Farida Waziri, chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was sacked by President Jonathan on Wednesday, 23rd November. The Director of Operations under her, and an Assistant Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Lamurde was appointed in acting capacity in her place. Reports say Mrs Farida Waziri received news of her removal which took immediate effect on television while she was in her office working. It is possible that the humiliation was intended to accompany her sack, which left a trail of suspicions and speculations behind it. The statement by the President’s spokesman simply said she has been relieved of her appointment.
Mrs Farida Waziri is the second chairman of the EFCC. The first chairman was Malam Nuhu Ribadu, who was also removed in equally dramatic fashion almost four years ago. The new acting chairman was an officer under Ribadu. When Ribadu was removed and banished to the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (N.I.P.S.S), Kuru, Lamurde acted for him. He initially paid a price for his service under Ribadu, when he was also posted out of the E.F.C.C. and banished to a hazardous assignment in Ningi. A few months later, he was recalled to his old post as Director of Operations. He has been, for most of her tenure as chairman and chief executive officer of the EFCC, a key member of her team, and therefore will share her achievements and failures. In many ways therefore, Mr Lamurde is a veteran of the turbulent nature of the job of chasing corruption in Nigeria. His experiences and those of his predecessor will be important in the manner he approaches his job, and the fight against corruption will be more or less successful depending on the degree to which he enjoys the support of the President and other interests.
Mrs Waziri’s sack has been on the cards for quite some time. Her skirmishes with the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice over powers of the Commission and its relationship with the Justice Minister were indicators that she was losing her grip on the Presidency. Even though a public reconciliation was engineered, the damage to a relationship which should be solid and self-reinforcing had been done. The lady also had many other problems, almost all of them related to the manner corruption is investigated and prosecuted. Some of those against her said she was too cosy with politically-exposed suspects; a Nigerian term for public office holders suspected of large scale corruption. In this group are the adversaries of these powerful people, many foreign nations who believe they have a major stake in the fight against corruption in Nigeria; and a whole army of civil society organizations, non-governmental organizations and professional bodies who lament the failure of anti-corruption agencies to make the slightest impact in Nigeria. She also had formidable enemies in the politically-exposed persons themselves; a government which is ambivalent over the distance it wants to go to fight corruption; a judicial system which is notoriously impervious to reform and stimuli to respond to the need to fight corruption as a national disaster; a media which is vulnerable to influence by the powerful interests she is fighting; and a cynical public opinion which is largely resigned to the belief that the law cannot touch the rich and the powerful. She also had other liabilities which did not help her. Her relationship with the former Minister of Justice, Micheal Aaondoaka; her involvement in the case of the former Governors of Bayelsa, James Ibori and Benue, George Akume; and the circumstances under which Malam Ribadu was hounded out of office all combined to create the impression of a person acting out a script written by some powerful interests. Of recent, the trials of the former Speaker in the House of Representatives and his Deputy have substantially fouled her relationship with the National Assembly. The legislature has seen attempts to amend the law establishing the E.F.C.C which will make Mrs Waziri ineligible to continue to serve. There have also been rumours that the four former Governors of Nassarawa, Gombe, Oyo and Ogun whose prosecution has just commenced, are involved in negotiations with the EFCC to pay their way out of the prosecution. These are the type of rumours her enemies will peddle and use against her with devastating effect.
Given the intimidating array of hostile opposition against her, even Mrs Waziri will not be surprised at her summary removal with just a few months to complete her term of four years. The fight against corruption in Nigeria is a very dangerous enterprise, and it will not help those in the frontline if they have skeletons in their cupboards. Now that Mr Lamurde is the new head of the E.F.C.C, he will have a very rich history to draw from, and many lessons to use effectively to avoid the pitfalls which consumed Ribadu and Waziri. He should know by now that politics and large-scale corruption in Nigeria are infinitely connected. Without corruption in high places, our political system and electoral process will be infinitely better. Without the type of political system we operate, our level of corruption will be well within the standards of a civilized people with a value system which places premium on honesty and service. Corruption survives in Nigeria because it has a huge reservoir of support from the political system; and it fights back viciously. Each victory registered by corruption makes those who fight it less eager to take it on. The success of corruption against agencies which fight it is registered in the very few numbers of people accused of corruption who have been successfully prosecuted.
It does our own system little credit that the most celebrated conviction of a politically-exposed person was facilitated by British police and courts, and not by Nigerian institutions such as the E.F.C.C. Perhaps Mrs Waziri was right when she said our judicial system effectively frustrates the successful prosecution of corruption cases, but those who should reform it may not be too eager to see expedited trials. Perhaps the sheer scale of corruption provides the billions which compromise investigations, prosecutions and the entire processes which should show that corrupt people can be exposed, tried and convicted. Again, those who should reform the process to make it more transparent and efficient may have their reservations against a process which may end up prosecuting and convicting them. The fight against corruption cannot be won by the people who head our anti-corruption agencies; but by leaders who commit totally and openly to a robust and reformed process which will make it easier to prosecute and commit corrupt people.
There is a very important matter that needs to be settled by the President who has just removed Mrs Waziri. This is the matter of letting Nigerians know why she was removed. If she committed an illegal transgression, she should be made to face the law. If she has committed no offence, but has only fallen below the expectations of Mr President, the nation also needs to know. Mr Lamurde also needs to know why his former boss is being removed. He will need the information to adjust to the expectations of his office; and to know whether he will be judged by those who appointed him purely on the basis of his ability to fight corruption, or on the basis of his capacity to meet the needs of many masters who will not want him to fight corruption.
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