SMBLF describes Bawa’s appointment as anti-corruprion deception by Buhari

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The Southern and Middle Belt leaders Forum(SMBLF) has described President Muhammad Buharis recent appointment of Abdulrasheed Barwa as new Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC) as a deception in the anti corruption war.
In a statement Tuesday, signed by Messrs Yinka Odumakin,Guy Ikoku and others for the group,noted that this is the second time in six months the President dent is sending such to the Senate for confirmation adding by the appointments “has failed to walk the talk on fighting corruption”

“President Muhammadu Buhari has for the second time in 6 years forwarded another nominee to the Senate for confirmation as the Chairman of EFCC.
Anti-corruption is a star programme of the President and a large part of his following is owed to the Anti-corruption propaganda on which a lot of Nigerians were sold.
But walking the talk has been a challenge for the President as his first nominee, Ibrahim Magu remained unconfirmed in almost five years because of the damming report of the DSS on him which showed he is a man that should be running from anti-graft instead of looters running for him.”
They noted that while the government is trying to “clean up the Magu mess, he has put forward Mr Abdulraheed Bawa as a replacement.”
The group however pointed out the facts coming out about his latest nominee,” show that the whole Anti-corruption war is a joke that can only impress the unwary.”
It wondered why in spite of the EFCC having set up a probe to investigate the activities of the new nominee while he was posted to lead its field office in Lagos with effect from August 8, and revelation of his alleged theft of confiscated proceeds of ill-gotten loot at his previous appointment in Port-Harcourt, the govern!end still consider him fit for the new job.
“The Peoples Gazette for instance reported that
Mr. Bawa was in-charge of the Port-Harcourt zonal office last year when dozens of petrol-bearing trucks that were confiscated from suspected looters were abruptly auctioned off to his proxies at “ridiculous prices,” it declared.

“Three of his junior colleagues who were alarmed by the sheer mismanagement of priced public assets and other suspicious acts of Mr. Bawa took immediate steps to curb his excesses by filing anonymous complaints to the headquarters in Abuja,according to People Gazette. ”

Furthermore,the group noted that, “Bawa was said to have been subsequently arrested and detained for several days in Port-Harcourt before Ibrahim Magu, erstwhile head of the agency, ordered his transfer to the agency’s training school in Abuja pending conclusion of investigation. ”

The months-long investigation into Mr Bawa’s alleged corruption and a crackdown on Mr Magu and other ex-senior officials of the EFCC were yet to be concluded when he was tapped for the top job in Lagos, a development that underscores how dirty games play out under the regime

“The government said Magu and others were arrested and flushed out to save the EFCC from institutional damage,” an official said. “But how can you secure people’s confidence if you only trade one crooked officer for another?” it queried
To this accusation the SMBLF declared,”We agree entirely.
We call on the President to investigate and clear the air on the allegation against this direct cousin of the Attorney General of the Federation before Nigeria enters another Magu season.
The anti-graft war has suffered so much damage of mismanagement under this regime and this may be the last straw to break the back of its camel. ”

Yinka Odumakin
South West

Chief Guy Ikokwu
South East
Senator Bassey Henshaw
South South

Dr Isuwa Dogo
Middle Belt

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