From Olanrewaju Lawal, Birnin Kebbi
Nigerian Youth Alliance Against Corruption & Money Laundry (NYAACML) has described those seeking removal of the Chairman, Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulradheed Bawa, as agents of corrupt elements in Nigeria, who are working hard to rubbish the anti graft crusade of the Federal Government.
The National Coordinator of the CSO, Alhaji Nasiru Turakin Masama, stated this at a press conference in Birnin Kebbi. Masama, alongside the Secretary of the CSO, Comrade Usman Muhammed Anavhe, a Zonal Coordinator, Comrade Shehu Isha S. Kudu, and Women Leader, Hajia Ummu Maimaro, accused those protesting against the EFCC chairman of being sponsor by corrupt leaders.
He said: “As civil society actors, we are highly disturbed by this trend of sponsorship by corrupt elements of protests against a public servant who is empowered by law to undertake crusades against corrupt persons in Nigeria. We, therefore, wish to categorically inform such corrupt person’s that they have no hiding place, and no amount of hiring of protesters can save them and their families alleged to be involved in corruption from the hands of law.
“They are neither representing the youths nor the civil society organisations in Nigeria. It is on record that Abdulraheed Bawa has changed the approach on the fight against corruption, introduced systemic and durable reforms, increased number of qualified manpower in the EFCC, imbibed human relations standards, effective discharge of duties, staff training and retraining, improved standard of internal mechanism for best practices which increase integrity of the Commission in and outside the country.”
He noted that under Bawa as the EFCC chairman, in 2022 alone, he secured more than 3,783 convictions with 70.5% improvement over its record in 2021.
“It also represents a 98.93% success rate in prosecution, given that the Commission lost only 41 cases, representing 1.07%, the highest performance since inception of the Commission.
The percentage improvement of the EFCC convictions in the seven years of President Muhammadu Buhari administration from 103 to 3,785 is over 3,574.8%.
“It is also on record that the EFCC, under the leadership of first under 50 years old chairman, recovered more than N500 billion, $386 milion, more than £1 million pounds, more than 160 thousand Eito, millions of CFA and more than 5 million Bitcoins and handed them over to rightful owners.
The pension and NHIS recovered funds are just an example of funds recovered by the EFCC back to the Federal Government coffers.”
They, however, threw their weight behind the anti corruption fight by the EFCC chairman, stressing that, “we support Abdulradheed Bawa as the chairman of the agency.”