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Youth Council Calls for Speedy Confirmation of Bawa as EFCC Chairman

Published

4 years ago

17/02/2021

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

The Nigerian Senate has been urged not to delay the screening and confirmation of Mr Abdulrasheed Bawa as the substantive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

On Tuesday, President Muhammadu Buhari nominated Mr Bawa as the new head of the country’s anti-corruption agency. He is to replace Mr Ibrahim Magu, who occupied the position for about five years in an acting capacity.

Reacting to the development, the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), through a statement signed by its president, Mr Solomon Adodo, commended the President for picking the 40-year-old “world-class crime buster” to lead his anti-corruption campaign as it is the “biggest masterstroke” in his administration’s effort to crush the monster called corruption.

They said the next step would be for the upper chamber of the parliament to confirm his appointment so as to enable him to get the ball rolling.

They appealed the Senate to “immediately screen and approve the nomination of Mr Abdulrasheed Bawa,” adding that, “We shall be mobilizing our members to the National Assembly within the next seven days to press home our point.”

The youth council emphasised that the services of Mr Bawa are “greatly needed to advance the fight against corruption in Nigeria as his appointment “signals a positive turn in the war against corruption” and must therefore be urgently considered for approval by the Senate.

It said Mr Bawa’s appointment was not only a great win for Nigerian youths but goes further to remind young Nigerians to always be prepared to take the position of leadership.

“We have diligently looked through the untainted records of this great and young compatriot who has risen through the ranks of the EFCC.

“No one can better understand the workings of the commission than a young officer who has spent all his career years within the establishment beginning from the point where the commission was set up with its unique mandate to halt the negative tide of financial crimes.

“It is imperative to stir to the memory of all discerning observers that Mr Bawa has been strongly averse to any act of corruption or financial crime, he has fought with all determination against this hydra-headed monster even at the risk of threats to his life, unfounded attempts to blackmail him and several concerted smear campaigns against this world-class crime buster.

“Mr Abdulrasheed Bawa has been assigned several sensitive investigations to head including the Diezani Allison-Madueke case between 2015 to Date which resulted in the recovery of millions of Dollars worth of properties in Nigeria, U.K., U.S.A, and U.A.E including 92 properties in Nigeria; the Atlantic Energy Group case between 2014 to 2015 where he recovered millions of Dollars worth of properties in Nigeria, UK, USA, Switzerland, UAE and Canada; the highly controversial Crude Oil Swaps and OPA case between 2014 to 2015, again he recovered Billions of Naira for the Federal Government putting an end to haemorrhagic loss revenue.

“Through diligent investigation, Mr Bawa was able to unearth the Petroleum Subsidy Fraud between 2012 and 2015 N70 billion, recovered billions and several companies were prosecuted duly.

“It may be recalled that several men hitherto identified as men of integrity (including Members of the House of Representatives) could not resist the massive bribes and inducement from the subsidy cabal, Mr Bawa, however, remained unbent and rather put the nation first.

“At all his duty posts, the records bear it clear that the sole and singular focus of this fearless fighter against corruption has been to ensure that all traces of financial crimes are identified, exposed and suffocated,” the group said.

The group noted that Bawa’s years of experience and training by global institutions such as the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), United States Financial Crime Enforcement Network (FinCEN), the World Bank and the United Nations Office of Drug and Crimes, amongst others, could not have escaped the eyes of any employer seeking a competent hand to head to the anti-graft agency.

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Modupe Gbadeyanka

Modupe Gbadeyanka is a fast-rising journalist with Business Post Nigeria. Her passion for journalism is amazing. She is willing to learn more with a view to becoming one of the best pen-pushers in Nigeria. Her role models are the duo of CNN's Richard Quest and Christiane Amanpour.

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General

British Council Hosts Going Global Africa Conference in Abuja

Published

2 hours ago

13/01/2025

Business Post Contributor

The British Council, a UK-based organization dedicated to fostering cultural relations and educational opportunities, hosted the Going Global Africa Conference 2024.

The event, which took place from November 26 to 28 at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja, was themed Building Sustainable and Relevant Tertiary Education Institutions and Systems in Africa.

It brought together policymakers, academics, industry leaders, and youth advocates to address critical issues in tertiary education across the continent.

At the opening session, which spotlighted youth aspirations and actionable strategies to bridge the gap between tertiary education and workforce demands, the Minister of Education, Mr Olatunji Alausa, unveiled the Nigerian Educational Sector Renewal initiative, a six-pillar agenda aimed at modernising the education system.

The session, titled The Future is Now: Realising the Vision of Africa’s Youth, was used by him to emphasised the importance of STEM and vocational training.

According to him, one of his takeaways from the opening plenary session is starting up student-led ventures, a good initiative the government would take on.

Throughout the three-day event, critical sessions explored the role of partnerships and innovation in strengthening tertiary education.

Another session titled Maximising Impact through Tertiary Education Partnerships, chaired by Prof. Sir Steve Smith, examined frameworks for sustainable education partnerships.

Also, at another session, Transitioning to the World of Work, led by Femi Taiwo, Founding Partner of F.I.T. Africa, delved into career-readiness strategies and the systems required to prepare graduates for industry demands.

Contributors such as Prof. Colin Riordan from the Association of Commonwealth Universities and Ms. Nadia Waggie from the University of Cape Town enriched these discussions with their expertise.

The conference also included a variety of focused sessions and panels, such as Learning Labs on technology integration, employability, and international research partnerships. Discussions highlighted access to education for marginalized groups, including women and persons with disabilities, with sessions such as Disability Inclusion in Tertiary Education led by Prof. Tracy Bhamra and featuring disability rights advocates.

Business Post reports that the conference coincided with the British Council’s 80th anniversary in Nigeria, celebrating decades of impactful partnerships in education.

“Hosting this conference in Sub-Saharan Africa underscores our commitment to fostering sustainable partnerships and innovation in education,” the Regional Director for Sub-Saharan Africa at the British Council, Lucy Pearson, remarked.

The event concluded with a renewed commitment to bridging the skills gap in Africa’s tertiary education.

The Acting Country Director for the council, Chilufya Besa, said, “By bringing together industry stakeholders, we have made significant progress in aligning education with workforce needs.”

General

Thailand Gifts Nigeria 32-Tonne Rice Shipment to Tackle Food Crisis

Published

5 hours ago

13/01/2025

Adedapo Adesanya

By Adedapo Adesanya

Nigeria has received a 32-tonne shipment of rice from Thailand as part of foreign relief to tackle escalating hunger and food insecurity.

The shipment, the first of its kind in a decade, has arrived in Lagos, according to DUCAT, the logistics company that facilitated its delivery.

The rice from Thailand was exported following Nigeria’s decision to implement a tariff moratorium on wheat, corn, rice, and other food crops last year, DUCAT revealed.

Although the duty waiver was introduced, purchases have largely been cautious, driven by concerns about its potentially harmful impact on local producers.

“Nigeria has been working hard to find solutions to broaden and strengthen its food supply accessibility,” DUCAT Chief Executive Officer, Mr Adrian Beciri said in a statement.

Several months ago, Nigeria unveiled a set of measures to combat soaring food inflation, which is rising at its fastest rate in three decades.

According to the last inflation update, food inflation reached 39.93 per cent year-on-year in November from 39.16 per cent the previous month in October 2024, caused by price rises for staples such as rice, maize, bread, potatoes and cooking oil.

Inflation quickened sharply in the second half of 2023 after President Bola Tinubu devalued the Naira and cut petrol and electricity subsidies to try to lift economic growth and shore up public finances.

Inflation has still not let up as it remained at 34 per cent as of November.

Many of the policies have failed to materialise including a 180-day window to allow duty-free imports of wheat, corn, and other critical food crops— a move promised would crash food prices.

A survey of market prices by Business Post indicates that food prices remained elevated during the last Christmas period.