Politics
A leading Pro-Democracy group, Kwara Must Change, has tackled the Federal Government of Nigeria over persistent removal of the Chairmen of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, since 2003 over unsubstantiated claims of corruption.
Kwara Must Change queried the Federal Government over the weekend on its popular radio programme, Eto Wa on Sobi FM in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.
While reacting to the subject of persistent removal of the EFCC Chairmen by successive government, including the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Kwara Must Change guest, Kamaldeen Babasiga, noted that all allegations against the EFCC Chairmen remain mere allegations without substance.
“No EFCC Chairman has been prosecuted and found guilty of any crime since 2007 and their persistent removal by the Federal Government is eroding confidence in the anti-graft institution and as a matter of fact, it is a disservice to the nation.
Kamaldeen noted that, it is a shame that no one single EFCC Chairman is free from allegations since 2007 and the Federal Government has not been able to come up with any justification to warrant its persistent removal of EFCC Chairmen.
He explained that, the Federal Government can remove the EFCC Chairmen without accusing them of any crime, but when you continuously accuse head of your anti-graft agency of graft without ensuring adequate prosecution, you subject the agency to public disrepute.
Another guest, Abdullateef Babafila, corroborated the position of Kamaldeen.
Babafila maintained that, EFCC has some records of achievement, particularly in its successful prosecution of several high profile cases, including former governors, but those achievements are discredited by successive governments, claiming that previous governments used the EFCC to prosecute and witch hunt their enemies.
“However, if EFCC under a governmentt succeeds in securing conviction, it means that it was able to present valid evidences before a court and allegations of witch hunting enemies cannot arise,” Babafila said, adding that, EFCC under other government should also secure conviction against others, whether friends or enemies.
Another guest, Moyosore Yusuf, concluded that, Federal Government has discredited EFCC more than anyone else.
According to him, when the EFCC was first established, every Nigerian understand that there’s at least an organization that can hold anyone to account without fear or favour no matter how highly placed and the entire nation hold the agency to high esteem, but due to persistent allegation by federal government without substance, almost anyone, including internet fraudsters now find it convenient to question EFCC’s credibility.
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-January 09, 2024 @ 17:52 GMT|
Tags: EFCC Kwara Must Change Moyosore Yusuf President Bola Ahmed Tinubu
