By Usman Babayo II
That erstwhile EFCC Chairman Bawa was suspended, arrested and detained a short while after Emefiele, the CBN Governor less than a month in the life of the Tinubu Administration is no news anymore.
What remains the subject of contention thus far are reasons for their ordeals since none of them has been officially charged to court and their indictment read out to them. The authorities insist that the two are still being investigated.
To any discerning observer however, the former CBN Governor had it coming given the fact that attempts were made even in the life of the PMB Administration to arrest him on charges of ‘Terrorism Financing’ until he allegedly was granted respite at the very top, followed closely by the ‘cashless debacle’ engineered by the Apex Bank under his leadership on the eve of the 2023 Elections.
In the case of Bawa however, it is public knowledge that as the anti – corruption Tsar, he had not only arrested and detained a removed Minister of Power in the outgone dispensation, he was also said to have invited the former Ministers of Women Affairs, Police Affairs, Aviation, the HAGF and Minister of Justice to report to the agency to answer to series of allegations made against them over their affairs in office.
According to pundits, even the ‘all – powerful’ Tunde and nephew to former President Buhari – who is understood to have ‘gone on posting to Australia’ in the diplomatic service as Assistant Director of NIA – was not left out. All these to me were right and valid in line with his position as Chairman of the EFCC.
Since his suspension, arrest and detention however, the question that has agitated the minds of many Nigerians is: WHY? Some have been to town with suggestions that he is accused of being in cahoots with the former CBN Governor in the cashless policy misadventure.
The question is who are the others and what about them? Others are of the opinion that he had stepped on some powerful toes – among whom are the all – powerful governors who have ears of President Tinubu.
There is no gain at this point asserting that from inception to date, no chairman of the anti – graft agency has served out his or her tenure in full and departed with accolades. Each and everyone of them had left under one cloud or another. So it is easy to just mark this as just the ‘norm’ playing out.
Now I am NOT a sympathiser of the most recent holder of that office to be so disgraced. Neither of course a hater. But as a Nigerian and believer in rule of law, justice and fairness, I submit that the matter of Bawa should be tackled expeditiously so that justice shall not only be done, but must be seen to have been done. This is in the interest of not only the accused, but to assure us Nigerians that the fight against corruption is on course.
As far as I can see right now, methinks Abdulrashid Bawa may be facing a backlash from strongmen of yesterday. He may in an attempt either to continue to pursue his constitutional mandate or in an attempt to ‘curry continuity’ with the new administration touched the same ‘Villa Cabal’ that were alleged to have held MB hostage in the 8 years that he served as President and Commander in Chief. Including the former HAGF and Minister of Justice who we understand not only recommended him for the position, but also facilitated his appointment. Only an open, credible and factual handling of this matter under law shall convince the citizens of the TRUTH.
Finally, it must be asserted that we Nigerians can only begin to see real progress when we build strong institutions guided by law to work for all of us according to set rules towards enhancing development for the common good.
Our propensity to look at issues only through our primordial prisms only ensure that energy is dissipated over non – issues while the matter of building a strong, virile society of our dream – that we love to appreciate and even respect anytime we ‘japa’. And one sure way to begin to make this paradigm shift possible is to begin to dig into matters that affect at all levels, and insist that things must be done according to law.
