By ADEYEMI ADELEYE

Frontline Anti-corruption Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) on Tuesday, submitted a petition to the Lagos State House of Assembly, as their protest for removal of the EFCC Chairman, Mr Abdulrasheed Bawa entered day four.

The coalition of CSOs, which began a weeklong protest in Ikeja on Sunday, on Tuesday took the protest to the assembly and submitted a petition against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) boss.

They alleged that the EFCC under Bawa had politicised operations and had perchant for disobeying lawful court orders and infringement on human rights.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the coalition, comprising scores of anti corruption CSOs on Sunday started daily protests at Ikeja, calling for the sack of the EFCC chairman.

It would also be recalled that the Kogi High Court in Lokoja on Feb. 5, ordered the arrest and remand of the EFCC chairman in prison for disobeying a court order.

However, EFCC had filed a motion at Court of Appeal to stop the execution of judgment of the Kogi High Court which ordered the committal of its chairman to prison for disobedience of court order.

The activists, who marched through the streets of Ikeja on Tuesday and converged on the Lagos state house of assembly, Alausa, noted that the majority of Nigerians were intelligent people, who could easily differentiate between a genuine cause by the EFCC and sponsored ones.

Fowing not to be intimidated, the protesters added that there was no going back on the call for Bawa’s removal.

A leader of the coalition and Director, Activists for Good Governance, Mr Declan Ihekaire, alleged that the activists had uncovered plans by some supposed CSOs to discredit the coalition’s genuine cause.

“We are waiting for them. We don’t expect them to fold their arms. But no amount of falsehood can cover the truth.

“We have been on this struggle for close to a week now. All what we want is for Bawa to leave that office so the commission can be sanitised.

“He that comes to equity must come with clean hands,” Ihekaire said.

According to him, there still God-fearing EFCC officials.

Spokesperson for the Transparency and Accountability Group, Mr Ayodeji Ologun, who spoke shortly after protesters arrived at the assembly, said that EFCCshould be seen to respect court orders, respect the rule of law and believe in fair hearing.

Ologun said: “What we are agitating against is his disobedience of the courts and the brazen politicisation of the EFCC.

“The IGP should immediately effect his arrest in line with the court ruling.

“Before Bawa can appeal against a court order sending him to prison, he must obey the order first. This is settled in law.

“Recently, the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, directed ASUU to first comply with an order of the National Industrial Court (NIC) directing them to suspend their strike before their appeal could be heard.

“Also, just last week, the EFCC itself arrested a senator for refusing to go to prison after he was sent there by the Federal High Court. This is despite his appeal against his sentence.”

“Appeal or no appeal, Bawa must report to Kuje prison. His appeal can’t be heard until he complies with the valid court ruling sending him to prison.”

He disclosed that the CSO leaders were at the assembly to submit a petition on Bawa’s disobedience of court orders and the politicisation of the EFCC to the National Assembly through the Speaker of the state assembly.

Another activist, Mrs Funmilayo Ajayi of the Community Women Initiative, added: “All we are telling him is obey our courts, let us preserve the integrity of our legal system.

“If the head of a frontline anti-corruption agency is being controlled by a few people in the political space, and he is breaking the law with impunity, it portends danger for our democratic system and the wellbeing of the society at large.”

The ‘Bawa Must Go’ protests are being led by the Chairman, Centre for Anti-corruption and Open Leadership (CACOL), Mr Debo Adeniran; Executive Director, Centre for Public Accountability, Mr Olufemi Lawson; the Executive Director, Zero Graft Centre, Kolawole Sanchez-Jude; the Chairman, Coalition Against Corruption and Bad Governance, Mr Toyin Raheem; and Ahmed Balogun of Media Rights Concern.

Other activists present at the protest were Messrs Ochiaga Jude, Cletus Okedube, Johnson Areola, George Sanda, among a host of other notable activists, lawyers and women’s rights NGOs. (NAN)