MPs Boo Anti-Corruption Chief

Abdul-Rahman Abubakar & Turaki A. Hassan

9 June 2011

NEW members of the National Assembly yesterday jeered the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Mrs. Farida Waziri and accused her of witch-hunting perceived political opponents of President Goodluck Jonathan while shielding others.

Mrs. Waziri spoke at an interactive session between some selected government agencies and members of the National Assembly at the International Conference Centre Abuja.

When she made effort to clear herself of any undue involvement in the cases the commission is prosecuting, the Senators and Reps shouted her down saying, “no, no, no’ while others said, ‘na lie, na lie na lie.”

Some of the lawmakers challenged the EFCC Chairman to mention names of politicians prosecuted by the commission who were not perceived enemies of the federal government.

Rep Abdulmumin Jibrin (PDP, Kwara) challenged Mrs. Waziri saying, “Mention a single Politically Exposed Person (PEP) that was prosecuted without the person having problem with the federal government since the establishment of the commission in 2003.”

The representatives frowned at the high publicity given to prosecution of PEPs even before they are found guilty saying “EFCC never gave publicity to those that were found not to be guilty after it prosecuted them.”

In her response, Farida insisted that she was never pressured by government to investigate anyone saying “I am my own person. I have never been asked by anyone to pick or drop anybody. My image is intact and I have never trumped up charges against anyone.”

When the EFCC boss said she was never asked to pick or release any politicians by the Late President Umaru Musa Yar’adua, the lawmaker remained silent but when she said “President Goodluck Jonathan has never called me to pick A or drop B” the MPs shouted “no” in apparent disapproval which threw the conference hall into a chaotic mood which took several minutes to calm down.

She pleaded with the lawmakers that though they have made up their minds against the commission “because of the ongoing case (that of Bankole), it is only the guilty that need to fear.”

She said she was carrying on with her job without fear of intimidation. “I served for 35 years and I am not desperate for this job. I don’t mind to resign, if at any point you feel I am doing the wrong thing. Those of you that are annoyed over the case that is going on, I want to assure you that we will be fair.”

She urged the MPs to partner with the EFCC and other anti-graft agencies in eradicating corruption in the country.

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