The Senate on Wednesday morning started the screening of Abdulrasheed Bawa for confirmation and appointment as the substantive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The screening is being done in the Committee of the Whole as earlier promised by Senate President, Ahmad Lawan.
Lawan had directed the Sergeant-At-Arms to ensure that the curriculum vitae of Bawa, which was available wass distributed to all Senators present ahead of the confirmation hearing.
Bawa was invited into the Senate Chambers following a motion to that effect by the Senate Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi at 11:48am.
The nominee was led into the Chambers by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Senator Babajide Omoworare.
A delegation of lawmakers from Kebbi in the House of Representatives and members of the Kebbi House of Assembly led by the Speaker were also admitted into the Senate chambers to observe the screening.
Lawan said: “This is very important for us and this country. For over six years, the EFCC has been presided over by an Acting Chairman.
The 40-year-old nominee has worked with the anti-graft agency for 16 years and is a Certified fraud examiner and anti-money laundering expert.
Bawa told the Senate that the constitution of the country will guide his actions should he be confirmed as EFCC Chairman and promised to leave the EFCC in a better place than he met it at the end of his tenure.
According to him, “We need to repatriate all our stolen assets for the benefit of Nigerians”.
He graduated from the Usmanu Danfodio University, Sokoto, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics (Second Class Upper) in 2001.
Bawa, who joined the EFCC as an Assistant Detective Superintendent (ADS) in 2004, also holds a Master’s degree in International Affairs and Diplomacy which he obtained from the same university in 2012.
He was part of the pioneer EFCC Cadet Officers, course one, 2005.
He rose through the ranks to become a Deputy Chief Detective Superindent (DCDS), a position he has been holding since 2016 up till the time of his nomination as the anti-graft agency’s substantive chairman.
He has vast investigation experience and has been part of the prosecution of advance fee fraud, official corruption, bank fraud, money laundering, and other economic and financial crimes related offences.
He will be taking over from Mohammed Umar, who has been in an acting capacity since July 2020 after the suspension of Ibrahim Magu over allegations of gross misconduct.
President Muhammadu Buhari on February 16 had asked the Senate to confirm Bawa as substantive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
In a letter to the President of the Senate, Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan, the President said he was acting in accordance with Paragraph 2(3) of Part1, CAP E1 of EFCC Act 2004.
The statement added that Bawa is “a trained EFCC investigator with vast experience in the investigation and prosecution of Advance Fee Fraud cases, official corruption, bank fraud, money laundering, and other economic crimes.”
He is said to have undergone several specialised training in different parts of the world and was one of the pioneer EFCC Cadet Officers in 2005.
