EFCC reveals identities of those plotting removal of chairman, Bawa
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has revealed the identity of those who are calling for the removal of its chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa.
The EFCC revealed that corrupt political actors who’re currently being investigated are the ones sponsoring the removal of its chairman from office.
The anti-graft agency said the corrupt politicians who have looted the treasury of their state are hell-bent on burying the investigation into their corrupt practices.
The EFCC chair who was stood in for by the commission’s Head of Media and Publicity, Wilson Uwujaren, at a press briefing in Abuja, the country’s capital, said the agency would not disrespect the judiciary.
The Head of Media and Publicity falsified the rumours put forward by a civil society organization that the anti-graft agency disobeyed the orders of the court multiple times.
He also dismissed the rumours that the agency has misplaced its priority as it’s allowed itself to be politicised.
He said the agency will not give in to the campaign of calumny sponsored by politicians who desperately want to bury their cases under investigation.
He implored members of the public to disregard the protests from faceless group sponsored by the politicians, with the motive of inciting the public against the Commission.
He said, “We wish to raise the alarm about the activities of an amorphous group of so-called Civil Society Organizations who have recently embarked on a campaign to discredit the person of the Chairman of the EFCC, Abdulrasheed Bawa and incite the public against the Commission.
”The group, through press conferences and staged street protests, have been calling for the sack of the EFCC Chairman for alleged disobedience of court orders. They claim they are motivated by the need to strengthen the fight against corruption.
“Contrary to these claims, the EFCC wishes to alert the public that this group have no interest in the fight against corruption and their allusion to disobedience of court orders by the EFCC chairman is an alibi to manipulate facts around judicial pronouncements and processes to pitch the public against the Commission.
“Information available to the Commission indicates that the group is sponsored by persons under investigation by the Commission and have been mobilised and mandated by their paymaster to embarrass the person of the chairman through choreographed street protests across the country until he is removed from office.
“It is significant that this group found its voice after the EFCC launched an investigation into the mindless footing of the treasury of one of the states. This same group shouted that the Commission lacked the power to investigate the theft of the state’s resources.
“Their latest dance in the market square came a few hours after family members of a sitting state governor were arraigned at an Abuja court for allegedly stealing the state’s funds.
“EFCC appeals to the public to disregard the campaign by this group as they do not represent the genuine interest of millions of Nigerians who are desirous of seeing progress in the fight against Corruption.
“The spectre of rented crowd, rented CSOs, etc are blights in our social fabric and manifest demonstration of how deep seated corruption has permeated every sector of our society.
“We want to assure Nigerians that the EFCC will but be distracted by this campaign of calumny as we believe that this agenda will fail.”
