‘It’ll preserve its integrity’ — Anti-corruption coalition asks Buhari to sanitise EFCC

Over 120 frontline anti-corruption civil society coalition groups have asked President Muhammadu Buhari to sanitise the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to preserve its integrity.

During a meeting on Friday to round off its week-long protest, the anti-corruption coalition lamented what it described as “politicisation of the anti-graft commission and violation of human rights”.

The coalition also gave the inspector-general of police a seven-day ultimatum to effect the court order that committed the chairman of the commission to prison for contempt.

Ayodeji Ologun, spokesperson for the Transparency and Accountability Group, said the commission’s chairman could not appeal the contempt ruling without first obeying the order.

He said the politicisation of the agency was evident in the slant of its operations, noting that series of petitions were piled up unattended to at the offices of the commission across the country.

“When Bawa was still learning, many of us here were already at the barricades fighting for democracy and the office he is enjoying today. Back then, nobody paid us to fight for justice. Whoever is saying we were paid to do this must be thoroughly examined. We are strictly activists, not political jobbers,” Declan Ihehaire, director, Activists for Good Governance, said.

“We are saying President Buhari should sack Bawa and if he doesn’t sack him, we are sure that whoever is coming on board, come May 29, 2023, will listen to us.”

The anti-corruption coalition also asked Buhari to immediately put machineries in motion to sanitise the commission so that the war against criminals and corrupt elements in Nigeria would make a meaning.

“For one week, we have, as a coalition, embarked on a sustained agitation for the removal of the chairman of the commission. The coalition, comprising of over 120 active organisations, has been able to sustain this, despite sponsored blackmail, intimidation and campaign of calumny,” Olufemi Lawson, spokesperson for the Coalition of Anti-corruption Organisations, said.

“Today, we have invited selected leaders of our various organisations to further press home our demand under an atmosphere of engagement with some more stakeholders, whom we have also invited to be part of us today.”