By MUAWWIAH A. SADIQ
All manner of tales preceded her assumption of office as executive chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). A section of the media denigrated her as the anointed candidate of crooks whose brief was to undo some of the fantastic work done by Nuhu Ribadu, the ebullient pioneer chairman of the commission. She was touted as a front for corrupt ex-governors who, in desperation to avoid prosecution launched a fierce surrogate battle to capture EFCC, emasculate and render it ineffective.
This was the maze of skepticism and cynicism in which Farida Waziri, a retired Assistant inspector General of Police, assumed the leadership of EFCC. Except for a few close aides and associates who knew her fairly well and could vouch for her competence and credibility, not many were sure where to place the new anti-corruption Czar. Even operatives of the commission, we gathered from media reports, were in a quandary especially in the face of speculations by the doomsday spin doctors, to the effect that she was poised for a major clear out of all staff that played any visible role under Ribadu. I almost ran away with the impression that these rumours were true after all, when one or two staff were moved from their previous posting, to new ones.
But with the benefit of hindsight, Waziri in only few months in charge of the agency has done incredibly well to disprove skeptics and reassure all stakeholders that she is not here to preside over the decapitation or liquidation of EFCC. If her speeches and body language are correct gauge of her intentions, her appointment may go down as perhaps the most important coup in the reform agenda of the Umaru Yar'adua administration. Without making too much noise about it, she has effortlessly, it would seem, put a lie to some of the wicked tales that were told about her.
Contrary to the fears expressed by her detractors that she was coming to offer oxygen tent to the corrupt, by undermining the integrity of the agency's investigation and prosecution activities, nothing of such has happened. The equilibrium of the commission remains intact, with the system running in full steam. It is amazing that while the media was still obsessed with the received notion that Waziri was the protégé of the former Governor of Delta State, James Ibori, her agency was in court, opposing the application of the former governor to vary his bail conditions and have his passport released to him. That was no imprimatur of a front but the epithet of a fighter. Based on the commission's argument, the trial Judge, Justice Shuiabu rejected Ibori's application even though the accused had since appealed against the judgment at the Court of Appeal.
The trial of other former governors is continuing in different courts across the country. Only recently, the Federal High Court in Lagos refused the application seeking to quash the 51-count charge of corruption and money laundering against former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayo Fayose. With that ruling, the former governor is expected to submit himself to full trial.
In all of these, there are no indications that EFCC under Waziri is desirous to have a soft landing for Ibori or any other ex-governor who is being tried for corruption and money laundering. All she has said is that she would allow the rule of Law a full reign. And unlike in the past when the commission was feverishly on the trail of ex-governors as if the corrupt can only be found in their midst, new flanks are being opened in a robust approach that recently reigned in the coordinator of the Police Equipment Foundation, Mr. Kenny Martins and his deputy.
The investigation of Martins and his comrade in crime preceded Waziri's coming to EFCC but no one can take away from her the guts and courage she demonstrated by promptly arresting them and putting them to trial.
Also former ministers who were less than transparent in their stewardships are not being called to account. The arrest of former ministers of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode and Prof. Babalola Borishade over alleged misapplication of the N19.5billion aviation intervention fund provides fresh but interesting angles to the anti graft war. If nothing else, this new dimension would go to considerable extent in reassuring Nigerians that the probes going on in various sectors are no circus shows and that those found to have soiled their hands would be brought to book.
At this junction one can only plead with Waziri to revisit some of the past probe exercises where various persons were indicated yet nothing by way of punishment came their ways. I believe Nigerians will be grateful to her if she can bring to justice, all those that played major roles in the looting of the $16 billion independent power project fund. This is one scam that must not be allowed to be swept under the carpet.
I have no illusion that it is going to be an easy task going by the caliber of Nigerians that are involved in the scam. But I also believe that Waziri is equal to the task going by her pedigree as a no nonsense crime buster who earned her stripes as one of the finest officers to come out of the Nigerian Police force. Luckily she had vowed to step on toes during her confirmation hearing at the Senate. There can be no better opportunity to prove this than through the persecution of those indicated in the power probe.
What Waziri deserves at this moment is not cynicism but the support and prayers of Nigerians. She has started well by erasing the apocalyptic picture painted by her detractors. Indeed, instead of the undertaker that critics claim she was, the merging picture of EFCC under Waziri, is a reinvigorated agency which is poised to consolidate its strength and break new grounds.
From the outside I can see an agency that is trying to reinvent itself by shunning the old habits that won it enemies in high places while also working assiduously to embrace global best practices in law enforcement. This is certainly the way to go if Waziri hopes to achieve her dream of making the agency a model that compares with other international law enforcement agencies like the American Federal Bureau of Investigations, FBI and the London Metropolitan Police.■