The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mr Abdulrasheed Bawa, has denied the allegation that he sold seized trucks in the custody of the Port Harcourt 
zonal office of the agency.
He stated this while being questioned by the Senate during his screening on Wednesday.
No fewer than 19 senators asked Bawa questions ranging from his qualification to lead the agency and issues about the sale of seized property in EFCC custody when he was head of the Port Harcourt zonal office.
The Senate, after a two-hour session, confirmed his appointment.
Bawa’s nomination has been dogged by a number of petitions and litigations.
His accusers hinged their action on a case of alleged theft yet to be addressed by him and the fact that his rank was too low to head the EFCC according to the Act.
While denying the allegations before the Senate, Bawa said, “Anybody that is familiar with the processes and workings of the EFCC would know that even the executive chairman of the EFCC doesn’t have the powers to dispose of a single asset.
“That responsibility lies with the office of the secretary of the commission.
“I am starting from that end to confirm to Nigeria and this (Senate) chamber that I, as the zonal head of the EFCC, never for once, sold a single asset in Port Harcourt. I never did.”
Bawa also told the Senators that he was eminently qualified to head the agency.
He said, “I am qualified to be the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. The provisions of the Constitution are very clear.
“It says that the person to be so appointed as chairman should be a serving or retired security or law enforcement personnel or officer.
“The question is, ‘am I a law enforcement officer?’ Yes I am. This is because the provisions of Section 8 (5) states that officers of the EFCC in the discharge of their duties have all the powers, authorities, privileges and immunities of the police officer.
“We have been trained as law enforcement officers to arrest, detain and testify against suspects in court. In that regard, I am eminently qualified.
“The second issue is that the officer to be so nominated must have 15 years’ cognate experience in law enforcement.
“I have been in EFCC since 2004 till date. I am well over 15 years as a law enforcement officer.”
Bawa said he would carry out a review of the agency to determine whether the police officers there would be retained or returned to the barracks.
He also said he had a smooth relationship with his former boss, Magu.
According to him, Magu called to congratulate him when he was nominated to the position by the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), last week.
The nominee said he was never arrested by the former acting chairman, adding that he still kept in touch with other predecessors of the anti-graft agency.
He was accompanied to the Senate chambers by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters, Senator Babajide Omoworare, some federal and Kebbi State lawmakers, family and friends.
The Deputy Senate President, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, said he was impressed with the “eloquent presentation” of Bawa, adding that he showcased his brilliance.
‘Senate should have proved allegation further’
Meanwhile a former President, Committee for the Defence of Human Rights, Malachy Ugwummadu, said he was not surprised by Bawa confirmation.
He said, “The confirmation did not come to me as a surprise considering the already established pattern of confirmatory proceedings particularly with this 9th Senate.
“I am unable to confirm or repudiate the allegations but it’s difficult for me to imagine that the Senate didn’t seek to ascertain the veracity of the allegations before the confirmation.”
Similarly, the Abuja Coordinator of the Movement for Socialist Alternative, Dimeji Macaulay, said, “I think the confirmation of the EFCC new boss again reveal that the Buhari regime isn’t ready to fight corruption wholeheartedly.”
Im afraid Malami won’t let Bawa succeed- Sagay
However, the Chairman, Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN), says he is afraid that the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), will interfere in the duties of Bawa, and prevent him from succeeding.
Sagay said this during an interview on Wednesday while reacting to Bawa’s confirmation by the Senate.
The PACAC chairman, who was a staunch supporter of former acting Chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, said Malami must not be allowed to directly control the activities of the EFCC as this could derail the anti-corruption war of the Federal Government.
The senior advocate, who had in 2019 led a delegation to the Senate to push for Magu’s confirmation, stated that Malami had become too powerful.
On the independence of the EFCC, Sagay said, “This issue is a very big question because I noticed that that they both come from the same state of Kebbi and they may even be related. For me, that is not a very healthy thing because the chairman of the EFCC and the EFCC are supposed to be independent.
“They are not politicians, they are trained security officers. The attorney-general is a politician who has all the weaknesses and loads of a politician. He has people he is obliged to. He has people who are close to him. Some of them may be criminals who might have committed crimes. In fact, some of them may deliberately do things because they think they know the attorney-general.
“So, in such a situation, if Bawa is related to the attorney-general, then there will be a problem because he will not be able to do his job freely because the attorney-general will certainly interfere. He has already indicated his tendency to interfere in both the EFCC and the ICPC with the regulations he purported to make months ago. So, I am not comfortable at all that the possibility that they might be related.”
The PACAC chairman maintained that Malami had never been inclined to support the independence of anti-graft agencies.
“So, inasmuch as the removal of Magu to me looks unsatisfactory, we have to move on and if he is as good as his credentials indicate, then I think the future looks promising for the EFCC.”
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