‘A win for Nigerian youths’ — NYCN asks senate to confirm Bawa as EFCC chair

The National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) has asked the senate to ensure the speedy confirmation of Abdulrasheed Bawa as the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

On Tuesday, President Muhammadu Buhari asked the senate to confirm Bawa as the substantive chairman of the EFCC.

In a statement on Wednesday, Solomon Adodo, president of NYCN, described Bawa as a fearless fighter against corruption.

He said Bawa was able to secure 227 convictions despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Mr. Abdulrasheed Bawa’s nomination is another great win for the Nigerian Youth and has gone a great deal in unifying the youth irrespective of religious of regional inclinations, the key word now is competence to wit the youth should be prepared for leadership at all times,” Adodo said.

“Mr. Bawa is indeed a round peg in a round hole. We have diligently looked through the untainted records of this great and young compatriot who has risen through the ranks of the EFCC. No one can better understand the workings of the Commission than a young officer who has spent all his career years within the establishment beginning from the point where the Commission was set up with its unique mandate to halt the negative tide of financial crimes.

“It is imperative to stir to the memory of all discerning observers that Mr. Bawa has been strongly averse to any act of corruption or financial crime. He has fought with all determination against this hydra headed monster even at the risk of threats to his life, unfounded attempts to blackmail him and several concerted smear campaigns against this world class crime buster.

“Mr. Abdulrasheed Bawa has been assigned several sensitive investigations to head including the Diezani Allison-Madueke case between 2015 to Date which resulted in the recovery of Millions of Dollars worth of properties in Nigeria, U.K., U.S.A, and U.A.E including 92 properties in Nigeria; The Atlantic Energy Group case between 2014 to 2015 where he Recovered Millions of Dollars worth of properties in Nigeria, UK, USA, Switzerland, UAE and Canada; the highly controversial Crude Oil Swaps and OPA case between 2014 to 2015, again he recovered Billions of Naira for the Federal Government putting an end to a hemorrhagic loss revenue.

“Through diligent investigation, Mr. Bawa was able to unearth the Petroluem Subsidy Fraud between 2012 and 2015 N70 Billion, was recovered Billions of Naira and several companies were prosecuted duly. It may be recalled that several men hitherto identified as men of integrity (including Members of the House of Representatives) could not resist the massive bribes and inducement from the subsidy cabal, Mr. Bawa however remained unbended and rather put the nation first.

“At all his duty posts, the records bear it clear that the sole and singular focus of this fearless fighter against corruption has been to ensure that all traces of financial crimes are identified, exposed and suffocated. The records are unarguable that he secured 227 convictions despite the Covid-19 Pandemic thus significantly staving off financial crimes at such a critical time.”