EFCC: What Manner of Castration?
By Yakubu Obaaro
To watchers of developments in the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, the zeal, maturity and courage of its new chairperson, Mrs Farida Waziri cannot but stimulate deep interests. In just two months of being at the helm of the anti-graft agency, lots of changes have taken place both in the internal workings of the EFCC and in the public perception of the agency. It is interesting to note that adherence to the rule of law and transparent handling of cases have been the hallmark of the new leadership of the EFCC. I have been watching with keen interests the restructuring exercises taking place in the agency and up till now, the exercises have largely been premised on building a more virile institution and making the agency respectful of democratic tenets. So, I was at a loss some few days ago when I read some media reports about covert moves being allegedly made to castrate the EFCC. I was particularly pained that such reports neither did justice to the repositioning initiatives of the new leadership of the EFCC nor offer pragmatic proofs of some of the moves that are aimed at the jugular of the agency.No doubt, some fundamental changes have been made at the EFCC. Its pioneer chairman, Nuhu Ribadu was removed in controversial circumstances and even now, the Police Service Commission, PSC, seemed to have added another controversy to the Ribadu persona by demoting him by two ranks. In all honesty, Ribadu did his best for Nigeria while holding sway as the EFCC boss. It is however strange and preposterous for anyone to link his demotion with an attempt to castrate the EFCC. Are we saying that the future of the EFCC is inextricably linked with Ribadu? Shouldn't we begin to see the EFCC as an institution that is greater than individuals and even groups? EFCC is an idea. Victor Hugo said that “there is something greater than all the armies in the world and that is an idea whose time has come”. The EFCC is an idea whose time has come. It is an idea of transparency, zero tolerance for corruption, accountability and probity. These ideas are greater than any individual. Another plank upon which critics of the EFCC are basing their castration theory is that key officers of the anti-corruption agency are being redeployed from their beats. If our minds are open and not jaundiced by other interests, which organization in the world is run effectively without being dynamic? Is it practicable for a new administration in any organization to consign itself to old arrangements without pursuing its own vision? In what concrete ways has the EFCC been castrated? If for anything, we need to applaud the new boss of the anti-graft agency for her courage and consistence. There are so many fresh, high-profile cases she has opened in the two months that she assumed office. Is she not working with the key officers that her critics said she has been moving around? It is evident that all the claims of castration of the EFCC are hollow and self-serving. The new momentum generated by its fresh prosecutions of some politicians is enough proof that the new leadership of the EFCC is on the right tract.Take the arrest and prosecution of Bode George, a prominent chieftain of the ruling People's Democratic Party, PDP in the South-West as an example. Some of us have joined issues with the EFCC a few months back over his case. We were demanding that his activities as the chairman of the board of the Nigerian Ports Authority ,NPA, be looked into. For some strange reasons, Ribadu and his team delayed actions on his arrest and prosecution. Now, Waziri has docked Bode George and yet some people are still talking of EFCC being castrated. How many foreign contractors were probed by the EFCC when Ribadu was in the saddle? This woman dazed everyone when some few days after her confirmation, she docked the Austrian Contractor that fronted for those who messed up the aviation intervention fund. And some few days after, she nabbed the big masquerades behind the contractors. Yet, some people are still sneering at such an effort. Waziri has maintained a pattern of democratic civility in the way arrests and prosecution are being done. We are seeing results without noise-making. We are seeing actions rather than fiery speeches. This is the face of the new EFCC. It is possible for some Nigerians, who, out of patriotic fervour and genuine desire for total cleansing of the nation, to express genuine fears about the future of the anti-corruption war in the light of a rather high turn over of the leadership of the EFCC in the last eight months. Such fears are legitimate. However, the expression of such fears should be balanced by the realities on the ground. Mrs. Waziri has demonstrated that she is not a push over by her moves which are already causing jitters among politicians. We read in the newspapers a few days ago that some politicians, sensing danger about the no-nonsense woman shepherding the EFCC, were contemplating going on exile so as to evade arrests and prosecution. Will such politicians ever make such propositions if Waziri were to be a weakling? Does such a proposition lend credence to the castration theory of EFCC's critics. It is easier for whoever that has no problem with the EFCC to propose any theory and even mobilize support for such a theory. Ask those who are facing the teeth of the wind in that Commission and they will tell you how cold it feels!The anti-corruption war is our war. We all have equal stakes in the future of Nigeria. So, our best energies should be deployed to building confidence in the minds of fellow Nigerians and outsiders about efforts being made to bring corrupt elements in our midst to book. Both the EFCC and ICPC cannot do it alone. What do we stand to gain in a castrated EFCC? Where there are genuine cases to make of the activities of the anti-corruption agencies, we should be quick and bold to make such cases without hiding behind any personal, group or sectarian interests. If Waziri and her team continue in the way they are going now, in four years time, we may as well be rolling out drums in celebration of a new Nigeria of our dream. Of course, Waziri and EFCC should be carefully monitored to avoid derailment. But, it is not true that her moves are pointing to a castration agenda for the EFCC.In what practical ways can we assist the EFCC? Waziri has spoken of her resolve to make the fight take the form of a revolution. She has talked about reaching the grassroots with the anti-corruption message in a way that will compel holders of power at the local government level more accountable to their people. She has spoken of her determination to monitor activities of all financial institutions, including banks so as to make them more compliant with regulations and more responsive to the demands of the investing publics. In doing all these, she has promised to make the EFCC more formidable and more globally competitive. I think, what we should be doing is to continue to monitor her activities in this regard. We should ensure that Waziri keep faith with her declared intentions to make Nigeria too hot for fraudsters and corrupt elements. I make bold to state here that it is very difficult for anyone, Waziri inclusive, to castrate the EFCC “before our very eyes!” To ensure the success of the anti-corruption war, Waziri and her team should work on an effective whistle-blowing mechanism that will facilitate the reporting of corrupt practices in government and the private sector. The truth of the issue is that there seems to be no serious cover for whoever seeks to offer tangible clues to the EFCC about what is happening around. I think one of the reasons why the EFCC is not getting enough convictions in our courts is the lack of cover for witnesses who may want to testify against corrupt elements in our midst. This is very important and Waziri being a consummate lawyer knows what all this is all about. In a similar vein, the judiciary should do more than it is doing in dealing with cases of corruption. There is no way the EFCC can be the accuser and the judge in its own case. The power of the judiciary begins where that of the EFCC stops! This is the dilemma. So, in appraising the success of the anti-corruption war, we should always bear in mind that the judiciary also has very significant roles to play. If the EFCC continues to do its own beat, the judiciary should also take the initiatives to do its own work. This way, the war will be a total victory.On the whole, those who are waiting to see the EFCC castrated may have to wait forever. Those of us who have abiding confidence and un-wavering faith in the abilities of Waziri and her team to succeed will continue to do everything within our power to assist the EFCC. The EFCC is the only positive link we have with the rest of the world. I'm sure President Yar'adua knows this. So, all support should be given the agency and the ICPC to make them do us proud all the time. Anything short of this may be disastrous for us and generations yet un-born. Obaaro wrote from Kaabe, Kogi state
To watchers of developments in the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, the zeal, maturity and courage of its new chairperson, Mrs Farida Waziri cannot but stimulate deep interests. In just two months of being at the helm of the anti-graft agency, lots of changes have taken place both in the internal workings of the EFCC and in the public perception of the agency. It is interesting to note that adherence to the rule of law and transparent handling of cases have been the hallmark of the new leadership of the EFCC. I have been watching with keen interests the restructuring exercises taking place in the agency and up till now, the exercises have largely been premised on building a more virile institution and making the agency respectful of democratic tenets. So, I was at a loss some few days ago when I read some media reports about covert moves being allegedly made to castrate the EFCC. I was particularly pained that such reports neither did justice to the repositioning initiatives of the new leadership of the EFCC nor offer pragmatic proofs of some of the moves that are aimed at the jugular of the agency.No doubt, some fundamental changes have been made at the EFCC. Its pioneer chairman, Nuhu Ribadu was removed in controversial circumstances and even now, the Police Service Commission, PSC, seemed to have added another controversy to the Ribadu persona by demoting him by two ranks. In all honesty, Ribadu did his best for Nigeria while holding sway as the EFCC boss. It is however strange and preposterous for anyone to link his demotion with an attempt to castrate the EFCC. Are we saying that the future of the EFCC is inextricably linked with Ribadu? Shouldn't we begin to see the EFCC as an institution that is greater than individuals and even groups? EFCC is an idea. Victor Hugo said that “there is something greater than all the armies in the world and that is an idea whose time has come”. The EFCC is an idea whose time has come. It is an idea of transparency, zero tolerance for corruption, accountability and probity. These ideas are greater than any individual. Another plank upon which critics of the EFCC are basing their castration theory is that key officers of the anti-corruption agency are being redeployed from their beats. If our minds are open and not jaundiced by other interests, which organization in the world is run effectively without being dynamic? Is it practicable for a new administration in any organization to consign itself to old arrangements without pursuing its own vision? In what concrete ways has the EFCC been castrated? If for anything, we need to applaud the new boss of the anti-graft agency for her courage and consistence. There are so many fresh, high-profile cases she has opened in the two months that she assumed office. Is she not working with the key officers that her critics said she has been moving around? It is evident that all the claims of castration of the EFCC are hollow and self-serving. The new momentum generated by its fresh prosecutions of some politicians is enough proof that the new leadership of the EFCC is on the right tract.Take the arrest and prosecution of Bode George, a prominent chieftain of the ruling People's Democratic Party, PDP in the South-West as an example. Some of us have joined issues with the EFCC a few months back over his case. We were demanding that his activities as the chairman of the board of the Nigerian Ports Authority ,NPA, be looked into. For some strange reasons, Ribadu and his team delayed actions on his arrest and prosecution. Now, Waziri has docked Bode George and yet some people are still talking of EFCC being castrated. How many foreign contractors were probed by the EFCC when Ribadu was in the saddle? This woman dazed everyone when some few days after her confirmation, she docked the Austrian Contractor that fronted for those who messed up the aviation intervention fund. And some few days after, she nabbed the big masquerades behind the contractors. Yet, some people are still sneering at such an effort. Waziri has maintained a pattern of democratic civility in the way arrests and prosecution are being done. We are seeing results without noise-making. We are seeing actions rather than fiery speeches. This is the face of the new EFCC. It is possible for some Nigerians, who, out of patriotic fervour and genuine desire for total cleansing of the nation, to express genuine fears about the future of the anti-corruption war in the light of a rather high turn over of the leadership of the EFCC in the last eight months. Such fears are legitimate. However, the expression of such fears should be balanced by the realities on the ground. Mrs. Waziri has demonstrated that she is not a push over by her moves which are already causing jitters among politicians. We read in the newspapers a few days ago that some politicians, sensing danger about the no-nonsense woman shepherding the EFCC, were contemplating going on exile so as to evade arrests and prosecution. Will such politicians ever make such propositions if Waziri were to be a weakling? Does such a proposition lend credence to the castration theory of EFCC's critics. It is easier for whoever that has no problem with the EFCC to propose any theory and even mobilize support for such a theory. Ask those who are facing the teeth of the wind in that Commission and they will tell you how cold it feels!The anti-corruption war is our war. We all have equal stakes in the future of Nigeria. So, our best energies should be deployed to building confidence in the minds of fellow Nigerians and outsiders about efforts being made to bring corrupt elements in our midst to book. Both the EFCC and ICPC cannot do it alone. What do we stand to gain in a castrated EFCC? Where there are genuine cases to make of the activities of the anti-corruption agencies, we should be quick and bold to make such cases without hiding behind any personal, group or sectarian interests. If Waziri and her team continue in the way they are going now, in four years time, we may as well be rolling out drums in celebration of a new Nigeria of our dream. Of course, Waziri and EFCC should be carefully monitored to avoid derailment. But, it is not true that her moves are pointing to a castration agenda for the EFCC.In what practical ways can we assist the EFCC? Waziri has spoken of her resolve to make the fight take the form of a revolution. She has talked about reaching the grassroots with the anti-corruption message in a way that will compel holders of power at the local government level more accountable to their people. She has spoken of her determination to monitor activities of all financial institutions, including banks so as to make them more compliant with regulations and more responsive to the demands of the investing publics. In doing all these, she has promised to make the EFCC more formidable and more globally competitive. I think, what we should be doing is to continue to monitor her activities in this regard. We should ensure that Waziri keep faith with her declared intentions to make Nigeria too hot for fraudsters and corrupt elements. I make bold to state here that it is very difficult for anyone, Waziri inclusive, to castrate the EFCC “before our very eyes!” To ensure the success of the anti-corruption war, Waziri and her team should work on an effective whistle-blowing mechanism that will facilitate the reporting of corrupt practices in government and the private sector. The truth of the issue is that there seems to be no serious cover for whoever seeks to offer tangible clues to the EFCC about what is happening around. I think one of the reasons why the EFCC is not getting enough convictions in our courts is the lack of cover for witnesses who may want to testify against corrupt elements in our midst. This is very important and Waziri being a consummate lawyer knows what all this is all about. In a similar vein, the judiciary should do more than it is doing in dealing with cases of corruption. There is no way the EFCC can be the accuser and the judge in its own case. The power of the judiciary begins where that of the EFCC stops! This is the dilemma. So, in appraising the success of the anti-corruption war, we should always bear in mind that the judiciary also has very significant roles to play. If the EFCC continues to do its own beat, the judiciary should also take the initiatives to do its own work. This way, the war will be a total victory.On the whole, those who are waiting to see the EFCC castrated may have to wait forever. Those of us who have abiding confidence and un-wavering faith in the abilities of Waziri and her team to succeed will continue to do everything within our power to assist the EFCC. The EFCC is the only positive link we have with the rest of the world. I'm sure President Yar'adua knows this. So, all support should be given the agency and the ICPC to make them do us proud all the time. Anything short of this may be disastrous for us and generations yet un-born. Obaaro wrote from Kaabe, Kogi state
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