Bawa: Arewa Youths Hail Tinubu’s Swift Action, Want EFCC Overhauled, Express Confidence In Acting Chair Chukkol
Youths of Northern Nigeria, otherwise known as Arewa youths, under the aegis of the the Arewa Youths Consultative Forum have expressed deep appreciation for the swift action taken by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of Nigeria in suspending the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Abdulrasheed Bawa, indefinitely and ordering thorough investigation of the activities of the anti-graft agency under his watch, expressing confidence in the ability of the Acting EFCC Chairman, Abdulkarim Chukkol.
The youths in a statement signed by the National President of AYCF, Yarima Shettima, said the former EFCC Chairman is believed to be widely compromised.
According to the Arewa Youths, the “move by Mr President is 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.”
The youths attributed extreme corruption under the Muhammadu Buhari administration to “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, the Northern youths said that they “are also of the view 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.”
They added that “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.
“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.
“This 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.
“Another principal collaborator in Bawa’s serial atrocities that also needs to be investigated is the Chairman, Monitoring Unit 1, Abuja, Shehu Ala.
“With regards to the fate that befell Bawa, we consider 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.
“He is also on record as having indulged in flamboyant lifestyle that involved expensive family trips abroad at will.
“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 we once again hail the government action against corrupt practices and officers with corrupt tendencies, we pray that the likes of Bawa shall never again be entrusted with positions of responsibility only to end up letting down the youth constituency”, the Northern youths stated.
Meanwhile, the youths equally expressed abiding faith, that “in view of his upbringing and eminent legal background, the acting chairman of the EFCC, Abdulkarim Chukkol, cannot afford to disappoint the nation and would pursue the war against corruption with decency and decorum in accordance with the rule of law.”
