Teaching Comparative

Anti-corruption activity in Nigeria

And a follow-up to the dismissal of the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in January.

The question is, who is Mrs. Waziri and who are her sponsors?

This is the report from This Day in Lagos.

Waziri is New EFCC Chairman

"Speculations as to the fate of Mallam Nuhu Ribadu as the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) were laid to rest yesterday.

"Five months after he was controversially sidelined and ordered to proceed on study leave, Ribadu was yesterday officially replaced as the chairman of the anti-graft agency.

"President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua approved the appointment of Mrs. Farida Waziri, a retired Assistant Inspector-General of Police, as EFCC chairman...

"Waziri will hold forte (sic) in an acting capacity until she is confirmed by the Senate...

"Waziri has LLB (Hons) and LLM degrees from the University of Lagos, BL from the Nigerian Law School, MSc in Strategic Studies from the University of Ibadan and attended the Nigeria War College, Abuja...

"[She has also] attended various professional and administrative courses at home and abroad, mostly on investigations and operations...

"[H]er sponsors, who are said to be some former and serving governors and a former presidential aide, were said to have sealed the deal to have her appointed last weekend in Bayelsa State..."

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Paul Ohia, writing in This Day offered a profile of Farida Mzamber Waziri.

Waziri - On the Hot Seat

"On her way to being a Catholic nun where she would have devoted her entire life to chastity and poverty, Mrs. Farida Mzamber Waziri made a U-turn from Queen of Holy Rosary Convent in 1963 and discovered an essential life of sacrifice in secular life.

"She ended up in the Police Force and today all eyes are on her as she takes over at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nigeria's foremost anti-fraud agency...

"In the force she had a reputation as a "no nonsense" officer who rose from the ladder to enviable position of Assistant Inspector General before retiring. She held several appointments in the police force including headship of the Federal Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) and Interpol...

"Critics say her appointment was made at the behest of some corrupt politicians who wanted Ribadu [her ousted predecessor] out at all cost...

"It is believed in some quarters that since the removal of Ribadu, the EFCC has been incapacitated by some powerful people in and out of government especially those under trial...

"She headed the police Anti-Fraud Unit between 1996 and 1999 during which Ribadu and the EFCC Director of Operations, Mr Ibrahim Lamorde, were trained by her.

"She is a tough and disciplined anti-graft crusader and a very hard worker, those who know her say.

"She will be expected to restore public confidence in the EFCC and would seek to work closely with international agencies and governments engaged in reducing fraud and corruption.

"It is said that Waziri has not engaged in partisan political activity and has a deserved reputation for being unafraid of pursuing those in her sights.

"She is well thought of in police circles in Nigeria as well as among the lawyers and judges with whom she works...

"She may prove critics wrong and wage an all out war on corruption, though analysts say she may not be well desposed to chasing alleged corrupt officials down to airports like her predecessor.

"If confirmed by the Senate, Waziri will also be expected to prosecute those who might be indicted by the various committees in the Senate and House of Representatives and analysts believe former President Olusegun Obasanjo and his daughter, Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello, may come under her prosecutorial hammer if indicted, to take attention away from the former governors...

"Positions she has held during her career put her on the pedestal of someone who has risen through the lowest to the highest rank in the police force and no other woman has yet recorded the phenomenal progression in the entire force yet...

"Waziri is a member of several professional organisations including Chiefs of Police Association, USA, International Association of Women Police (IAWP), Soroptomists of Nigeria, Federation of Women Lawyers, African Women Leaders Think-Tank. She is also the Vice-President, Alumni Association of the National War College (AANWAC)."

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Another view of the appointment came from Sahara Reporters, an online news source.

Corrupt Ex-Governors Force Yar’Adua to Name a New EFCC Head

"Former Governor James Onanefe Ibori and a coalition of ex-governors embroiled in corruption scandals have prevailed on “President” Umar Yar’Adua to appoint their candidate as the new head of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission...

"The former AIG has promised the ex-governors that, once confirmed, she will work to sabotage their ongoing prosecution for acts of money laundering, graft and corruption...

"Mrs. Waziri’s nomination has been long pushed by corrupt former governors facing trial from the Ribadu-led EFCC...

"Since the removal of Ribadu, the EFCC has been effectively paralyzed by a group of powerful ex-governors led by James Ibori of Delta State who had invested close to $500 million in slush funds towards getting Yar'adua 'elected' into office in the gravely rigged April 2007 elections...

"Mrs. Waziri's brief will include aggressive prosecution of persons to be indicted by the various committees of the House of Representatives currently investigating the regime of former President Obasanjo. She is also expected to ensure that former governors currently facing prosecution by the EFCC are allowed to get away through lackadaisical prosecution..."

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Back in January, Jessica Emeruwa reported in The Sun (Lagos) that Mrs. Waziri was up for this job. I guess the politics of the appointment took awhile to complete.

Race for EFCC top job hots up

Monday, January 7, 2008

"There are indications that a retired Inspector General of Police (AIG), Mrs. Farida Waziri, is being considered for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) top job being vacated y Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.Some top presidency officials were said to have recommended Mrs Waziri to President Umar Musa Yar’Adua as a neutral candidate that can keep the anti-corruption fire aflame.

"Beside presidency officials, it was also learnt that retired big guns in the security and intelligence circles were said to have made favourable recommendations to President Yar’Adua on Mrs Waziri...

"She is said to have gotten many favourable recommendations for the job because she headed the police Anti-Fraud Unit between 1996 and 1999 during which Ribadu and the EFCC Director of Operations, Mr Ibrahim Lamorde were trained by her. Waziri is also being considered so that a tough woman..

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22 May; from Leadership (Abuja)

Nigeria: EFCC Grounded

"Business activities have been grounded at the corporate headquarters of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in Abuja following the inability of the newly-appointed acting chairman of the commission, Mrs. Farida Waziri, to officially assume duty.

"LEADERSHIP gathered last night that Mrs. Waziri, a lawyer who is very conversant with the EFCC Act, has refused to officially assume duty because of the pronouncement by the Senate that President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua didn't follow due process in her appointment...

"LEADERSHIP gathered that the presidency, which is aware of the happenings at the commission, had to quickly forward the name of Mrs. Waziri and others to the Senate yesterday for confirmation so that activities could resume at the anti-graft agency..."

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See also: Anti-anticorruption move in Nigeria

That January blog entry has a long list of related articles attached to it. Aha, do I sense the potential for a case study?

Labels: leadership, Nigeria, politics

posted by Ken Wedding @ 7:16 AM