Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA has tasked the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to name the thieving Governor in the North or be considered the attack dog for political leaders in the region.
HURIWA warned the hierarchy of EFCC that the anti-graft agency may be regarded as a tool of the Northern Islamic political oligarchy and an anti-youths attack dog if it fails to name the ‘thieving’ governor from the North who it said has stolen N60 billion from his state’s public treasury since 2015.
HURIWA said it was worried that the doomsday scenarios graphically painted by those who fought against the appointment of the young Kebbi State-born Abdulrasheed Bawa as the successor to the disgraced acting Chairman Ibrahim Magu were coming true.
“Those who vigorously opposed the then plan by the Attorney-General of the federation and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami to anoint and supplant his kinsman Abdulrasheed Bawa as EFCC’s substantive chairman, had opposed his nomination on the ground that he could be politically manipulated by the AGF and his political friends,” the rights group said in a statement signed by its national coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko.
“Few months after his controversial nomination was made by President Buhari on the recommendation of the Justice Minister and confirmed by the pliant and executive manipulated Senate headed by the bootlicker of President Muhammadu Buhari, the substantive chairman of EFCC Mr. Abdulrasheed Bawa has done things and have introduced a modus operandi that is opaque and non-transparent,” the group added.
The Rights group argued that: “At one time, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) accused a minister of keeping millions of dollars in her room.
“He did not mention a name. But when speculations became rife that the unnamed minister was one of the favorites of President Buhari, the EFCC Chairman quickly denied and said it was former petroleum minister even when the EFCC had since published charges against the erstwhile minister who is a fugitive from the law.
“So in which of her house was the humongous sum found and when and why was it not part of the charges already extensively publicised by EFCC long before the ambiguous allegations against a ‘MINISTER’ was made by the newly inaugurated EFCC Chairman?”.
HURIWA affirmed that: “Again, Abdulrasheed Bawa has started his hide-and –seek methodology by accusing an unnamed Northern governor of pocketing N60 billion of his state’s resources.
“The question is, why is he afraid of naming the accused governor? Is it because he is a Northerner and probably a moslem or because he is a member of All Progressives Congress?
“Then why does EFCC parade youngsters accused of duping white people of $400 USD with their names boldly written on blackboards carried by them in front of EFCC cameras and extensively publicised on social media and the powerful and well-visited EFCC’s official website? But EFCC cannot now name one of the biggest accused economic saboteurs?
HURIWA in a statement by Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko disclosed that it has already started writing a request under the freedom of information Act to compel EFCC to name the governor.
The rights group said concealing identities of one set of politically exposed persons in conflict with the EFCC Act and parading and publicising another set of accused persons amounts to a breach of section 42 (1) and (2) of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
HURIWA said, “We are sending this request because we do not want EFCC contaminated by politicians. We are patriotic Nigerians and we will not keep quiet and let these reactionary politicians toy with the integrity of such a highly regarded anti-graft institution like the EFCC because the institution is bigger than whoever is the Chairman or Nigeria President.”
The human rights organization said the EFCC is obliged to enforce its law and obligations just as according to Section 6(b), (c), (e), and (f) of the EFCC Act enumerate the functions.
The rights group said the EFCC is, by virtue of Section 6(c) and (f) of the EFCC Act, empowered to co-ordinate and enforce all economic and financial crimes laws and exercise enforcement functions conferred on any other person or authority by virtue of any such laws.
Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everydayAdvertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
No comments
Post a Comment
Kindly drop a comment below.
(Comments are moderated. Clean comments will be approved immediately)
Advert Enquires - Reach out to us at NigerianEye@gmail.com