Anti-Graft War: Allow Me to Work, Waziri Cries Out
Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mrs Farida Waziri has cried out over the desperation with which a top functionary in government has gone all out to frustrate her work and now smear her. A statement by the Commission on Saturday says that Waziri has to speak out to alert the public over the latest antics of a clique which has now chosen to work hand in hand with defenders of the corrupt, who are either facing trial or investigation, to frustrate the prosecution of corruption cases in court.
'After several moves to distract the Commission and frustrate efforts to investigate and file charges against their corrupt paymasters have failed to yield their desired goal, certain known elements in the defence of the corrupt fold have come up with a different identity and have found partnership in a clique in official quarters to wage war against the EFCC and its officials especially the Chairman, Mrs Farida Waziri.
'With the recent commencement of the trial of the high profile suspect they are all fighting hard to shield from prosecution, they have come out again to create a controversy that Mrs Waziri did not retire in the Nigeria Police as an Assistant Inspector General (AIG) but a Commissioner of Police (CP), with the intent that this will overshadow reports of the court trial of their paymaster.
'Specifically, a newly improvised group called Centre for Rule of Law and managed by one readily available Olasupo Ojo had in a well coordinated plot designed to embarrass and distract Mrs Waziri, written a letter dated July 15,2011 to the Attorney General and Minister of Justice asking the AGF to investigate the last rank of the EFCC chairman while in the police force. A copy of this letter was given to select newspapers to publish with the sole aim of embarrassing the EFCC chairman. This same Ojo had as the president of CDHR taken on the EFCC and Waziri just weeks ago for no just cause.
'These agents of darkness should know that rank in law enforcement organizations is not like a chieftancy title that anybody can decide to bear anyday. It is earned. Mrs Waziri served as Commissioner of Police in charge of Special Fraud Unit between 1996 and 1999 when she was moved as AIG in charge of 'F Department' and later in charge of 'E Department' before her retirement in 2000 after spending 35 years of meritorious service. Her last identity card bore the rank of AIG while the number plate of her last staff car bore NPF 03. All these she did not give herself.
'Should these elements still plan to create another controversy that Mrs Waziri did not go to school, it is better to inform them now that apart from attending several professional courses in Nigeria and abroad, she bagged a degree in law, LLB(HONS) from the university of lagos in 1992, a BL from the Nigerian Law School in 1993, a Masters degree in Law, LLM from Lagos state university in 1996 and another Masters degree, MSC in Strategic Studies from the University of Ibadan in 1999.
'It should be noted that Nigeria is bigger than all us and for those fighting hard to use their privileged positions today to defend, shield and protect the corrupt, they should remember they are not above the law and that sooner or later, they will give account of their own activities either before man here on earth or before the Almighty in heaven.', the statement added.