Participants at a National Anti-corruption Conference held in Abuja have joined clamour for the sack of the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Abdulrasheed Bawa over alleged disregard for the courts and disobedience of their orders.
Like some civil society organisations (CSOs), who initiated the “Bawa Must Go” campaign over two months ago, the conference participants charged President Muhammadu Buhari to use the few days left for his administration, to strive to leave a legacy of a functional system where there is respect for the rule of law and all actors act only in full compliance with the Constitution, Acts of the National Assembly and all other laws of the country.
The participants, who were delegates from 158 anti-corruption civil society and non-governmental organisations, faith-based groups, youth and community-based organisations, said the anti-corruption efforts of the Buhari administration would eventually be assessed by the conduct of key officials, especially those saddled with the responsibility of taming the vice in Nigeria.
The conference was convened to discuss the state of the nation, covering several fundamental issues, especially as they affect education, security, corruption challenges and other general interests.
After deliberations by the expanded gathering with keynote address by the Dean, Faculty of Arts, Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Prof Wasiu Ademola Oyedokun-Alli, and presentations from speakers, including the chairman of the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, Debo Adeniran, among others, the conference adopted a communique, where they expressed concern that the EFCC under Bawa had become a cesspool of internal corruption, among other diverse issues.
While congratulating Nigerians on the outcome of the various elections, the conference faulted the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for not keeping strictly to the promises made to Nigerians.
They however condemned what they described as the various attempts by some politicians and people of vested interests towards pushing the country dangerously to the edge of the slope, particularly the promotion of ethnic and religious divisions among Nigerians.
The communique said, in line with genuine concerns among informed Nigerians, “Conference restates that a convict, as Mr. Bawa is seen to be currently, according to the judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction, which has not been vacated, cannot continue to preside over an important law enforcement agency like the EFCC established to fight corruption.”
The delegates alleged that Bawa’s actions as a public officer had been high-handed, prejudicial, contemptuous of Nigerian courts and oppressive to the human rights of persons under the EFCC investigation, while also condemning, in its entirety, his “deliberate disobedience of court orders.”
“Conference expressed gross dissatisfaction with the Naira redesign policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria which in the last three months has crippled economic activities and put Nigerians under unprecedented and untold hardship due to the scarcity of the local currency as well as the incessant failure of the online banking system,” the communique stated, adding that there must be consequences for the needless hardship Nigerians were made to contend with in the face of a policy that was not well thought out.
On anti-corruption efforts, the communique said, “Corruption undermines growth, erodes trust in governments, fuels support for extremism and hinders the fight against poverty and inequality. Therefore, we as Nigerians, have a responsibility to prevent, detect and expose any form of corruption. In fighting corruption, we cannot, but also be mindful of the dictates of our laws, as a country under a democracy.
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