Pascal Arogorn Ibe
Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has admonished the new Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (INEC), Abdulrasheed Bawa not to succumb to pressure to use the anti-graft agency to witch-hunt opposition politicians so as not to cast doubt on its credibility.
His assertion came in the wake of the Court of Appeal’s acquittal of High Chief Raymond Dokpesi, the founder of Ray Power and AIT over money laundering charges.
Atiku expressed his “joy and solidarity” with the PDP chieftain over the Court’s decision in connection with the alleged N2.1 billion money laundering charges brought against him by EFCC related to the arms contracts under former National Security Adviser Sambo Dasuki.
A statement from the former Vice President’s media office on Friday signed by Paul Ibe said he was elated with the outcome of the trial because it revealed the truth about the lopsided nature of the anti-corruption policy of the Buhari administration.
According to Atiku, “the entire anti-corruption trials appear to be focused on opposition politicians, thereby casting doubts on the credibility of the anti-graft agency.”
The former Vice President recalled that during the 2019 presidential election, the EFCC focused its time and resources on harassing and arraigning aides of opposition politicians, while it was indifferent to how members of the ruling party were financing their campaigns.
The former presidential candidate of the PDP noted that even members of the international community are now coming to terms with the reality that the anti-corruption crusade is not impartial, and that the government is now using the anti-corruption policy to contrive charges against those they want to use to advance certain political objectives.
Atiku said he was impressed with the appointment of Abdul Rasheed Bawa as EFCC chairman, but advised him to learn from the mistakes of his predecessors.
The Wazirin Adamawa reminded Bawa that his success will inevitably be determined by Nigerians and not by the government of the day and the ruling party.
“As a young man of great intellect and confidence, I’m confident that you are up to the task. You must be ready to restore the glory of the EFCC by changing its public perception as a political tool of the government in power. Let your conscience and history judge you. But you can only do so if you resist external manipulation. May Allah guide you aright,” Atiku further told Bawa.
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