EFCC Under Waziri: Questions Arising
August 11, 2008 by 
Che Oyimnatumba
The uneasy times facing Obasanjo loyalists took a nose dive for the worst with the arrest of Bode George on the wee hours of Thursday by the EFCC. Of all the zonal chairmen of PDP, Bode George was the most loquacious that often times he was mistaken for the Party’s National Chairman. Despite his predicted political tsunami in Lagos, all PDP could get was the death of her aspirant and an Ambassadorial posting to Ghana as Lagos was not drown by PDP.
Prior to this big bang, the Obasanjo regime’s lapdog was demoted from the exalted rank of Assistant Inspector General of Police to Deputy Commissioner of Police. The dismantling of Ribadu started with the removal from EFCC all unit heads “loyal” to Ribadu. The first to be axed was Director of Operations Mr. Ibrahim Lamode. He was quietly redeployed to an obscure Police formation in Bauchi. At the wake of this questionable redeployment of experienced hands in EFCC, the Police spin doctors said that such exercise is procedural.
As Nigerians were coming to terms with the demolition of EFCC structures under Ribadu’s chairmanship, Ibrahim Magu one of the best financial crime investigators in Nigeria, came under the blurred microscope of the new EFCC leadership. Mr. Magu has been a bird of passage in EFCC detention darting in and out at the whip and caprices of those behind the dismantling Obasanjo’s structure. Mr. Magu’s houses (Abuja and Lagos) have been searched. From the lorry load of papers and files removed including a laptop, it is obvious that the new leadership of EFCC is desperately in need of a document in Mr. Magu’s custody. Mr. Magu, an ace investigator, led the team of investigators who investigated the allegations of economic crimes against James Ibori (ex-governor of Delta State) and Bukola Saraki, Governor of Kwara State and Chairman Governors Forum.
A reliable source at EFCC said that the new leadership is searching for the EFCC file on George Akume, former governor of Benue State. It was revealed by national dailies at the wake of Mrs Waziri’s appointment that she is tinted with corruption and indeed did sign the bail bond for Mr. Akume. It was furthermore opined that Mrs. Waziri was forced on Yar’Adua by a team of corrupt PDP ex-governors to dampen the cases against them and find a Rule of Law approach to the problems.
The leadership style of Mrs. Waziri is giving credence to the belief in many quarters that she is an undertaker with the sole responsibility of burying the anti-corruption war. I am not a diehard fan of Ribadu. I have had course to question Ribadu’s style of prosecuting the anti-corruption war. But what cannot be denied Ribadu was that he had the zeal to rid Nigeria of corruption forget that he may not have understood the antics of the old fox in Otta Farm and the political landmines dotted on his way. Because of Ribadu’s zealous courage, Nigeria’s battered 419 image in the international community got a face lift.
Has Nigeria’s corrupt image improved under Mrs. Waziri? Is this current anti Obasanjo movement the best for Nigeria? Must we cut our nose to spite our face? Must the child be thrown away with the bath water? Is there no method of dealing with and atoning for the sins of the past administration (which was also a PDP administration) without dragging Nigeria decades backward?
Let us ponder and attack.
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The incontrovertible and indubitable truth is that Nuhu Ribadu has tried for this country, whether we like it or not his records are there for all to scrutinize. He has set inimitable precedents in Nigeria that we need to build up on. Apart from the case of the ex governors, what about the 419 practitioners?, what about ade bendel, emmanuel nwude and other scammers that EFCC under ribadu waged a relentless war against earning accolades from several countries?, please let us not be myopic, but rather dorn the garb of objectivity and refuse to wear the spectacles of prejudgement.
Corruption has assumed a hydra headed position in Nigeria and as such both judicial and extrajudicial means are required to curb and tackle it if necesary. The scenario resembles the current US war against terror and the fact that US has resorted to legal and illegal means because of the style and nature of the purported enemies
That is why i take exception to your description of Ribadu as the lapdog of Obasanjo regime. It is insensate and blatantly preposterous. He is not perfect, but he should be commended, his positive sides outweigh the negavtive sides. So What is currently happening in EFCC is not the dismantling of Ribadu as u stated, but the gradual emasculation of an agency that performed credibly in removing the global perception of Nigeria as a country where crime is the king. If you were in the police/security circles you would be grief stricken at the antecedents of officers that have been deployed to EFCC.
Unfortunately, officers that did their best for the country under ribadu are being victimized, it is too bad that all this has been sanctioned by mama farida and the police top hierachy!, there are ways of posting these officers without any accusations of bad belle cropping up.
Look at the travails of Nwajah, Olorunyomi, Magu, Lamorde and a host of other ofifcers and men previously at EFCC?, in all honesty it smacks of vendetta! IT IS JUST PUNISHMENT HATCHED BY MAMA FARIDA AND THOSE CORRUPT GOVERNORS LED BY Bukola Saraki and James Ibori two of the biggest looter governors this country have ever witnessed. But the truth is that Farida actually signed bail bond for Akume and no amount of obfuscation can hide that. All her spin doctors cannot remove that blot from her and the fact that she lied to Nigerians and the senate that she didnt.
I dont and never believed in mama farida, forget about all these pseudo arraignments! she lacks the tenacity, resolve, thoroughness and independence of Nuhu Ribadu. It would have been better for her if she had starting her headship by showing Nigerians what she can do, instead of trying to erase ribadu’s legacies, seizing every forum to denigrate the man and victimizing and witchunting his perceived and imaginary loyalists.She is no chairman, but an undertaker as you rightly observed.I also agree with your assessment of the achievements of EFCC under Ribadu, he could not have donre it without the calibre of people he surrounded himself with and that is why i have reservations about the success of mama farida.
Mrs. Waziri has not matched Ribadu’s zeal and enthusiasm, her appearance and comportment does not cut ice with lots of Nigerians.She cuts the poise of a society lady, has the mien of a clothes merchant and in a crowd could easily pass for a fashion practitioner.
My candid advise to her is that she should sell herself and her programmes , she should leave Ribadu, Magu and Lamorde alone and face what she was appointed to do, but anybody that thinks this fashionista would and can surpass the acheivements of her predecessor is simply living in a fool’s paradise. To combat corruption. we need more than did the lady and her antics