The Chairman-designate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Abdulrasheed Bawa, has been promoted to Chief Detective Superintendent on Grade Level 14 without regard for public service rules.
According to SaharaReporters, Bawa’s promotion was backdated to March 2020 to correct the error occasioned by his nomination by President Muhammadu Buhari.
It was also gathered that Bawa did not undergo any promotion examination or appraisal before he was promoted.
Recall that Buhari on Tuesday forwarded a letter to the Senate calling on the lawmakers to confirm Bawa as the Chairman of EFCC.
According to documents seen by SaharaReporters, the Kebbi born detective was recruited into EFCC in 2004/2005 and has only spent 16 years in service and on Grade Level 13.
Meanwhile, the EFCC (Establishment) Act, Section 2a (ii)(iii) says the chairman to be appointed should “be a serving or retired member of any government security or law enforcement agency not below the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police or equivalent; and possess not less than 15 years cognate experience.”
Such equivalence in the EFCC is Grade Level 15, while Bawa is on Grade Level 13.
A source within the commission told the news platform that the chairman-designate has been promoted from Deputy Chief Detective Superintendent to Chief Detective Superintendent on Grade Level 14, with his promotion letter backdated to March 2020.
“The agency, acting on an order from above, to correct the error occasioned by Bawa’s nomination just promoted him and backdated his promotion to March 2020.”
“Now the person who carried out the promotion had no mandate to do so because he too was never designated as acting chairman.”
“But they were not that clever; Bawa was on Grade Level 13; they promoted him illegally to Grade Level 14. But with his level, he can’t constitutionally become EFCC chairman. So, his confirmation by the National Assembly will still be a violation of the EFCC Establishment Act,” a source told SaharaReporters.