President Bola Tinubu’s recent suspension of the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa, didn’t come to many Nigerians as a surprise. The suspension was to allow for proper investigations into Bawa’s conduct while in office, especially with regard to allegations of abuse of office. He was directed to hand over the affairs of his office to the Director of Operations in the Commission pending the conclusion of investigations.
There were insinuations that Bawa might have been suspended because of his role in the naira redesign policy of the immediate past administration, which affected campaigns for the last general election. Certain politicians were angry over the naira swap. These politicians, including Tinubu, felt the policy was targeted at them to lose the election. Bawa had said then that he was aware of the issues surrounding the naira policy and that many politicians had amassed billions of naira outside the banking sector. The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, had earlier been suspended by President Tinubu.
The immediate past governor of Zamfara State, Bello Matawalle, had also accused Bawa of demanding $2 million bribe from him. The EFCC, which denied Matawalle’s allegation, said it was investigating Matawalle over a N70 billion fraud.
Besides, some civil society organisations (CSOs) had risen against Bawa, accusing him of a number of infractions, including incessant disobedience to court orders. They demanded that he be sacked. Bawa had defended himself, saying some politicians who felt he was too stubborn for them wanted him to go. He added that the issues they were raising were baseless.
It is pertinent to note that the EFCC was established in December 2002 by the administration of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo. The international Financial Action Task Force (FATF) on Money Laundering had put pressure on Nigeria, which is a signatory, to establish such a body. The emergence of the Commission was partly in response to that pressure.
Nevertheless, it is sad that all the past Heads of the anti-graft agency left office in controversial circumstances. Its first Chairman, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, assumed office in April 2003 but was suspended in 2007 by the late President Umaru Yar’Adua. Ribadu’s successor, Mrs. Farida Waziri, took over in June 2008. But, former President Goodluck Jonathan suspended her in November 2011 and appointed Ibrahim Larmode to replace her. The Senate confirmed Larmode’s appointment in February 2012. But, ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, who assumed power in May in 2015, sacked Larmode in November 2015. He replaced him with Ibrahim Magu. In July 2020, operatives of the DSS and the police arrested Magu on allegations of corruption. He was later suspended as acting Chairman pending the completion of investigation against him. Bawa, who was appointed by Buhari in 2021 as the Executive Chairman, happens to be the latest victim.
What all this indicates is that the EFCC is not independent. Most times, the President, who appoints the Chairman of the commission, controls its actions and determines its fate. Once a new President emerges, he sacks the Chairman and appoints someone who will likely do his bidding.
Perhaps, this explains why the Head of Transparency International in Nigeria, Mr. Auwal Rafsanjani, reportedly said he was not surprised at the suspension of Bawa. According to Rafsanjani, who is also the Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), his organisation knew he was going to be removed because of many political interests and changes that could happen. He said some politicians associated with the government had issues with Bawa and would likely not be comfortable to have him there.
Little wonder, our feeble fight against corruption has not made any serious impact on the country’s performance in the corruption perception index released annually by Transparency International. In the 2022 index, Nigeria was ranked 150 out of 180 countries assessed. The country’s low performance is partly as a result of judicial challenges, prevalence of high profile corruption and the pardon of some convicted high profile individuals like former governors Joshua Dariye of Plateau State and Jolly Nyame of Taraba State respectively.
The allegations against Bawa should not be swept under the carpet though. They should be thoroughly investigated and the findings of such investigations made public. Such investigations must also be transparent and devoid of witch-hunt or political vendetta. He should be given fair hearing. If it is established beyond doubts that he erred, then the law should take its course.
The war against corruption must be waged with renewed vigour and must be holistic in all ramifications. To make the war more effective, there is need for serious reforms of the anti-graft agencies. We must strengthen those agencies to enable them to do their work without fear or favour. We know it is not easy to fight corruption because it always fights back. But once the anti-corruption agencies know that no witch-hunt of any politician will derail their work, they will be energized more to carry out their duties effectively. There must be zero tolerance for corruption in Nigeria.