The Arewa Youth Comsultative Forum (AYCF) has commended President Bola Tinubu for the swiftness with which he suspended the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Abdulrasheed Bawa.
The AYCF, in a statement on Thursday, described Bawa as compromised saying his suspension was a reassurance from the current administration that it would not condone the widespread corruption that characterised the last administration.
The statement signed by AYCF’s National President, Alhaji Yarima Shettima, also called for the total overhauling of the EFCC and the suspension of top officials of the agency including those considered as Bawa’s alleged accomplices.
The group named Bawa’s Chief of Staff, Hadiza Ibrahim Gamawa, and the Chairman, Monitoring Unit 1, Abuja, Shehu Ala, as those who needed to be thoroughly investigated.
READ THE FULL STATEMENT BELOW:
On behalf of the youths of Northern Nigeria, the Arewa Youths Consultative Forum wishes to express is deeply appreciation for the swift action taken by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of suspending the widely believed compromised Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Abdulrasheed Bawa, indefinitely, and ordering thorough investigation of the activities of the agency under his watch.
The move by Mr President is a reassurance of his government’s commitment to addressing the sceptre of endemic, widespread corruption and political avarice that characterised the eight-year tenure of previous administration attributable to a lack of application of relevant laws against corrupt practices among officials of the regime and the apparent compromise of the EFCC under Abdulrasheed Bawa.
While welcoming the federal government action against Bawa, we are also of the view that it needs to extend the measure to include a total overhaul of the EFCC to flush out remnants of Abdulrasheed Bawa’s accomplices entrenched in top positions of the agency.
As we expect thorough investigations to expose and punish the extent of compromise and complicity of Bawa, it is equally expected that his major accomplices such as his Chief of Staff, Hadiza Ibrahim Gamawa, be suspended as well and subjected to investigation and subsequent prosecution.
There are incontrovertible facts that the children of the said Chief of Staff Gamawa who is married to a naval officer were trained in expensive foreign schools.
This inadvertently raises the question of the source of the funds used for such expensive training in addition to several assets owned by the said Gamawa.
Another principal collaborator in Bawa’s serial atrocities that also needs to be investigated is the Chairman, Monitoring Unit 1, Abuja, Shehu Ala.
With regards to the fate that befell Bawa, we consider it a bad lesson for the young generation of Nigerians. We categorically state that Bawa has been a huge disappointment for the young people of Nigeria who are supposed to be the natural claimants to the task of shaping the future of the Nigerian society.
Bawa himself apart from his incompetent handling of the EFCC boss has also acquired massive assets in unexplained and suspicious circumstances that need to be investigated.
He is also on record as having indulged in flamboyant lifestyle that involved expensive family trips abroad at will.
Other incontrovertible evidences around that Bawa is majorly responsible for all the damaging economic policies pursued by the former Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele that had sunk the nation into deep crisis and brought about mass sufferings on innocent citizens.
While we once again hail the government action against corrupt practices and officers with corrupt tendencies, we pray that the likes of Bawa shall never again be entrusted with positions of responsibility only to end up letting down the youth constituency.
Meanwhile, we have abiding faith, that in view of his upbringing and eminent legal background, the acting chairman of the EFCC, Abdulkarim Chukkol, cannot afford to disappoint the nation and would pursue the war against corruption with decency and decorum in accordance with the rule of law.