The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is set to unveil its new N24 billion head office located along Airport Road, Jabi, in the Federal Capital Territory, on Tuesday, May 15, 2018.
According to the anti-graft agency’s acting chairman, Ibrahim Magu, President Muhammadu Buhari prioritised the completion of the building as a show of his commitment to the war against corruption.
He further noted that with the relocation to a more ‘befitting’ office, the EFCC will be adopting a winning formula in its anti-corruption drive.
Ahead of the unveiling next week, here are seven things you should know about the building.
1. The construction of the building was approved during the administration of former president, Goodluck Jonathan. The Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved the construction of the 10-storey building on November 24, 2010.
2. The building’s foundation was laid on February 2, 2011.
3. When the project was awarded to construction company, Julius Berger, it was supposed to be completed after three years. However, funding for the project was inconsistent and resulted in the extra four years it has taken.
4. The project was originally approved for only N18 billion in 2010, but Magu has publicly admitted that it cost N24 billion to complete it. The EFCC’s February 2018 publication of EFCC Alert noted that the N6 billion addition was due to fluctuating foreign exchange over the years it took to complete the project.
5. In the time it took to complete the building, EFCC has undergone a change of leadership two times. The project was initiated when Farida Waziri was EFCC boss, but she left 10 months into the beginning of construction work at the site to be replaced by Ibrahim Lamorde in November 2011. Lamorde was the head of the anti-graft agency for four years before he made way for current acting chairman, Magu, in 2015.
6. According to Ibrahim Murtala, the architect and consultant to Julius Berger, the main building consists mainly of the Northern and Western Wings. The ultra modern facilities in the new office include a forensic building, clinic, male and female detention cells, security wing, fire unit, underground parking section, and a power generating unit.
7. The building is supposed to be Nigeria’s own replica of the United States’ Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). (Pulse NG)
