…Rallies Support For Bawa, Agency
A pan-Yoruba socio-cultural group, the Yoruba Interactive Network, YIN, has applauded the commitment and courage of the present chairman of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC, Mr. Abdulrasheed Bawa, particularly, since he was appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari on February 16, 2021.
YIN made the remarks in a statement, titled ‘In Defence of Truth, Justice and Everlasting Values,’ and signed by the National Coordinator and General Secretary, Akin Abosanyin, Esq, and Comrade Nasokhare Emie, respectively, at the end of its interactive session, held on Sunday, March 12, 2023.
The Network stated that “the EFCC as revealed by our investigative team, has achieved tremendous achievements under Bawa’s leadership in exposing corrupt activities in the country both in the government and private circles and since then he has not relented.”
The statement added, “Under the leadership of Mr. Abdulrasheed Bawa, the agency has been able to clearly define strategy to include a new direction in organization’s system of justice administration, particularly, which has enhanced speedy trials in most of the on-going criminal and corrupt prosecutions, secured conviction that involved high ranking private citizens and the political class involving also their internal conduit pipes.”
It averred that the apparent face-off with the agency by the opposition political elites in the current war against corruption “has become a serious concern to those of us in the YIN and other well-meaning stakeholders in the Nigeria project.”
YIN therefore urged the EFCC chairman to “intensify the vigour of this campaign because the strengthening of the anti-corruption mechanism by the Buhari’s administration is hereby acknowledged by our organization.”
The statement added, “It is our urgent desire that the guiding principles and objectives of the present campaign in the mode of a national strategy has also been set clearly to enable the Nigerian people buy in and own the process just as the entire process has been towards the pursuance of each of the criminal cases without ethnic sentiments, political preferences and or exclusion for whatever consideration on the part of EFCC under Bawa’s watch.
“Under Bawa, the hitherto abandoned cases, which abound around the country has been dispensed with forthrightly and this has inspired new best wishes and goodwill among the mass of our people who are overwhelmingly in support of the fight against crimes and corrupt activities from high and low places as currently executed by the EFCC under able leadership of Mr. Bawa in particular.
“It is therefore a matter of urgent and critical imperative for us in the Yoruba Interactive Network to draw the attention of Mr President and Commander-in-chief to what has become too obvious a grand design by certain criminal elements within and outside the government to stampede and frustrate the momentum of the current on-going war against corruption in the country under the guise of rule of law, crass ethnic, religions and political sentiments, while they deploy their stolen wealth and monies both at home and abroad to mobilize the unsuspecting public along the line of their unpalatable self-desire that we shall make sure is ill-fated.
“We are prepared to lend our total support to see the anti-corruption crusade be pursued with desired vigour and independent in line with public interest as exemplified by the present chairman of EFCC.
“Above all, it is the considered opinion of the YIN tgat the strategy that Mr. Bawa put in place that has so much injured those corruptive cartel cannot advance their criminal conspiracies against the chairman hence the gathering of the wolves to engage in midnight and nocturnal meetings across the country in their bid to get rid of Mr. Bawa, an attempt that the Y.I.N is ready to resist by any means necessary.
“Finally we in the Yoruba Interactive Network hereby assure the EFCC chairman, staff, including their operatives of our total support in their current faceoff with criminal elements that has eaten deep into the fabric of our country. We are prepared to mobilize our members across the country against the evil intent of those that has been sucking the blood of our country in their attempt to heck themselves into our psych particularly when and where the fundamental rights of citizen Abdul-Rasheed Bawa are infringed upon.
“So, we therefore call on Mr. President to turn deaf ears to the cock crows of these day light saints and devils in the night cartels. We are in the defence of truth, justice and lasting values as demonstrated by the EFCC under the leadership of Mr Bawa.
“The War against Corruption is a tasking national issue, and the EFCC, ICPC and all other anti-graft agencies must be supported for our nation to thrive while corruption is subdued.”
