A Coalition of Anti-Corruption groups under the auspices of Civil Society Alliance for Eradication of Corruption, CSAEC, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to ignore those calling for the removal
of the Chairman of the Economic Financial Crime Commission, EFCC, Abdulrasheed Bawa from office.
The group had submitted petition letters to President Muhammadu Buhari, President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan , Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, the Inspector General of Police, Alkali Baba, the United Nations, United Kingdom and ,United States Embassies urging them to disregard calls by unscrupulous elements for Bawa’s removal. Stressing that the aim of the EFCC chairman is to ensure looted funds stacked abroad are recovered, and to ensure Nigeria sustain the current tempo in anti-corruption fight and not think of removing the EFCC Chairman.
The Coalition last weekend (March 31, 2023) passed a vote of confidence on the leadership of Bawa following his genuine desire to transform the Commission, which has also recorded unprecedented success especially in the numbers of conviction recorded since the creation of the anti-graft agency.
The group in a statement signed by its Convener, Comrade Nelson Ossaieze and four others, made available to newsmen in Abuja, cautioned that “the good people of Nigeria will no longer condole the shenanigans of the fifth columnists masquerading as citizens in their unpatriotic smear campaigns and protests against the anti-corruption agency boss.”
Ossaieze revealed that the group had submitted letters to President Muhammadu Buhari, the leadership of the National Assembly, the Nigeria Police Force and the international community to disregard every call against the current EFCC Chair as the long term intention of his detractors are to derail his giant strides.
His word: “We call on President Muhammadu Buhari, President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan , Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila the Inspector General of Police, the UN, UK,US Embassies to disregard these elements so as to ensure that we recover our looted funds stacked abroad, Nigeria must sustain the current tempo and not think of removing the EFCC Chairman.
“We view those calling for his removal as the real enemies of the country and should not be allowed at this point in our history as a nation”, Ossaieze said.
The statement read: “The CSAEC is made up of various ànti-corruption bodies painstakingly monitoring the activities of numerous anti-graft agencies to ensure efficient service delivery by the agencies. We are bold to condemn in clear terms those calling for the removal of Mr Bawa over what is not his fault as enemies of Nigeria who do not mean well for the country.
“We have followed Mr Bawa since he became the chairman of the Commission, his zeal and passion for his job to stamp out corruption is unrivalled. “Look at the number of convictions recorded under his watch”, Ossaieze said. Why is it that we don’t like those ready to serve this country with their heart?
“With this avalanche of successful track record of securing convictions in 3,785 and counting, have recovered stolen public money running in billions from those criminals who have sworn to steal this country dry.
“We are thus shocked at the unpopular demand of some fifth columnist and paid agents calling for the sack of the EFCC boss over issues that didn’t directly concern him”.
“We advise these negative elements to channel their demands to court instead of calling for Bawa’s removal from office.
“We reiterate that the fight against corruption has never been this successful without noise making or what we call media trials of alleged offenders, all the feat recorded was because a dedicated anti-graft Czar is leading the fight against looters,” the statement read.
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