With corruption allegation ushering in a new leadership of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFC), the anti-graft body has defended its newly appointed chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa.
In a statement by the EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, the commission absolved Bawa of any wrongdoing, adding that the new anti-graft czar has no corruption record.
You will recall that 40-year-old Bawa’s name was sent to the Senate by President Muhammadu Buhari for approval as the new EFCC boss.
Bawa’s appointment, however, raised a speck of dust as he was alleged to have diverted 224 forfeited trucks, resulting in his arrest and purported removal as Port Harcourt zonal head of the body by the Ibrahim Magu.
But in a swift reaction, Uwujaren described as “illogical” the reports that Bawa was caught in the hook corruption and was made to face a disciplinary panel, The Punch reports.
“As zonal head of the Port Harcourt office of the commission in 2019, Bawa’s responsibilities did not include the sale of assets…
“For the avoidance of doubt, the disposal of finally forfeited trucks in the Port Harcourt zonal office through public auction, was conducted after the exit of Bawa as zonal head.”
By the appointment, the 40-year-old Bawa becomes the youngest person to chair the commission since its inception in 2003. This, however, didn’t seem to go down well with some of his colleagues but it is believed that Bawa enjoys 80% acceptance by the agency.
“I can tell you that 80% of EFCC officials are glad by this choice, but only his coursemates are not because he is the youngest among them and they kept asking why not an older person among them.
“But if you look at his antecedent, for someone who was once zonal head in Lagos and has performed well, I think he’s right for the position”, a source close to the agency said.
The appointment also scored a first since the establishment of the EFCC as the chairman of the agency is emerging from the trained cadets of the commission.
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