Fight against corruption will be intelligence-driven, says Bawa

Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Abdulrasheed Bawa, on Friday March 5 officially assumed duties and promised to lead the organisation that would be proactive and intelligence-driven in its investigations.

He said he would create a full-fledged directorate of intelligence that would spearhead intelligence gathering, which would ensure proactive response in the fight against corruption.

He said, “We are going to digitalise our processes, and we are going to create a new full-pledged directorate of intelligence to enable us to gather intelligence so that we will be proactive in our fight against economic and financial crimes. And by so doing, we will also provide the government with necessary quality advice that will lead to good governance.”

The new EFCC boss reiterated that there would be a paradigm shift in the agency’s approach to anti-graft war, from fighting corrupt persons to fighting corruption.

“There is a difference between fighting corruption and fighting corrupt people. And going forward, we are going to be proactive in our approach in the fight against economic and financial crimes,” he said.

He assured stakeholders of continued partnership.

“For our strategic partners across the shores of this country, we will continue to work together with you. We will continue to share intelligence, to see that the stolen wealth of this country is returned for the betterment of us all.

“But all of these, we will be doing it the way the EFCC is known to be doing its things. The provision of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, extent laws of the country have always been and will always be our guide,” he said.

Bawa said he would also prioritise staff welfare, adding that he would work on it, and ask the government for necessary support.

“We know the problems and God willing, we are going to solve these problems,” he said.

Earlier in his handing over remarks, the outgoing acting chairman of the commission, Mohammed Umar Abba, congratulated Bawa for a well-deserved appointment and wished him well in his new assignment.

“I am particularly delighted to be handing over the affairs of the commission to Bawa. He is an officer with whom I have enjoyed close working relationship and who contributed immensely to our collective efforts in the war against economic and financial crimes.

“I have no doubt that he will do well and I enjoin all staff to accord him the same support that I have received over the last seven months.”

Umar also disclosed that under his watch as acting chairman, the commission prosecuted 804 cases and obtained a total of 583 convictions.