HURIWA TO BUHARI: Appoint capable hand outside politics to lead EFCC

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, has charged the federal government to appoint a capable hand devoid of politics to lead the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The rights group which made the call in a statement issued on Wednesday by its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, suggested that the next EFCC boss, should be someone who will take the commission out of politics.

HURIWA which issued the statement in reaction to the arrest of Ibrahim Magu, lamented that the EFCC under his (Magu’s) leadership was politicized.

According to Onwubiko: “This EFCC under Ibrahim Magu did nothing when the late Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Abba Kyari came under series of accusations of collecting huge bribes from MTN and allegedly engaging in many cases of frauds and contract scams.

“EFCC has watched as the National Social Investment Scheme under the Presidency failed to account for how over N500 billion budgetary releases were spent just as there are allegations that ghost beneficiaries were paid the social INVESTMENT PROGRAMME MONEY without any iota of accountability and transparency.

“The National Emergency Management Agency was embroiled in widespread corruption running into several billions in which the name of the Vice President was mentioned but this EFCC looked the other way and watched as the disgraced Director General of NEMA destroyed NEMA before he was fired.

“HURIWA has, therefore, decided to ask the President to reorganize the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and appoint a capable hand to pilot the affairs of EFCC devoid of politics,” he concluded.