The apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council (ONYC) and the North Central Citizens Council (NCCC), have joined calls for the probe of Abdulrasheed Bawa, Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The call came on the heels of the recent claim by the Zamfara state governor, Bello Matawalle that Bawa demanded a $2 million bribe from him.
In a statement on Monday, National President of ONYC, Okwu Nnabuike said the accusation by the Zamfara state governor, “opens limitless opportunities for corrupt bargaining and self-enrichment by the operatives of EFCC under Bawa’s watch.”
He, therefore, called for the sack of Bawa, adding that if President Muhammadu Buhari fails to investigate him, the incoming administration must convene a panel to do so.
He said: “Based on the foregoing, it is time for Bawa to pack his luggage and step aside as the Chairman of the EFCC. We even expected that he should have resigned on his own volition judging by some weighty allegations against him.
“We advise President Muhammadu Buhari to do the needful by purging his government of all the ridicule brought upon his avowed anti-corruption stance by Bawa and the EFCC under him.
“We insist that all allegations must be thoroughly investigated by a technical Commission of Inquiry to dig into the modus operandi of EFCC investigations in the last three years
“If Buhari fails to do so, the President-elect, Bola Tinubu should consider it as one of his very first assignments- to make Bawa step aside and face investigation. This is the only way Nigerians would rekindle their hope on the anti-graft commission.”
Coordinator of NCCC, Comrade Mohammed Eneji, also urged Buhari to restore the integrity of EFCC by investigating its current chairman.
He said the investigation was imperative, particularly as the commission had suffered lots of setbacks relating to corruption allegations against the previous leadership of Ibrahim Magu.
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