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Frontline anti-corruption activists have thrown their weight behind the stance of a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Dr OlisaAgbakoba, SAN, over what they described as the politicisation of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

According to them, the Commission’s recent actions, especially against the Kogi State Government, portray it as a “compromised political tool”.

The activists, who are leaders of various frontline anti-corruption organisations, including the Centre for Anti-corruption and Open Leadership, Centre for Public Accountability, Coalition Against Corruption and Bad Governance, Africa Labour Research Centre, and Secureworld and Liberty Initiative for Peace, among others, called on President Muhammadu Buhari, to call the EFCC to order and save the image of the government regarding its commitment to an unbiased war against corruption.

Singling out what they described as unending persecution of the Kogi State Government, the activists said the EFCC’s job was not tidy as it had given a loud impression that there was a political axe to grind with the state beyond the mandate of the Commission.

The groups made the position known in a joint statement by the Executive Chairman, Centre For Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, CACOL, Debo Adeniran; Chairman, of Secureworld and Liberty Initiative for Peace and Co-National Spokesperson of the Coalition of United Political Parties,  Mark Adebayo; Executive Director, Africa Labour Research Centre, Biodun Sowunmi; Executive Director, Centre For Public Accountability,  Olufemi Lawson, and a legal practitioner, Emeka Igwe.

Other signatories are:  Toyin Raheem, Chairman, Coalition Against Corruption and Bad Governance, CACOBAG;  Akinbiyi Omoleye, Secretary, Zero Corruption Movement, ZECOM; and  Ishola Adeshina, Kill Corruption Coalition, among others.

In the statement titled, “EFCC Must Stop Acting Like a Compromised Political Tool”, they insisted that there were numerous instances where the Commission had shown itself to be selective in its investigations, arrests and prosecutions.

Among others, they said, “We unequivocally stand with Dr. Olisa Agbakoba, SAN, in his observations and call on the EFCC to review its operational methods in a way that will not compromise its founding principle.

“It must eschew every manner of political patronage and manipulation, which are bound to destroy its public perception locally and internationally. The Kogi issue that Dr. Agbakoba, SAN, alluded to is one case too many. There is a strong suspicion that EFCC has a particular interest to cause chaos in Kogi State by its unnecessary and reprehensible fixation on the state and its affairs.

“We call on the EFCC to shed its political toga and concentrate on its constitutional mandate of fighting corruption and leave politics to politicians. We call on President Muhammadu Buhari to call the EFCC to order before it destroys the impressive achievements of President Muhammadu Buhari in the area of fighting corruption, which is acknowledged as unprecedented even by his most vehement critics.”