Shut up or I reveal your dirty linen – Farida Waziri warns Obasanjo

A former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mrs. Farida Waziri, yesterday blew hot, as she threatened to “open up” on former President, Olusegun Obasanjo. Obasanjo had in a recent interview stated that Waziri became head of the anti-graft agency on her recommendation by the convicted former governor of Delta State, James Ibori. In a statement signed by her aide, the former anti-corruption boss said “I will like to warn that those who live in glass house don’t throw stones and as such, Obasanjo should not allow me open up on him.” While she denied knowing or meeting Ibori until long after she had been appointed head of the Agency, she also narrated how she initiated the investigation that eventually led to Ibori’s conviction by a United Kingdom court. The statement reads in part, “My attention has been drawn to a number of allegations made against me by Mr. Obasanjo. One of such was the alleged involvement of former Delta State governor, James Ibori, in my appointment. “While I hold the office of a Head of State, either serving or retired, in the highest esteem, I will like to put on record for the umpteenth time that this is totally unfounded, blatant lie and arrant falsehood. It is therefore worrisome when a man who has been twice a Nigerian Head of State can descend so low to peddle falsehood. “The truth is that I never met Ibori in my life until after months in office as chairman of the EFCC, when I used to see him in the Presidential Villa. It is on record today that I initiated the investigation that drove Ibori into the waiting hands of Interpol and Metpolice.” She reminded Obasanjo that ability to be used to witch-hunt political enemies in the rabid pursuit of a third term agenda has never been part of the qualifications for appointment as chairman of the anti-graft agency.” She alleged that the same “lies” were cooked up by “Obasanjo’s sit-tight pawns” to stop her appointment as EFCC chairman in 2008. She added: “Qualification for appointment as chairman of the Commission, as stipulated in its Establishment Act, says that the chairman shall ‘be a serving or retired member of any government security or law enforcement agency, not below the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police or equivalent; and possess not less than 15 years cognate experience.’ “Late President (Umaru Musa) Yar’Adua did not have to alter the Establishment Act when he was appointing me, unlike what Obasanjo did. Again for the records, I served in the Nigeria Police Force for 35 years and got to the pinnacle of my career before my appointment as EFCC chairman. “If Obasanjo’s real age has not blurred his memory, I will like to remind him that I was a Commissioner of Police, Admin Force CID, CP General Investigations, CP Anti-fraud, CP X Squad, CP Police Special Fraud Unit where I secured the first conviction in a case of Advance Fee Fraud in Nigerian history.” Waziri stated further that, “These are all prime investigative organs of the Nigeria Police, where I related with other law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, across the world. I must place on record that at SFU, I did not only relate with FBI, Interpol and Metpolice, among others, we carried out joint operations at different times on a number of cases. I have also led the Nigerian delegation to the Interpol Headquarters in France.” She added that Nuhu Ribadu and Ibrahim Lamorde (the past and present chairmen of EFCC respectively), had both worked under her, thereby making the allegation on qualification baseless. “This is in addition to my educational qualifications such as a first degree in Law, a master’s degree in Law and another master’s degree in Strategic Studies,” she noted. “I doubt if Obasanjo himself can boast of this level of educational qualifications. “I will also like to remind Obasanjo that no chairman of the EFCC has till date beaten my records in terms of investigation of high profile cases, prosecution, conviction and recovery.”