By Adekunle Williams
The Arewa Youths Consultative Forum (AYCF) has commended President Bola Tinubu’s indefinite suspension of the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mr Abdulrasheed Bawa.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Tinubu on Wednesday, approved the indefinite suspension of Bawa to pave way for investigation of the commission under his watch.
Alhaji Yerima Shettima, National President of the AYCF in a statement on Thursday in Lagos, commended Tinubu’s swift action against “widely believed compromised Chairman of the EFCC”.
Shettima, who lauded the President for ordering thorough investigation of the activities of the agency under Bawa’s watch, urged the acting Chairman of the EFCC, Abdulkarim Chukkol to pursue graft war with decency.
“The move by the 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,” Shettima said.
He blamed the immediate past administration for lack of application of relevant laws against corrupt practices among officials of the regime and the apparent compromise of the EFCC under 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 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 be suspended as well and subjected to investigation and subsequent prosecution,” he said.
According to him, there are incontrovertible facts that Bawa, his closed associates and their family members live flamboyantly to raise question about sources of their wealth and assets.
Shettima urged Tinubu to also investigate all principal collaborators in Bawa’s alleged atrocities.
The youth leader said: “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.”
He said that Bawa was allegedly incompetent in the handling of the EFCC..
He urged the President to beam his searchlights on all acquired assets in unexplained and suspicious circumstances.
The youth leader commended the new government’s action against corrupt practices and officers with corrupt tendencies.
Describing Bawa as letting down the youths with his positions of responsibility, Shettima said that the group had abiding faith in the acting chairman of the EFCC,
He said that in view of Chukkol’s upbringing and eminent legal background, the acting chairman could not afford to disappoint the nation.
Shettima urged Chukkol to pursue the war against corruption with decency and decorum in accordance with the rule of law. (NAN)
