"EFCC Chairman Bawa Is Committed to Tackling Corruption in Nigeria," Says CSGGG, Explains Why
- Nigerians across the country have been urged to support the efforts of the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
- This call was made to Nigerians by the Coalition of Civil Society Groups for Good Governance (CSGGG)
- The organisation said their call for support for the EFCC became necessary because some individuals affected by the anti-corruption fight are using the judiciary against Bawa
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A coalition of 100 civil society organisations in Nigeria has said that naysayers have taken to attacking the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa, because of his commitment to fighting corruption in Nigeria.
Under the aegis of the Coalition of Civil Society Groups for Good Governance (CSGGG), the organisations made this known at a press conference attended by Legit.ng in Abuja on Tuesday, February 14.
Source: UGC
Led by Dominic Ogakwu, the lead director of CSGGG, the coalition alleged that there are dark forces focused on derailing the anti-graft agency from staying focused on its mandate of tackling corruption.
Ogakwu said that as Nigerians are heading to the polls to elect new leaders, it is essential for the coalition to address the campaign of calumny brewed by some attention-seeking individuals to carry on with their show of shame.
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He added that it would be unfair for CSGGG to keep quiet at such a critical moment when a young man (the EFCC chairman), who has brought passion, vision, purpose and grit to fighting established cartels, corrupt institutions, and dubious individuals, is being attacked by the same lot.
Ogakwu's words:
"The Bawa-led leadership has not just been about arrests and prosecutions, but advocacy and sensitisation on the damaging effect of crime and criminality to schools, youth-focused groups and religious centres.
"This has led to greater awareness and aversion to Yahoo-Yahoo and get-quick-rich syndrome.
"In terms of welfare, there is a new sense of optimism and reinvigoration as after a decade of no motivation in terms of promotion, core staff of the commission have seen that jinx broken as every staff has had their deserved designations and upward movement."
Noting that the EFCC has continued to operate within the ambits of the law, Ogakwu said some alleged corrupt individuals have continued to leverage judicial gymnastics and subterfuges to evade the long arm of the law.
He said:
"For instance, a convicted senator who should have been serving his term by seven months in a correctional facility kept being on the run, using medical cover to beat his conviction until he was apprehended recently and is now at his conviction correctional centre.
"The EFCC has been at the centre of ensuring the seamless implementation of the cashless policy of the Federal Government as unscrupulous bankers hoard new naira notes meant for Nigerians. The EFCC has continued to burst the illegitimate stashing by some bank managers and bring them to justice."
Ogakwu further called on Nigerians to ignore "the no-good fellows and their paymasters and support the leadership of Bawa to tackle corruption, illicit financial flows, money laundry and other financial crimes."
Abdulrasheed Bawa: EFCC's boss to be Remanded in Prison? Appeal Court Gets Fresh Request
Recently, the EFCC contested a verdict by the Kogi high court which ordered the arrest and remand of its chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa, in prison.
In an application filed at the Court of Appeal in Abuja on Tuesday, February 7, the EFCC asked the court to stay the execution of the verdict.
According to the anti-graft agency, the Kogi high court lacks the jurisdiction to preside over Bawa's case.
Court asks IGP to arrest and remand EFCC chairman in Kuje prison, gives reason
Legit.ng earlier reported that a high court in Kogi state has ordered that the IGP should arrest the EFCC chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa and detain him in Kuje prison for 14 days.
The order came following the disobedience of a court order by the commission boss that demanded him to provide an application in the case of Ali Bello.
Bello has filed a suit against the chairman of the anti-graft agency before the court over allegations of his illegal arrest and detained by the EFCC.
Source: Legit.ng
