Senate to screen new EFCC boss in plenary

The screening of Abdulrasheed Bawa, the newly appointed substantive chairman of Nigeria’ anti-graft agency, EFCC, will be done in plenary.

The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, made this known, after he read President Muhammadu Buhari’s letter to the Senate at the start of plenary on Tuesday.

In the letter, Mr Buhari communicated his decision to appoint the 40 year-old Bawa as the new EFCC boss and sought the Senate’s confirmation. The appointment, the president said, is in accordance with Paragraph 2(3) of Part1, CAP E1 of EFCC Act 2004.

The president’s media aide, Femi Adesina, who made the first announcement on Tuesday, said the nominee 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.

Although no date was announced for the screening, the nominee is expected to appear before lawmakers in the Red Chamber where they will grill him regarding his capacity to serve.

The last EFCC nominee to be screened in plenary is the suspended ex-chairman, Ibrahim Magu, by the eight Senate. Mr Magu was screened twice by the Saraki-led Senate and his nomination was rejected on both occassions on grounds that he lacked the integrity to lead the country’s anti-graft agency.