The chairpersons of EFCC have always left office on an unflattering note.
President Bola Tinubu, in his first 16 days in office, ordered the suspension of the chairperson of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission , Abdulrasheed Bawa, in a sweep that earlier saw the suspension of the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria , Godwin Emefiele.
It mostly comes with change in power in the presidency, and it does not matter if the new president comes from the same party as the old. Successive EFCC chairpersons have faced varying degrees of unsavory exit in the hands of a new government, and sometime during the administration of the same president.
This began with the pioneer chair of the agency, Nuhu Ribadu. From Mr Ribadu to Farida Waziri, Ibrahim Lamorde, and now Mr Bawa, none of the substantive chairpersons stayed till the last day of their tenure in office for a modest valedictory.Many have wondered if Mr Tinubu’s action suspending the EFCC’s chairperson which the law confers with some guarantee of tenure, violated the law establishing the EFCC.
The lawyer, however, clarified that the law provides for removal of the EFCC chairman not “an indefinite suspension.” Although Mr Ubani said there is no provision in the law establishing the EFCC that gives room for suspension from office, “the rule is that if you have power to appoint, then you have the power to suspend, especially when there is an allegation of malfeasance against the person,” he added.
Weighing in on the circumstances that threw up Mr Bawa as the commission’s substantive head in 2021, where he enjoyed the Attorney-General’s tacit backing, Mr Ogunye said Mr Bawa’s suspension was expected. In his assessment, Mr Ubani questioned the propriety of the SSS investigation of Mr Bawa when the police with their statutory mandate could have done the job.
Here is the timeline of the seven substantive and acting chairpersons that have led the EFCC since inception about 20 years ago.Nuhu Ribadu was appointed by then President Obasanjo as the first chairperson of the EFCC in 2003. He completed his first tenure of four years in office. Before leaving office in May 2007, Mr Obasanjo reappointed Mr Ribadu for a second term in office.
Her appointment as EFCC boss reportedly had the backing of some former governors, including Bukola Saraki of Kwara State, James Ibori of Delta State and George Akume of Benue State .Mr Ibori wielded enormous powers during the Yar’Adua regime, and reportedly was instrumental in Mr Ribadu’s unceremonious removal from the EFCC.
She had also alleged that she was victimised for refusing to contribute money for Mr Jonathan’s election in 2011. The approval was sequel to a 12 January letter from President Jonathan requesting the parliament okay Mr Lamorde for the job in accordance with the law establishing the anti-graft agency. In February 2016, the Senate authorised its Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, to issue a warrant of arrest on Mr Lamorde over the alleged heist.Four months after taking the reins of power, Mr Buhari sacked Mr Lamorde, andThe turbulence that awaited Mr Magu reared its head when the Senate under the leadership of Bukola Saraki, refused to confirm him as substantive chairman of the agency.
But the EFCC czar enjoyed the support of Itse Sagay, a professor of law, and chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption .
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