EFCC: What next on war against wickedness in high places?

Mrs   Farida  Waziri was on Thursday removed from her office as chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission [EFCC] by the Presidency in  circumstances  that many describe as suspicious.  Months before she was fired last week, it  was speculated in some quarters that  there were desperate moves by some top political figures within the […]

Mrs   Farida  Waziri was on Thursday removed from her office as chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission [EFCC] by the Presidency in  circumstances  that many describe as suspicious.  Months before she was fired last week, it  was speculated in some quarters that  there were desperate moves by some top political figures within the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to get President Goodluck Jonathan to sack her .  So, when her sack was announced on Thursday it was not much of a surprise to many.

The former EFCC chairman was in the last few months of her interrupted tenure enmeshed in a battle of wits with the Attorney General of the Federation, Muhammed  Bello  Adoke [SAN] who had insisted he should be briefed on the agency’s cases. The Presidency, it was gathered, was not well disposed to the way some of the cases involving political figures were being handled by Waziri. Consequently, she was directed to ensure the Attorney General was properly briefed on every corruption case before arresting and prosecuting suspected offenders, especially when notable political figures are involved.

THE GHOST OF DIMEJI BANKOLE

The flouting of this directive in the case of the former House of Representatives Speaker, Dimeji Bankole and former state governors  who are  regarded as PDP leaders was said to have angered the Presidency as  influential personalities within the corridors of power  saw  her action as an attempt to rubbish the party  by all means. They decided it was time for her removal. This was however refuted by those close to the Presidency who claimed that the president was only interested and committed to efficient and credible fight against corruption which they said the leadership of EFCC under  Waziri lacked.

Her sack in the past few days has indeed sparked off reactions and debate among divergent opinion leaders in the country. To many of them, Nigeria lost the battle against corruption when the former chairman of EFCC, Mallam Nuhu  Ribadu was removed. They say the change of guard at the Commission was designed to cripple anti-graft campaign by those who are opposed to the determination of Ribadu to fight corruption in the country. They expressed regret that the dismissal of Waziri may have come as a final blow to any serious fight against corruption in Nigeria.

There are many who express the opinion, however, that Waziri did not do enough to justify her office in the years that she served as  the anti-graft commission chairman. Nigeria’s rating on the fight against corruption, they say, has dropped, unlike in the period when Ribadu chaired  the commission. Some donor countries that supported the Commission with funds are reported to have stopped or suspended the release of funds to help the country in its bids to curb corruption because of   what they describe as  deficiency  in the measures taken by the former EFCC chairman.

Worried by the challenge which the sack of Waziri may pose to the fight against corruption in the country, a chieftain of the Congress for Progressive Change [CPC] Alhaji Usman Adamu, while speaking to Sunday Trust, said the fight against corruption is not about individuals but determination and commitment by the authorities. He said, ‘‘from what we have seen about government on corruption issue so far, it does not seem this PDP administration is ready to curb it. I think the sack of Waziri has confirmed our long held position that Mr President is not willing to fight corruption. It appears  this government has compromised on the issue of corruption in Nigeria’’

SACKED FOR TREASURY LOOTERS

In the same vein, a public commentator, Reverend Faleyimu  Adegoroye,  said   it’s a pity that government would have to sacrifice Waziri for the interest of those who are busy looting the treasury. According to him, “you know our politicians do not like to be challenged when they are busy stealing and embezzling our money. We are not surprised that she suffered the same fate as her predecessor. When they were grumbling about her, we knew they were at it again. Now that they have removed her to demonstrate their opposition to the fight against corruption, let’s wait and see what government will do next.’’

Another social critic who spoke on the sack of Waziri and the challenge which it may pose to the campaign on corruption, Mallam  Shehu  Babangida, said although it was obvious that Waziri had not measured up to the expectation on the fight against corruption, government had  shown that it was not committed to the much talked-about fight against corruption by the way it removed Ribadu and now Waziri because some people who are committed to corruption do not want them.

“Now, our worry is that Nigeria again has lost the fight against corruption. We don’t expect that they will allow Lamorde to perform in the face of this reality that stares us in the face,’’ he said.

‘JONATHAN SACKED WAZIRI TO PLEASE AMERICA’

Mr Olu Obasa of the Action Congress of Nigeria [ACN] said although the EFCC under Waziri performed woefully in the years that Waziri was there, she may have been sacked partly to make the United States of America happy.

“We hear America is not happy with Nigeria that her campaign against corruption under waziri is not working. The US Secretary of State, HIllary Clinton during her visit to Nigeria expressed the position of her country on Nigeria’s fight against corruption and the former EFCC chairman was indicted over non-performance since she took over from Ribadu.  We also know that the president has been so desperate in his efforts to show  America and the rest of the world that he is doing well in the areas they  asked him to make changes. For him to be seen as doing their biding and to get their support, he has to sack Waziri. In any case, Nigerians are watching, they want to see the direction Jonathan wants EFCC to go,’’ Obasa said.