some groups who are not comfortable with the decision to appoint the two officers to the leadership of the commission, have vowed to do all within their powers to thwart the appointments.

Vanguard gathered that President Jonathan, who has received petitions on some alleged underhand dealings by the EFCC in recent times, was bent on repositioning the commission for better and effective handling of corruption cases which seemed to have stalled, with no notable conviction in spite of glaring incidents of corruption in many sectors.

Consequent upon the decision to appoint DCP Ogunsakin as Chairman in particular, it was gathered that some groups have perfected plans to smear the name of the officer, while a top official of the anti-graft body has vowed that ‘over his dead body’ will Ogunsakin be appointed EFCC Chairman.

Among issues the groups are said to be planning to raise, is alleged exam malpractice levelled against Mr. Ogunsakin who is currently doing a law programme at the University of Abuja.

When the allegation was made last year, the Police set up a Force Disciplinary Committee to investigate the allegation, they interviewed DCP Ogunsakin and wrote their report to the IGP and the committee cleared Ogunsakin of the allegation.

Also, the University of Abuja set up a committee to investigate the allegation of exam malpractice against Ogunsakin. The committee sent in their report and equally found the Deputy Commissioner not guilty of any offence. Ogunsakin has already written the final year examination in the University of Abuja.

It was further gathered that following the government’s move to reposition the anti-graft agency , policemen from EFCC attached to Mr. Ogunsakin’s house in Abuja were immediately withdrawn.
It will be recalled that Mr. Ogunsakin served as Director of Operations of EFCC from June 2008 to May 2009 and this was after he served as Director of  Operations of ICPC.

He was the chairman of the Federal Government panel which recovered over $485million invested in the African Finance Corporation by former CBN governor, Chukwuma Soludo.

He cracked the case involving former NDLEA Chairman, Bello Lafiaji which subsequently landed Lafiaji in prison and it was DCP Ogunsakin that cracked the Education Trust Fund case that led to the recovery of N8billion which was paid to government coffers.