A coalition of a hundred Civil Society Organisations, CSOs have drummed up support for the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr. Abdulrasheed Bawa.
The coalition comprising Peoples Alliance for Indigenous Rights, PAIR, Center for Public Accountability and Transparency, CPAT, Society for Civic and Gender Equity, SOCEGE and 97 others are claiming that cartels and dark forces are working to bring down the Chairman.
They claimed that the anti-graft agency’s achievements has made certain persons uncomfortable and they are now out to rubbish the laudable achievement of the EFCC Chairman at all costs.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja, the Lead Director of the Civil Society Groups for Good Governance, Mr Dominic Ogakwu, said that the EFCC Chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa was under attack for the wrong reasons by corrupt individuals who want to derail his mandate.
He was flanked by other CSO leaders at the conference who called for support rather than vilifying the agency.
“There are attempts by dark forces to derail the anti-graft agency from staying focused on its mandate of tackling corruption. Ordinarily, as Nigerians and members of the civil society, we would have let the rabble-rousing, attention-seeking and lucre-driven individuals to carry on with their show of shame.
But to keep quiet at such a critical moment when a young man has brought passion, vision, purpose and grit to fighting established cartels, corrupt institutions, dubious individuals and their likes would be unkind to posterity,” Ogakwu said.
He said: “There are attempts by dark forces to derail the anti-graft agency from staying focused on its mandate of tackling corruption.
“Ordinarily, as Nigerians and members of the civil society, we would have let the rabble-rousing, attention-seeking and lucre-driven individuals to carry on with their show of shame.
“But to keep quiet at such a critical moment when a young man has brought passion, vision, purpose and grit to fighting established cartels, corrupt institutions, dubious individuals and their likes would be unkind to posterity.It should be stated unequivocally that Mr Bawa, the youngest EFCC chairman so far, is a man of ideas whose time has come. He is young but endowed with the wisdom of ages as he has demonstrated capacity in cleaning the Augean Stable of corruption in our country, Nigeria.” They said.
According to the groups, the latest vitriolic attack by some elements was occasioned by EFCC’s crack-down on “politically-exposed persons, banking malfeasance, contract compromises, procurement fraud, illegal oil bunkering, and advanced fee fraud (Yahoo-Yahoo) and other havocs of financial fraudsters against the nation.”
He noted that It should be stated unequivocally that Mr. Bawa, the youngest EFCC Chairman so far, is a man of ideas whose time has come.
“Ordinarily, as Nigerians and members of the civil society, we would have let the rabble rousing, attention-seeking and lucre driven individuals to carry on with their show of shame. But to keep quiet at such a critical moment when a young man has brought passion, vision, purpose and grit to fighting established cartels, corrupt institutions, dubious individuals and their likes would be unkind to posterity. He is young but endowed with the wisdom of ages as he has demonstrated capacity in cleaning the Aegean Stable of corruption in our country – Nigeria. But to keep quiet at such a critical moment when a young man has brought passion, vision, purpose and grit to fighting established cartels, corrupt institutions, dubious individuals and their likes would be unkind to posterity,” the lead Director of the group said.
They urged the EFCC boss not to retreat and not to surrender in the fight against corruption.
They added that they were confident that President Muhammadu Buhari would ignore the mischief makers.
Confidence Okwuchi
