BY NONYELUM EKWENUGO JULIET
Kaduna
Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF) has congratulated President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on his decision to suspend the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa.
In a statement signed on Thursday by the President of the group, Alhaji Yerima Shettima said that 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.
“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”.
“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 except 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 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”.
“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”
