At the very minimum, Mrs. Farida Waziri should cease parading herself as the chairperson of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). She should also stop collecting the salary as well allowances pertaining to her office. More than that, she ought to refund the sums already paid to her to assume the challenge of fighting financial crimes.

Last week, Mrs. Waziri basically confessed that she lacks the will, skill and desire to prosecute the war against graft and sundry financial crimes. She also served notice that she’s presiding over an agency that has sabotaged the anti-graft crusade.

There’s no question that, in some quarters, Mrs. Waziri is viewed as a “hero,” a woman doing a “fantastic” job. A Yar’Adua impostor-regime that lacks the moral spine or ethical capital to stare down corruption has reason to hail this woman who is slowly, surely re-making the EFCC into a vendor of farce and comedy. There’s Obasanjo, a man who set his moral bar so low that he now lives under the blissful illusion that history is about to transport him to the pedestal of greatness. Then there are the indicted governors who, comforted by Waziri’s assurance, are sleeping a little better now. Soon their lawyers may head for courts and petition that their cases be thrown out. And why not? After all, the woman who should know has exonerated them. She has proclaimed that they stole nothing; that their prosecution was done, in the first place, out of malice.

To be sure, this Wazirian maneuver is bizarre but hardly surprising. From the outset, some of us suspected (and predicted) that Waziri’s primary task as chair of the EFCC was to emasculate and then oversee the folding up of the agency. When she grandly told the panel that screened her that she was fully willing to step on big toes, the words rang hollow. It seemed to me, in fact, that she meant the collective big toes of dispossessed Nigerians. Those who stood behind her strange appointment to head the agency seemed driven by one wish, and one wish alone: that she would accelerate the demise of the EFCC. Last week, she took a giant step towards realizing their expectation. 

She startled Nigerians with claims unbecoming of somebody who draws a salary for allegedly fighting crime. First, she stated that the agency has no case against former President Olusegun Obasanjo. Who does she think she’s kidding? Unless she was on vacation in Neptune during the House of Representatives’ hearing on the power sector; unless she slumbered in outer space while witness after witness detailed how Obasanjo bypassed due process to authorize huge payments to foreign and indigenous contractors for projects that were not executed, and probably were never meant to be executed, she would not have had the effrontery to say there’s no case against the former president.

Then, in an equally scandalous move, Mrs. Waziri “revealed” that the EFCC’s files on thirty-one former state governors contained little or no damning information. In effect, the EFCC chair let Nigerians know that the indictment of the thirty plus ex-governors was nothing more than hype.

Of course, she craftily sidestepped some questions. Did the agency ever gather the information, and if so, was it stolen? If the former was the case, then what happened to the information? If the latter, then she must tell Nigerians at what point the files were raided and emptied of documents and other evidence. At any rate, Waziri was put in at EFCC ostensibly to lead the charge in investigating quick-fingered thieves who paraded themselves as leaders. If she lacks the ability to unearth evidence of corruption against public officials who daily parade their loot in public, then it amounts to a confession of incompetence. It follows that she has no business occupying the space she does as EFCC chair. 

But let’s tell ourselves the truth: Waziri is doing a “terrific” job for her sponsors – among them, some of the governors under investigation or indictment for money laundering and other forms of abuse of public trust. I suspect she must have received calls from a lot of these former or current public officials patting her on the back for a job excellently done.

It is no secret that former Governor James Ibori of Delta and Bukola Saraki, current Kwara governor, were part of a coalition of former and serving governors who sponsored Waziri’s headship of the EFCC. Months before Mr. Umaru Yar’Adua finally appointed her, Saharareporters.com had disclosed that a number of indicted politicians were lobbying Yar’Adua to put her forward. The website also reported – and backed it up with documentation – that Waziri had in the past intervened with the anti-corruption agency on behalf of at least one indicted ex-governor.

Is it conceivable that these embattled politicians who facilitated Waziri’s appointment considered her a tough, sinewy prosecutor who will pursue their prosecution with renewed vigor and zeal? Were her sponsors remorseful felons who wanted a woman capable of seeing to it that they were sanctioned harshly? What does it say about Nigeria that it is a country where men charged with the grave crime of manipulating their offices for personal financial gain are permitted to choose the person who will investigate and prosecute them?

If Nigeria took its anti-corruption crusade with a modicum of seriousness, then it should have occurred to Yar’Adua as well as members of the National Assembly that Waziri was one person who should never have been recruited to captain the EFCC. Quite apart from her coziness with some of the people she was supposed to give hell for their alleged illicit self-enrichment, her record as a crime buster was far from impressive. In appointing her to lead the EFCC, Yar’Adua hung out a loud sign, to Nigerians and the rest of the world, that the fight against corruption had gone from the era of selectivity into that of absurd comedy.

Let’s be clear: Waziri’s predecessor, Nuhu Ribadu, was far from an exemplary head of the EFCC. Under his leadership, the agency sometimes came across as part of Obasanjo’s vindictive apparatus for witch-hunting those who stood in the way of his self-perpetuating agenda. Ribadu seemed willfully blind to the fabled corruption enacted in Rivers State under the watch of Peter Odili. Odili, a self-styled golden governor who, since leaving office, has kept away from Port Harcourt, was in Obasanjo’s graces – and so not to be touched. Ribadu also refused to see the billions of naira that Obasanjo used in a (thankfully) futile gambit to buy a third term – even if it meant raping the constitution in the process.

After Yar’Adua’s installation as occupant of Aso Rock, many of his cohorts began to make the case that Ribadu’s style of fighting corruption was selective. That argument, while unimpeachable, did not justify gutting the EFCC. If anything, it provided an opportunity for Michael Aondoakaa, Yar’Adua’s attorney general – if he was serious-minded – to begin the prosecution of those that Ribadu had chosen to spare.

At any rate, to remove Ribadu and replace him with a woman of Waziri’s deficits was a mark of Yar’Adua’s poor political judgment. With Waziri running the show, the EFCC has become a “show.” At least Ribadu brought a measure of passion to the cause of fighting corruption. Mrs. Waziri has brought, on the other hand, a commitment to turning herself into a fashionable and ostentatious figure. Ribadu successfully prosecuted Diepreye Alamieseigha and Tafa Balogun. Forget that these two men received what amounted to light slaps on the wrists. But what has Mrs. Waziri got to show for her salary and allowances? Only this: to tell Nigerians that she has no clue how to establish that a single politician stole anything from the public coffers. It’s a scandal and a shame!

If the agency beat a slight retreat from what Mrs. Waziri told the legislature, it was merely because of the groundswell of criticism from every sector of Nigeria. Does it mean that the EFCC is back to the work of fighting corruption? My hunch is that, as you read this, Mrs. Waziri is thinking up fresh ideas for making the agency disappear altogether. Nothing less would satisfy those who her big-toed sponsors. 

Robot  Villager

# 1 At the very minimum, Mrs. Farida Waziri should cease parading herself as the chairperson of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). She should also stop collecting the salary as well allo...Read the full article. Posted by Robot| 20.10.2008 19:33

ttonjo  Villager

# 2 Who says that EFCC is not performing? Below is news from PMnews that EFCC under Madam Waziri, is busy pursuing 'petty criminals' and taking them to court, while the 'BIG criminals and the nation's treasury looters' were roaming the street enjoying their ill gotten wealth. Nigeria we hail thee. It can only happen in Nigeria. It is shame, a big shame indeed, that an agency established to curtail corruption in our society is being manipulated to shield the criminals and treasury looters. The only solution to stop all these nonsense is a 'revolution.' A big one for that matter, like that of Jerry Rawlings, in Ghana. Always remember, Madam Waziri, that, 'you can fool some people sometimes, but you CANNOT fool, all the people all the time.' The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned two accused before an Ikeja High Court for conspiring to obtain money by false pretence, an offence contrary to sections 8(a) and 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act No. 13 of 1995, as amended by Act No. 62 of 1999. The accused, Ngozi Ruth Ihinegbu, a.k.a. Ruth Nwayah and Mark Eliyah Nwayah were charged with a six-count charge of obtaining money under false pretence. In his evidence, a property speculator, Mr. Sunday Ibeji, said one of the defendants, Ngozi Ruth Ihinegbu, told him that she had a property to sell at 44A, Raji Rasaki Estate, Amuwo Odofin, Lagos. He said he signified his intention to buy the property and on 25 April, 2003, he made a first payment of N1,180,000 while on 3 June, 2003, he made another payment of N1,010,000 in connection with the same property. On 19 June, 2003, the speculator disclosed that he paid another N10,000,000 in respect of the property to the accused but he refused to hand over the documents of the property to him. The complainant reported the matter to the EFCC and the accused were arrested and charged before the court. He also alleged that the defendants threatened to assassinate him and harassed his friend who took him to the EFCC. Posted by ttonjo| 20.10.2008 21:49

Ochi Dabari  Villager

# 3 Not only this evidence, ttonjo, the Vanguard reported yesterday that the EFCC will now question Nigerians living above their means. This, I suppose, will include teenagers working in petrol stations and serving as waiters in mama-put restaurants, those hawking pure water for survival, etc. Which Nigerian is living the most above his means if not C(T)hief Obasanjo? This is a man that had N20000 in 1999 but today is the richest man in the country, building new universities and schools, setting up new farms, buying private jets, etc. Add to this man will be a long list of his former ministers who built all the roads, power projects, schools, hospitals, etc in the air over 8 years. I hope Mrs Waziri will not overlook retired Generals, Admirals and Air Marshalls, who own airlines, shipping lines and large farms, even though the entire salary they earned in their life would not be up to N2m. I am feeling really sad for this Waziri case. Why does the North and Middlebelt do this to themselves? We have capable people, that can move that country forward but we always offer the country riff-raffs and con-men. Look at what Buhari did with PTF in an era of oil selling for $9 a barrel, the north is pleading with Buhari to let Yar'Adua sleep in peace at Aso Rock. The North has produced the Ribadus, the Argungus, the Aminus, etc, but only the dubious men and women continue to rule for ever. ochi =ttonjo;281380>Who says that EFCC is not performing? Below is news from PMnews that EFCC under Madam Waziri, is busy pursuing 'petty criminals' and taking them to court, while the 'BIG criminals and the nation's treasury looters' were roaming the street enjoying their ill gotten wealth. Nigeria we hail thee. It can only happen in Nigeria. ...' Posted by Ochi Dabari| 21.10.2008 00:27

MrOneNaija  Villager

# 4 CLOUDS OF SUSPICION If I were to suggest an alternate heading for Okeh Ndibe's commentary on the current EFCC chief, I would readily opt for this one: "Clouds of Suspicion hang over EFCC Boss". Why, one may ask. Simple. The controversial emergence of Yar'Adua as president, a title which invariably confers on him the powers to choose a chairperson for the crime-fighting outfit, has, whether one likes it or not, cast a pall of suspicion and doubt over every significant gesture of the man's regime. Moreover, the welcome removal by the Yar'Adua administration of the former head of the EFCC and thug extraordinaire for the ex-tyrant called Obasanjo, did not go down well with a section of the local press whose pro-Ribadu sympathies were (are?) apparently as deeply ingrained as they were morally despicable. As I did mention elsewhere, the just sacking of Nuhu Ribadu did provoke resentment amongst the most fanatical, if pro-regime fringe within the national media. It is conceivable that members of this fanatical fringe still harbor resentment of Nuhu Ribadu's successor. That lingering resentment will invariably manifest itself in their perception of Mrs. Waziri, the current EFCC chief. A third factor is the lethargy of the Yar'Adua government. Admittedly, this unfortunate state of affairs is helping set a tone for those trying to assess the performance of the administration. That said, let me hasten to add that one is treated in Okeh Ndibe's article to a lot of suppositions as to the ascendancy of Mrs. Waziri. We are told of her alleged sponsors and their (her's, too?) supposed agenda to, at the very least, stiffle the EFCC as a crime-fighting body. When you postulate in such stark, truculent and yet questionable terms, you leave no room for caution. You engage in intellectual pugilism, the kind that entertains neither nuance nor contestation. You peddle in innuendo and embrace the pulpit of an uncompromising and self-righteous rhetoric. You castigate, throw punches without necessarily elucidating. There is also the rather curious affirmation that Mrs. Waziri does not have the requisite credentials as EFCC leader. Anyone who has read the biography of the woman and is not influenced by some extraneous consideration ought to acknowledge that one of the best things she has going for her is her qualification for the job, by that, I mean academically and professionally. And the comparison between the sinister tenure of Nuhu Ribadu and that by Waziri. While Ndibe acknowledges the selective, lawless and hypocritical nature of the Ribadu era, one is amazed that he goes on to register the convictions of Alams and Tafa Balogun as comparable achievements of Ribadu that should be measured against what he considers is Mrs. Waziri's failure or inaction. He even adds that Ribadu performed with a "measure of passion". But what manner of passion? I dare say the passion to grandstand before an essentially indolent and uncritical media; to obfuscate and basically indulge in blackmail and gangsterism against perceived opponents of Ribadu's master, the ex-despot from Ota. And, by the way, the kind of judicial process that Alams, for instance, was subjected to - forget his looting - , could that have happened in a truly law-abiding society? I'm not trying to condone sleaze. The point I'd like to make here is what I have been repeating in the last couple of days. The law, they say, is an ass, but I must add that it is a tenacious vehicle which must be allowed to follow its normal course. That is the only way to deepen our democracy. The alternative is anarchy. We all want vermin in the Obasanjo and Babangida mould to pay for their numerous crimes against the Nigerian people but we must at all times insist on due process and the rule of law. Except, of course, if one is secretly wishing for the type of selective brigandage the nation witnessed under the Ribadu/Obasanjo alliance. Finally, we should heed the voice of reason that has variously been echoed in these pages. If the nation must have a crime-fighting outfit that meets the genuine aspirations of the people, the latter must at all times insist on the election of a government that is the true reflection of the sovereign will of the masses. This will help dissipate the clouds of suspicion that are bound to hang over government processes under a regime that is suffering from illegitimacy. It is a sad commentary that key voices in the Nigerian media did wear the badge of poltroonery and abdication in their relationship with the reckless and thieving tyranny of the last Obasanjo regime. The rampant malaise confronting the land today is the direct consequence of the decadent profligacy of Ali Baba, a.k.a. Olusegun Obasanjo, the Grand Sponsor of Mallam Yar'Adua and Jonathan. P.S. Okeh Ndibe is one of the rare credible voices of the Nigerian press that consistently and purposefully fought against the wayward despotism of Obasanjo and his confederates. His move from The Guardian (Lagos), it is believed, was mainly due to his principled and democratic stand against the murderous shenanigans of Obasanjo and his factotum, "Andy" Ubah, in Anambra and elsewhere. ... There’s Obasanjo, a man who set his moral bar so low that he now lives under the blissful illusion that history is about to transport him to the pedestal of greatness. Then there are the indicted governors who, comforted by Waziri’s assurance, are sleeping a little better now. Soon their lawyers may head for courts and petition that their cases be thrown out. And why not? After all, the woman who should know has exonerated them. She has proclaimed that they stole nothing; that their prosecution was done, in the first place, out of malice... At any rate, to remove Ribadu and replace him with a woman of Waziri’s deficits was a mark of Yar’Adua’s poor political judgment. With Waziri running the show, the EFCC has become a “show.” At least Ribadu brought a measure of passion to the cause of fighting corruption. Mrs. Waziri has brought, on the other hand, a commitment to turning herself into a fashionable and ostentatious figure. Ribadu successfully prosecuted Diepreye Alamieseigha and Tafa Balogun. Forget that these two men received what amounted to light slaps on the wrists. But what has Mrs. Waziri got to show for her salary and allowances? Only this: to tell Nigerians that she has no clue how to establish that a single politician stole anything from the public coffers. It’s a scandal and a shame! If the agency beat a slight retreat from what Mrs. Waziri told the legislature, it was merely because of the groundswell of criticism from every sector of Nigeria. Does it mean that the EFCC is back to the work of fighting corruption? My hunch is that, as you read this, Mrs. Waziri is thinking up fresh ideas for making the agency disappear altogether. Nothing less would satisfy those who her big-toed sponsors. Posted by MrOneNaija| 21.10.2008 02:36

dem  Villager

# 5 What does it say about Nigeria that it is a country where men charged with the grave crime of manipulating their offices for personal financial gain are permitted to choose the person who will investigate and prosecute them? GBAM!! Also, what does it say about YD? I guess the man wasn't kidding when he dubbed himself 'servant-leader'. We now know whose servant he is. I used to think YD was all about smelly incompetence; now I actually think the dude is dangerous. God help us......... Posted by dem| 21.10.2008 08:31

overdryv  Villager

# 6 The issue here is FW not delivering but we face a real problem of becoming psychiatric patients of boredom and frustration on her watch. It is not an easy task to put up with the evil designs of the so-called war on corruption which FW has chosen to play the role of a yeoman or is it yeowoman? Before her "missing files" statement, there was no sign that the likes of Ibori and Kalu were under trial.This woman clearly told us that she would step on powerful toes but till date we have seen no such thing. Now she is introducing a communist angle into it by her plan to quantify what an average Nigerian could own. If she couldnt prosecute Ibori how could she make him account for all his villas and accounts around the globe? Are we so dumbed down that we must fall for such tricks even if we know they are clearly elementary? One wonders if FW was appointed solely to manufacture slogans for a political campaign outfit. If Nuhu Ribadu fought Yahoo boys hopefully out of existence, then FW is left only with groundnut sellers since she gave a clean bill to Obj and his forty thieves. Wherein lies the justification for her appointment? Enough of this silent war! Posted by overdryv| 21.10.2008 14:09

allaccess  Villager

# 7 Ttonjo, Only a revolution can save Nigeria, I wish many Nigerians think like you. sadly they don't, they are scared of anyone with cash, anyone of lighter skin color like Lebanese and Indians, they are scared of ill equipped police and army, they are scared of coming into physical harm even if their short lifespan has been put at 3 weeks max. They will still live under the 3rd mainland bridge and ONLY talk about how big big people are 'shoppin all d money oh, and I think you got this statement wrong =ttonjo;281380>Always remember, Madam Waziri, that, 'you can fool some people sometimes, but you CANNOT fool, all the people all the time.' In Nigeria, you can fool all the people all the time - there is evidence it was done for 48 years without so much as the people going out to change it. Posted by allaccess| 22.10.2008 04:37

AISAGBON OMOGIADE  Villager

# 8 Diogenes, the ancient greek cynic philosopher was once in the dock to prove the source of his incomepothen esxes.It was a known fact that Diogenes had no personal property.His house was an empty barrel. The rich men of his time collected signatures to do him in because he had become a torn in their flesh.He had accused them of dishonesty and that was why he took a lamp during the day and walked about the Athenian streets apparently looking for an honest rich man. Because he could not find one with only the sun of God. On the day of his trial, the Judges asked him to to prove the source of his income.The juros knew Diogenes.They knew he had nothing but a charge has been brought the court.Diogenes told them he was night pump(nuxterinon antlon).He produced a witness of same philosiphical school to support his claim. He was discharged and acquitted. While leaving the court room, he turned and thanked the Judges.But one of the Judges told him they did not need his thanks that they only did their job.Replying, Diogenes told the Judges that thier job was the most difficult in the world.He said their ability to withstand pressure from the rich of the society especially in celebrated cases made their job more difficult. Ribadu had arrested a private Nigerian business man without any known economic crime. Detained him, obviously to prevent him from contesting elections with Iyabo Obasanjo.He was later awarded about fifty million naira for that illegal detention.I think Mrs Waziri is taking her time not to violate the rights of people being investigated.If not for public out-cry Mimiko would have been in prison before the elections of 2007 because OBJ had told him to wait for Ribadu. If Mrs Wazari said some vital files are missing that prevents her from prosecuting those that have been investigated,I dont see why Nigerians could doubt her.Did Lamorde not say they were investigating OBJ?If buildings worth millions of naira could be set ablaze to cover fraud,what about files that are handy. Iam a great fan of ON but I regret to note that the last article on Atiku and this one on Waziri have woefully missed their mark. Posted by AISAGBON OMOGIADE| 22.10.2008 08:00

employlawone  Villager

# 9 Only a revolution can save Nigeria, I wish many Nigerians think like you. sadly they don't, they are scared of anyone with cash, anyone of lighter skin color like Lebanese and Indians, they are scared of ill equipped police and army, they are scared of coming into physical harm even if their short lifespan has been put at 3 weeks max. They will still live under the 3rd mainland bridge and ONLY talk about how big big people are 'shoppin all d money I trust when the revolution starts that many who urge it from the comfort of 'abroad and overseas' will be in the fore front and if not at the very least part and parcel of it. Posted by employlawone| 22.10.2008 11:15

Ewuro  Villager

# 10 =AISAGBON OMOGIADE;281774>Diogenes, the ancient greek cynic philosopher was once in the dock to prove the source of his incomepothen esxes.It was a known fact that Diogenes had no personal property.His house was an empty barrel. The rich men of his time collected signatures to do him in because he had become a torn in their flesh.He had accused them of dishonesty and that was why he took a lamp during the day and walked about the Athenian streets apparently looking for an honest rich man. Because he could not find one with only the sun of God. On the day of his trial, the Judges asked him to to prove the source of his income.The juros knew Diogenes.They knew he had nothing but a charge has been brought the court.Diogenes told them he was night pump(nuxterinon antlon).He produced a witness of same philosiphical school to support his claim. He was discharged and acquitted. While leaving the court room, he turned and thanked the Judges.But one of the Judges told him they did not need his thanks that they only did their job.Replying, Diogenes told the Judges that thier job was the most difficult in the world.He said their ability to withstand pressure from the rich of the society especially in celebrated cases made their job more difficult. Ribadu had arrested a private Nigerian business man without any known economic crime. Detained him, obviously to prevent him from contesting elections with Iyabo Obasanjo.He was later awarded about fifty million naira for that illegal detention.I think Mrs Waziri is taking her time not to violate the rights of people being investigated.If not for public out-cry Mimiko would have been in prison before the elections of 2007 because OBJ had told him to wait for Ribadu. If Mrs Wazari said some vital files are missing that prevents her from prosecuting those that have been investigated,I dont see why Nigerians could doubt her.Did Lamorde not say they were investigating OBJ?If buildings worth millions of naira could be set ablaze to cover fraud,what about files that are handy. Iam a great fan of ON but I regret to note that the last article on Atiku and this one on Waziri have woefully missed their mark. Obviously, you know more about Greek mythologies than the realities of the situation in Nigeria and the EFCC. The Greeks may buy your story, but to Nigerians, you are living an ancient mythological world. The question for me is "When will you and Farida go missing?". The sooner the better. Posted by Ewuro| 22.10.2008 11:50

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