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In the history of the anti-graft agency, the commission has never had a Chairman that completed his or her tenure as stipulated in the establishment act of the EFCC, they are removed on allegations mostly based on corruption.
This ethical dirt makes one wonder if Nigeria has a future of being a corruption-free country. Though the EFCC is not the only anti-graft agency in country, it has always tried to present itself as a serious anti-graft agency that is committed to flushing out corruption in the Nigerian systems. Unfortunately, this agency never had a head that spent a complete tenure without allegations.
Section 3(1) of the EFCC Act stated that “The Chairman and members of the Commission other than ex-officio members shall hold office for a period of four years and may be re-appointed for a further term of four years and no more.”
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From the pioneer chairman, Malam Nuru Ribadu, to the newly confirmed chairman, no chairman has never been fingered for corruption.
Nuru Ribadu
Ribadu, the pioneer chairman of the EFCC in 2003, was appointed by President Olusegun Obasanjo. He became the poster child of Nigeria’s attempt to redeem the country in the eyes of the international community, just a few years after its return to democracy.
Ribadu gained local and international reputation as a corruption hunter, with records of more than one thousand cases against politicians and businessmen. However, he was also criticized for being a political dog, hunting the perceived enemies of President Olusegun Obasanjo.
In December 2007, during the administration of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, he was dismissed from his position, when he was about to complete his tenure and accused of not declaring his assets. The accusation came two weeks after he tried to prosecute a powerful politician, former Delta State Governor, James Ibori.
In a publicized ousting, he was forced out of a graduation ceremony by security operatives at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, Plateau State. He was later demoted and then retired.
Farida Waziri
Farida was the second chairman of the anti-corruption agency. She was sacked by the then President Goodluck Jonathan. According to Jonathan’s spokesperson, Reuben Abati, she was removed to “revitalize the fight against corruption.”
"President Jonathan may in due course announce further reforms and will be looking at more key areas to give more vigorous emphasis to the administration's transformation agenda," Abati had said.
According to the then EFCC spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, who had spoken with AP news agency,had said that Waziri still had at least a year to serve.
Ibrahim Lamordi
Though he had earlier acted as acting chairman before Waziri, his tenure was short and was later appointed and confirmed by the Senate on February 15, 2012 as Chairman of the commission after the dismissal of his predecessor.
In 2015, Lamordi was involved in a controversy after the Nigerian Senate alleged that $5bn had gone missing at the EFCC. He was alleged by a Senate Committee, chaired by Senator Peter Nwaboshi, at the time to have diverted assets and cash recovered by the EFCC.
Subsequently, an investigative panel was set up before he was sacked by President Muhammadu Buhari on November 9, 2015.
In February 2016, the Nigerian Senate authorized its Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, headed by Senator Sam Anyanwu, to issued a warrant of arrest on Lamordi for alleged misappropriation of ₦1trn during his tenure as the head of the anti-graft agency.
Unfortunately, he was never arrested by the administration of Buhari and the allegations against him had been swept under the carpet.
Ibrahim Magu
Magu is another historic chairman of the Commission. He was the longest acting chairman of the commission, appointed in November 2015. Till he was sacked in December, 2020, the Senate never confirmed him as the Chairman of the anti-graft agency.
The Nigerian Senate rejected the nomination of Magu as Chairman of the EFCC because of a security “report” by law enforcement agencies in the country. He was also reported to have had a public spat with the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, who later wrote a petition against him and called for his sack.
On July 6, 2020, Magu was arrested by the operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Police Force, following Malami’s petition. He was driven to the Presidential Villa to answer questions on alleged corruption against him before a presidential panel led by Retired Justice Ayo Salami.
He was detained overnight and on July 7, he was suspended from his position as acting chairman of the agency, pending the completion of the investigation and was later sacked.
Unfortunately, reports of Salami’s investigation were never published for Nigerians to see, Magu was never charged for what he had been accused of and a successor was announced and confirmed by the Senate. This has been the popular trend trailing the narratives of the Chairpersons of the EFCC.
Abdurasheed Bawa
Just like Magu, Bawa became the EFCC Chairman with corruption allegations against him being overlooked. Although the young man has a robust credentials just as his predecessors, he has been accused of selling some assets recovered by the commission when he was the head of the Port Harcourt chapter of the commission.
There was a suspicion that he was a product of politics. This is based on the fact that he is a kinsman to Malami, who wrote petitions and worked toward the removal of Magu.
The Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC), Prof. Itse Sagay has also posited that Bawa might not succeed as Chairman of the commission because of the interference of Malami.
He cautioned that “This issue is a very big question because I noticed that they both come from the same state of Kebbi and they may even be related. For me, that is not a very healthy thing because the chairman of the EFCC and the EFCC are supposed to be independent.
“They are not politicians, they are trained, security officers. The attorney-general is a politician who has all the weaknesses and loads of a politician.’
The Senate even went further to defend his confirmation as Chairman of the EFCC. The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes, Suleiman Kwari, while speaking on Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’, claimed Bawa was never arrested for corruption.
When asked if his committee did a background check on the allegations before going further to confirm him, he evaded the question but insisted that the allegations against Bawa were wild allegations.
Both President Muhammadu Buhari and the Senate looked away on the allegations but one thing is certain, when Bawa starts stepping on toes to prove his competency to Nigerians, those who have overlooked the criticism against him will start probing him.
With the drama that played out in the appointment of Bawa, one thing is bound to happen. If he would adhere to the bidding of Malami as speculated, he would be silent throughout his tenure or be used against some politicians within the All Progressive Congress (APC).
This is due to the fact that all politicians are working toward 2023 ambition. Already, there are camps within the party. Thus, Bawa would be a plus to Malami’s camp and minus for whoever he is against in contesting for president in the party.
At the same time, the question of the possibility of him spending his term completely cannot be guaranteed based on the unethical dirt that surrounds his appointment and confirmation.
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