The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has accused desperate politicians of being behind a plot to remove its Executive Chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa.
The anti-graft agency said the politicians are determined to frustrate investigation into the mindless looting of the treasury of a state in the North.
It, therefore, urged Nigerians to ignore the street protests by those it described as an ‘amorphous group’ bankrolled by those under investigation with a view to inciting the public and discrediting the Commission.
Briefing journalists, on Tuesday, in Abuja, EFCC Chairman Abdulrasheed Bawa, maintained that the anti-graft agency would not be distracted by the campaign of calumny against it.
Bawa, who was represented at the briefing by EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Wilson Uwujaren, refuted the claims, saying the Commission has never, and will not take any steps to undermine the judiciary.
He said, “We wish to raise the alarm about the activities of an amorphous group of so-called Civil Society Organizations who have recently embarked on a campaign to discredit the person of the Chairman of the EFCC, Abdulrasheed Bawa and incite the public against the Commission
“The group, through press conferences and staged street protests, has been calling for the sack of the EFCC Chairman for alleged disobedience of court orders. They claim they are motivated by the need to strengthen the fight against corruption.
“Contrary to these claims, the EFCC wishes to alert the public that this group has no interest in the fight against corruption and their allusion to disobedience of court orders by the EFCC chairman is an alibi to manipulate facts around judicial pronouncements and processes to pitch the public against the Commission.
“Information available to the Commission indicates that the group is sponsored by persons under investigation by the Commission and have been mobilised and mandated by their paymaster to embarrass the person of the chairman through choreographed street protests across the country until he is removed from office.
“It is significant that this group found its voice after the EFCC launched an investigation into the mindless footing of the treasury of one of the states. This same group shouted that the Commission lacked the power to investigate the theft of the state’s resources. Their latest dance in the market square came a few hours after family members of a sitting state governor were arraigned at an Abuja court for allegedly stealing the state’s funds.
“EFCC appeals to the public to disregard the campaign by this group as they do not represent the genuine interest of millions of Nigerians who are desirous of seeing progress in the fight against Corruption. The spectre of rented crowd, rented CSOs, etc are blights in our social fabric and manifest demonstration of how deep seated corruption has permeated every sector of our society
“We want to assure Nigerians that the EFCC will but be distracted by this campaign of calumny as we believe that this agenda will fail.”
Bawa however, explained why he did not obey a court order that committed him to prison for contempt.
According to him, the Commission believed it was denied fair hearing and as a law abiding institution, had approached the appellate court for a stay of execution.
He however, did not say whether the stay of execution had been granted to forestall the order for his arrest by the Inspector-General of Police.
The Commission explained, “It is also important to reassure Nigerians and all stakeholders that the Commission has never, and will not take any steps to undermine the judiciary.
Recall that scores of anti-corruption civil society organisations have called on President Muhammadu Buhari to sack Bawa for allegedly disobeying court orders on multiple occasions.
Additionally, they alleged that the EFCC has derailed from its mission and was now politicised, urging him (Buhari) to overhaul the anti-graft commission in order to recover its past glory and for a better Nigeria.
