The Senate has been urged to as a matter of urgent national importance, screen and confirm President Muhammadu Buhari’s nominee, Abdulrasheed Bawa as the Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The Citizens Awareness Against Corruption and Social Vices Initiative (CAACASVI) and the Youth Consensus Forum (YCF) made the call on Tuesday in Abuja at a news conference.
Olumuyiwa Onlede, Citizens Awareness Against Corruption and Social Vices Initiative; Youth Consensus Forum’s George Awazie; and Haruna Abdulsalam Okatahi, Conference of Civil Society for Transparency and Accountability, spoke on behalf of the organisations.
They recalled that President Buhari on 16 February 2021, redeemed one of his pledges to Nigerian youths and appointed Abdulrasheed Bawa as the Chairman of the EFCC subject to Senate confirmation, a development that threw patriotic Nigerians into jubilation mode especially those in the youth constituency.
According to them, one would have thought the interest of the nation will come first, one will also expect the voice of the majority roaring with joy for this appointment by the president to overshadow the voice of minority whose personal interest is of priority to them due to unpatriotic tendencies and those whose greatest enterprise is heating up the polity.
“To set the record straight, Abdulrasheed Bawa is a core detective staff of the commission haven joined EFCC in 2005 and on the basis of that we believe the commission will not know him less and that has been confirmed by the official statement from EFCC exonerating him from all allegation of fraud, bribery or unfair practices within and outside the commission has being alleged in some quarters.
“We in the youth constituency see the appointment of Abdulrasheed Bawa by President Muhammadu Buhari as a well-deserved appointment most especially as it came with two merits.
“One is the fact that Abdulrasheed Bawa is only 40 years old, hence justifying the long agitation for youth inclusiveness in governance.
“Secondly, Abdulrasheed Bawa is a core staff of the commission who has distinguished himself in the cause of his service to his fatherland and will definitely spare him of divided loyalty as we always have in the past and mostly in cases of appointment outside the commission,” they said.
They also said that his appointment as the EFCC Chairman is also well deserved as his tenure which, they said they believe will be fruitful and make lots of statements will be a stepping stone for youths in taking over power at all levels of governance.
They said, “We urge the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria not to be intimidated in carrying out their constitutional duty and also to resist every scheming, politics and personal interests by some individuals all in a bid to stall the confirmation of Abdulrasheed Bawa, we urge the Senate to uphold the principle of Separation of power as enshrined in 1999 constitution as amended.
They said, “The Senate must do the needful by speedily confirming the nominee as we believe in his capacity to prove to Nigerians and of course the whole world that indeed the youths of Nigeria as it stands today are not only ready for power but ready to deliver in governance at all level.”
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