From Olanrewaju Lawal, Birnin Kebbi
Nigerian Youth Alliance Against Corruption & Money Laundry (NYAACML) has described those seeking for the removal of the Chairman of the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulradheed Bawa as agents of corrupted elements in Nigeria,who were working hard to rubbish anti graft crusade of the federal government.
The National Coordinator of the CSO,Alhaji Nasiru Turakin Masama,stated this during a press conference with newsmen in Birnin Kebbi.
Madam, alongside with the Secretary of the CSO,Comrade Usman Muhammed Anavhe,aZonal Coordinator, Comrade Shehu Isha S. Kudu and Women Leader,Hajia Ummu Maimaro accused those CSOs protesting for the EFCC chairman’s removal of being sponsor by corrupt leaders.
According to him, “as Civil Society Actors, we are highly disturbed by this trend of sponsorship by corrupt elementts to organised these protests against a public servant who is empowered by Lawa to undertake crusade against corrupt person’s in Nigeria.
“We therefore wish to categorically inform suc corrupt person’s that they have no hiding place and no amount of hiring of protesters on some streets could save them and their families allaged to be involved in corruption from the hands of Law.
. “They are neither representing the Nigerian Youths,nor Civil Society Organizations 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 increases 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% sucess 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 500 billion naira, $386 milion US dollar,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 thrown their weight behind the anti corruption fight by the EFCC Chairman, stressed that,we support Abdulradheed Bawa as the Chairman of the agency.