Ben Ayade’s ex-commissioner appointed EFCC secretary

Cross River State Governor Ben Ayade

A former commissioner for new cities development in Cross River State George Ekpungu has been appointed as the new secretary of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

Mr Ekpungu’s appointment by the attorney-general’s office is subject to confirmation by the Senate.

Ekpungu was commissioner under Governor Ben Ayade from 2015 to 2018. He is expected to serve for a tenure of five years if confirmed.

Prof Ayade recently defected to the governing All Progressives Congress from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party.

Ekpungu, who is a former EFCC employee, contested for the Ikom/Boki Federal Constituency election in 2019 on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party in 2019 but lost.

Also appointed as board members of the EFCC are Luqman Muhammad (south-south), Anumba Adaeze (south east), Kole Adesina (north-central) and Yahya Muhammad (north east), a statement on Monday by the attorney-general of the federation’s spokesman Umar Gwandu read.

The former EFCC Secretary Ola Olukoyede was suspended along with the then acting chairman Ibrahim Magu in 2020.