Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC), Itse Sagay has criticized the confirmation of the appointment of newly appointed chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Abdulrasheed Bawa by the senate.
Sagay in an interview with Punch, noted that Bawa and the Attorney-General of the Federation Abubakar Malami are both from Kebbi state and might even be related, stated that it is not a healthy thing because the chairman of the EFCC and the EFCC are supposed to be independent.
He added that 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.
Sagay said;
“This issue is a very big question because I noticed 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.”
Sagay also raised an alarm of AGF Malami wielding too much power which has increased over the years.
He further said that though he does not know the newly-appointed chairman of the EFCC on a personal level, he is however impressed by his curriculum vitae and background.
He added;
“Malami has never been inclined to allow the anti-corruption agencies to operate freely. He is always sitting on their neck one way or the other.
“I have complained about that several times and nothing has happened. In fact, he has become more powerful. So, I will not be comfortable if they are related. I don’t want any outside influence on the EFCC or the ICPC.”