By Yemi Adebowale

I just laughed when Buhari’s anti-corruption adviser, Itse Sagay, said he was worried about the influence the Attorney-General of the Federation/Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, may have on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission under the leadership of its new chair, Abdulrasheed Bawa. Sagay, who is the chair of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption is uncomfortable with the fact that Malami and Bawa share the same state of origin, a development which he said would not augur well for the smooth operations of the nation’s flagship anti-corruption agency.

Sagay said his fear was further based on Malami’s antecedents of attempting to control the EFCC: “This issue is a very big question because I noticed that they both come from the same state of Kebbi and they may even be related. For me, that is not a very healthy thing because the chairman of the EFCC and the EFCC are supposed to be independent.”

I believe Bawa and Malami coming from the same state is not the main problem with this appointment. It is about our attorney general finally enthroning his stooge as EFCC Chairman. Unlike Sagay, I am not worried one bit, because I am not expecting anything special from Bawa. With his appointment, Malami has now taken full and direct charge of the EFCC. This attorney general of our country influenced the sack of Ibrahim Magu and single-handedly brought in Bawa. This is an open secret. Bawa is Malami’s boy and would report to him on a day to day basis. What we now have in the EFCC is a paddy paddy arrangement with an eaglet chairman. Malami is now running the show. Buhari’s broken vessel called war against corruption has now been cremated.

Originally published at Thisday