The suspension of EFCC Chairman Abdulrasheed Bawa did not come as a surprise to the organisation, according to Mr. Auwal Rafsanjani, the head of Transparency International in Nigeria.
In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday, Rafsanjani—who is also the organization’s executive director—made this statement.
Recall that the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) released a statement on Wednesday, the day after President Bola Tinubu stated the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) had been suspended.
Bawa was put on administrative leave due to “weighty allegations of abuse of office” that were made against him.
”The suspension did not come to us by surprise, this is because of the way and manner the previous regimes or governments have always removed the EFCC leaders when they come into power.
”For this development, with regard to the removal of the EFCC chairman, we believe that already we knew that he was going to be removed because of so many political interests and changes that can happen,” TI said.
He said that Tinubu might not likely retain Bawa because of how he was appointed and his affiliation.
”He will want to get rid of anything that has to do with that.
”Also there are some political interests, some politicians associated with the government also have issues with the current suspended EFCC chairman and therefore they are likely not to be comfortable to have him there,” the group added.
Rafsanjani stated that ”the EFCC office has been unnecessarily made to be too much political.
”Therefore, it is making it difficult to do what ordinarily government agency is supposed to do.
”So, we need to look at it from that context and from that perspective, so I’m not surprised.”
Rafsanjani, however, said that ”what is important is that we must insist and demand that the anti-corruption and the good work of agencies, including EFCC must continue in the country.”
He also advised the government to look beyond politics in appointing the next chairman of EFCC.
“In appointing the next one, I think first and foremost, lets make that office to be a technical professional office,” he stated.