The Global Information Team recently accused the EFCC Chairman of favouritism and lopsidedness in appointment as well as postings.
The group’s allegations has been collaborated by the Oodua integrity group through Adeniyi Fashina head of public engagement.
He emphasised that the incumbent efcc chairman has overlooked the overstay of zonal directors who have been there for more than ten years moving from one zonal command to the other which is in variance with standard norms of law enforcement agencies.
Giving further clarification,Fashina said such commands includes Kaduna,Sokoto,Uyo,Lagos,Kano, and Oyo states.Investigations secretly carried out by our group indicated that Kaduna zonal director has been there for ten years same time with AbdulRasheed Bawa before Bawa became chairman and still occupies that office.Sokoto Zonal director has been there for six years,Akwa ibom zonal director has also been there for ten years.Lagos 1 zonal director has stayed for five years and Lagos 2 for seven years while Kano and Oyo state zonal directors have stayed for six and four years respectively.Most of the course mates of these mentioned zonal directors are still languishing as either sectional heads or at best heads of investigations which has killed their morales and made them unproductive and this has affected giving out the best in the fight against corruption.It is not that the zonal directors who have overstayed are in any way better than their course mates who are over hundred in numbers.Take the Armed forces and Police for instance,there is no way a GOC,FOC,AOC and Commissioner of Police will be allowed to move from one posting to the other for ten or seven years,it is impossible.Our group therefore is accusing the chairman and the entire efcc top management of breach of standard and stipulated administrative protocols as there is no level playing ground and opportunity because it is not a tenure appointment or elective office as such,rotation and periodical changing of officers and replacements helps in strengthening any organisation,enthrone performance and exchange of ideas.The irony of the whole issue is that most of these zonal directors mentioned have been there since the time the incumbent chairman was chief of staff to Magu,later commission secretary and now executive chairman.This is wrong in all ways and Mr President must look into this and call the chairman to order.There is no doubt that the justice Isa salami panel committee report recommended their removals but are still there.Even the former acting Chairman DC Garba Umar inherited them as if it is hereditary and tomorrow we say that the efcc is not winning the war against corruption.How can it be possible when the best brains who possess the qualities are not given the opportunity and allowed to sit down look as if they are lame ducks.Presently,morale of most officers in the commission is low and affecting their performance.How on earth do you ask a senior officer to take his or her annual performance evaluation report (Aper) form to his junior both from training school to passing out parade to sign?The efcc chairman must know that holding of the position of zonal director is not tenured appointment nor given by virtue of passing exams or special training as anyone can do it so we expect an holistic approach and immediate tackling of the administrative brouhaha and abracadabra.As earlier emphasised by our sister civil society organisation the global information Team,in zonal directorates,most of the heads of legal are seniors to most zonal directors overseeing zonal directorates which breaches standard rules of civil service and law enforcement agencies as well as the efcc act.It is only in efcc that you find a Grade level 15 or 16 as team leader or head of legal answerable to his or her junior as zonal director.Imagine a senior officer that administered Oath of secrecy and allegiance as a pre condition to their passing out parade in training school now being answerable to those he administered Oath of secrecy to and not that the senior officer has ever failed exams meant for promotion or has case of penality.Even in operation,the morale is weak and by implication it breeds secret animosity between colleagues,it also creates scenario where staff bootlick and become sycophantic inorder to gain favours.And this violates rules of engagements of officers of the commission.This can never happened in the police who set the pace in designing administrative chart for the commission when Obasanjo established it alongside the icpc.Some of the Zonal heads are in levels 12,13,14,15,16 and 17.Since some of them were appointed to head such offices from levels lower as level 12 and now the name has changed from zonal commanders to zonal directors,why should they still be allowed to hold such offices? It may interest Nigerians to note and hear that one Ayo Olowonihi who was pioneer commandant of the efcc training school trained AbdulRasheed Bawa as detective cadet and had to serve under same Bawa years later after he became chairman of the commission.Presently,lawyers that are seniors to the zonal directors submits their Aper forms the annual performance evaluation report forms for evaluation and assessment to the zonal directors.This is a gross anomaly which can never be practiced in even mainstream Federal ministries talk more of other law enforcement agencies but currently happening in efcc charged with the fight against corruption.
How do you expect the fights to be won when internal breaches and violations occur.President Bola Tinubu must wade into this inorder to put things right after all he appointed the incumbent chairman.
