Will Farida Waziri Beatify Ribadu?
It would, indeed, be a most devastating tragedy if Mrs. Farida Waziri would decide to lend validity to the well-noised fears and doubts about her intentions, mission and moral capabilities, which began to flood and, in fact, overwhelm the public space the very instance the media began to speculate that President Umar Musa Yar’Adua was planning to nominate her as the new Chair of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). At some point, it was almost being concluded that given the sensitive nature of the assignment, it would be almost impossible for a candidate that had provoked such generous dose of passion and controversy to clinch the job, since no one could deny any more that sufficient impression had been achieved in the minds of the populace by the uproarious reservations expressed about her suitability.
But despite the uproar and stiff opposition from several vocal quarters, the National Assembly still backed the president in his determination to name Mrs. Waziri the new boss of the anti-graft agency. Although the matter is still the subject of an equally enlightening litigation in one of the nation’s courts, the new EFCC boss has since resumed duty with a firm promise that she would step on many big but tainted toes, and a prayer to God to help her skip all innocent toes.
But this is by no means the end of the matter. In fact, it is actually the beginning of a real and potent challenge to the credibility of the EFCC under her watch. The very strong reservations expressed about the intentions and moral properties she was bringing with her to the EFCC top job are yet to dissipate and fade into distant memory. In fact, they are very much alive and well, and have even assumed larger lives of their own. Corruption has since distinguished itself as the most resilient and unrepentant enemy of the nation’s survival and progress, and a growing number of Nigerians, mostly outside government circles are eager to observe its public execution and inglorious burial in a million feet deep grave. And so they would hate to confirm that rather than a strong determination to gratify their most passionate wish to watch this monster fiercely fought and annihilated, their new anti-corruption warrior was only minded to pamper and nourish it. That would be most devastating.
Farida Waziri, new EFCC Chair
Mrs. Waziri cannot pretend to be unaware that her accusers think that she was carefully chosen and sponsored by the Governors and former Governors, especially those with unresolved corruption issues with the EFCC, with a specific, unambiguous mandate to halt their prosecution and save them “further embarrassment.” In other words, she is here to protect treasury looters, not to ensure they are shown the dark path to prison.
Well, it is possible that among those vocal Nigerians unwilling to give Mrs. Waziri any chance to prove herself are friends and admirers of Mr. Nuhu Ribadu, the young, zealous former EFCC Chair, who had won himself the admiration of most Nigerians (including this writer) by the uncommon courage, enthusiasm and dedication with which he had initially discharged his duties. He probably meant well, and may have even had some dose of patriotism when he assumed his duties at the anti-graft agency. But, unfortunately, the man who appointed him to the office, also, clearly, had his own motives and agenda which were less than noble. If Ribadu was a good student of Power, he would have seen the folly and futility of trying to act and sound saintly in a regime that was headed by an acclaimed Founder and Father of Modern Corruption (FFMC). But if Ribadu had merely stopped at closing his eyes to the massive greed and misdeeds of his master and those of his incestuous group, maybe, his sin would have been less pronounced.
Former EFCC Boss, Nuhu Ribadu
But by choosing to endlessly announce with revolting audacity and recklessness that his principal was overly clean and above board, even in the face of intimidating evidence of the boundless looting he was closely supervising, Mr. Ribadu had practically overdrawn from the public goodwill and admiration which he had hitherto enjoyed and dealt his credibility a fatal blow. And when further the hand of the EFCC became so visible in the vile prosecution of the most odious and overwhelmingly resented Third Term Agenda, and collaborated with an equally willing and eager Maurice Iwu’s INEC to give the PDP its “fraudslide” victory, the once popular anti-graft agency simply became irredeemable. And hence, no matter what anyone says again about Ribadu and he all had accomplished, what most people see are the monstrous uses to which the EFCC was put in the service of the Owu Emperor. Agreed, some corrupt politicians were uncomfortable with Ribadu’s guts and desperately wanted him roasted by all means. But Ribadu must be willing to realize that with his own hands, he set up the fire that did him in.
But Farida Waziri can rehabilitate and even beatify him. She would achieve this by simply confirming the fears about her ethical competences, just like Obasanjo by his disastrous performance almost significantly rehabilitated Babangida and Abacha, and gave their unrepentant admirers the ‘bold face’ to wax nostalgic about their horrific tenures. She would unavoidably continue to elicit comparisons with Prof Dora Akunyili, whose appointment as NAFDAC Director-General was met with a lot of skepticism, but who over the years proved clearly that a woman can admirably succeed where many men had failed woefully.
But, while doubts about Akunyili were gender-based, what is being called to question are Waziri’s moral capabilities and integrity. She therefore has an even more daunting task of proving that she is not a mere undertaker for the anti-graft war. And she has ample opportunities to prove this. The power sector probe had opened so much dirt and filth inviting diligent prosecution. There also are the NPA, PTDF, etc. probe reports which no one hears about again. And then we have the NNPC, the States and local council accounts and, of course, the books of the Federal ministries (which the former EFCC had closed its eyes to).
Farida Waziri would have no excuse for failing to prove she did not come to shield crooks, but to put them away, beyond the confines of decent existence. Else, she would end on the wrong side of history as one of those that aided the ruination of Nigeria.
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