Arewa Youths Hail Suspension Of EFCC Chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa
By; KATO P. LADAN,, Kaduna
The Arewa Youths Consultative Forum (AYCF), has expressed delight with the suspension of what it called widely believed compromised Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa indefinitely by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
A statement issued in Kaduna yesteeday by AYCF National President, Yerima Shettima, said, "On behalf of the youths of Northern Nigeria, the Arewa Youths Consultative Forum wishes to express is deeply appreciation for the swift action taken by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of suspending the widely believed compromised Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Abdulrasheed Bawa indefinitely, and ordering thorough investigation of the activities of the agency under his watch."
He noted that the move by Mr President was a reassurance of his government's commitment to addressing the sceptre of endemic, widespread, corruption and political avarice that characterised the eight-year tenure of previous administration attributable to a lack of application of relevant laws against corrupt practices among officials of the regime and the apparent compromise of the EFCC under Abdulrasheed Bawa.
While welcoming the federal government action against Bawa, Yerima Shettima also viewed that it needs to extend the measure to include a total overhaul of the EFCC to flush out remnants of Abdulrasheed Bawa's accomplices entrenched in top positions of the agency.
The statement added, "As we except thorough investigations to expose and punish the extent of compromise and complicity of Bawa, it is equally expected that his major accomplices such as his Chief of Staff, Hadiza Ibrahim Gamawa, be suspended as well and subjected to investigation and subsequent prosecution."
The statement explained that there are incontrovertible facts that the children of the said Chief of Staff Gamawa who is married to a naval officer were trained in expensive foreign schools, saying that it inadvertently raises the question of the source of the funds used for such expensive training in addition to several assets owned by the said Gamawa.
It added that another principal collaborator in Bawa's serial atrocities that also needs to be investigated is the Chairman, Monitoring Unit 1, Abuja, Shehu Ala, state that with regards to the fate that befell Bawa, the forum considered it a bad lesson for the young generation of Nigerians.
"We categorically state that Bawa has been a huge disappointment for the young people of Nigeria who are supposed to be the natural claimants to the task of shaping the future of the Nigerian society. Bawa himself apart from his incompetent handling of the EFCC boss has also acquired massive assets in unexplained and suspicious circumstances that need to be investigated," the youths regretted.
The statement believed that the suspended EFCC chairman is on record as having indulged in flamboyant lifestyle that involved expensive family trips abroad at will and other incontrovertible evidences around that Bawa is majorly responsible for all the damaging economic policies pursued by the former Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele that had sunk the nation into deep crisis and brought about mass sufferings on innocent citizens.
While hailing the government action against corrupt practices and officers with corrupt tendencies, the youths prayed that the likes of Bawa shall never again be entrusted with positions of responsibility only to end up letting down the youth constituency.
