A former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mrs. Farida Waziri, on Wednesday described as “blatant falsehood,” the claim by ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo that she was recommended for the EFCC job by convicted former Delta State Governor, James Ibori.
Expressing surprise that a man who has been twice a Nigerian leader would “descend so low to peddle falsehood,” Waziri warned Obasanjo to respect his age or else she would “open up on him.”
“I will like to warn that those who live in glass houses don’t throw stones and as such Obasanjo should not allow me open up on him. Respectable elder statesmen act and speak with decorum”, she said in a statement personally signed by her.
Ex-Vice-President Atiku Abubakar said the claim by the former President that he was persona non grata in the United States, was not true.
Obasanjo had in an interview he grantedZero Tolerance,a magazine published by the EFCC, also said that the war against corruption in the country slowed down during Waziri’s tenure because she was not qualified for the job.
He had said, “Go and look at her track record. Go and look at the condition or the qualification; go and look at the type of interaction that anybody holding that job will have with a similar organisation elsewhere; did Waziri have that type? What connection did she have with FBI? What relationship did she have with Metropolitan Police in London? It’s not a picnic.”
But Waziri, in the statement which showed her level of anger, said she doubted if Obasanjo could boast her level of education.
The EFCC former chairman then went ahead to reel out her educational qualification and her relationship with international security agencies while serving in the Nigeria Police Force for 35 years.
She said, “Again for the record, I served in the NPF for 35 years and got to the pinnacle of my career before my appointment as the 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, and Police Special Fraud Unit where I secured the first conviction in a case of Advance Fee Fraud in Nigerian history.
“These are all prime investigative organs of the Nigeria Police where I related with other law enforcement agencies, including theFBIacross the world. I must place on record that at the SFU, I did not only relate with the FBI, Interpoland the 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.
“To further expose the height of mischief in the allegations, the past and present chairmen of the EFCC have both worked under me; yet someone can open his mouth to say I am not qualified to head the same agency. 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. I doubt if Obasanjo himself can boast 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.”
She told Obasanjo that the Act establishing the EFCC stipulates 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’.
Waziri said while she holds the office of a Head of State in the highest esteem, it was necessary to put on the record for the umpteenth time, that the claim that Ibori recommended her for the EFCC job “ is a totally unfounded, blatant lie.”
The ex-anti graft Czar added, “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 theInterpoland the Metpolice.
“As such, it is illogical and nonsensical for anyone to continue to insinuate that Ibori had a hand in my appointment. I remember this was one of the lies Obasanjo’s sit-tight pawns cooked to stop my appointment as the EFCC chairman in 2008.”
According to her, the late President Umaru Yar’Adua did not have to alter the Act “when he was appointing me unlike what Obasanjo did.”
She told the former President that ability to be used to victimise political enemies in the rabid pursuit of his third term agenda “has never been part of the qualifications for appointment as chairman of the anti-graft agency.”
Also, Abubakar said there was no way he could be arrested if he travelled to the US.
MORE TO FOLLOW!

He added that Obasanjo’s repeated ‘jokes’ about his “ not being able to go to the US have become a cliché, tiresome and not true.”
In a statement issued by his Media Adviser, Mallam Garba Shehu, the former vice-president said his visa to the US had recently been renewed.
“The former President is wrong. It is widely known that Abubakar didn’t enter government broke. He declared his assets at the commencement of his Vice Presidency and did so at the end of his tenure.” the statement added.
It stated that in 2006, Obasanjo sent his National Security Adviser to stop Abubakar from travelling to the US on the grounds that he risked arrest on arrival.
The ex-VP, according to the statement, spurned that advice, left Nigeria and landed at the Andrews Air Force Base, the official airport of the US government.
It added that shortly after Yar’Adua was inaugurated as President, Abubakar travelled and spent three months in the US. http://www.punchng.com/news/waziri-to-obasanjo-respect-your-age-or-ill-expose-you/

@mods, front page pls.

Madam please forgive him. Age is no more on his side. You are indeed a too much with this your qualif...

Madam how many investigation did you conclude with success? OBJ knows where he's pointing at, expect Obasanjo he will soon be back to clear the ground!

Bright2: Madam how many investigation did you conclude with success? OBJ knows where he's pointing at, expect Obasanjo he will soon be back to clear the ground!

Don't mind that woman !!!

Obj is talking about action she is talking about Paper !!!

How many Cases were prosecuted and persecuted succesfully in her regime .........!!!

U can be drinking a cup of coffee with FBI/CIA/Interpol everyday but that doesn't mean U are still with them if U can't utilise any of their resources to win a case !!!


Nigerian thieves pack all the money abroad ......FBI and other sister agencies may not supply you with Intelligence if they know U are not gonna act or a weakling !!!



God Bless Nuhu Ribadu .......That is the only anti-corruption czar Nigerian ever had other than Buhari/Idiagbon ........... Kudos to Obasanjo !!

Won't this man just go and rest?
He's older than my grandfather

Imagine!

Mrs Faridat Waziri was the EFCC chairman for 3years, knew obasanjo has skeleton in his cupboard and couldn't mastermind the investigation to bring this man to justice.
What evidence has she now to prove to us that she hasn't been protecting all other corrupt politicians walking freely?

Is there now any justification to her cry yesterday saying her hardwork wasn't duely rewarded by the way she was booted out from the office?

Imagine,this woman forming all the department she headed in NPF ........

What and where U headed in NPF doesn't matter to anybody, your achievement there is what matter !!!


To get Juicy post is the easiest in Nigeria,if u can play some balls .......so, is that what she is boasting-off !!! hehehe!!!



Baba should reply this woman sharpsharp, I wanto Laugh oooo !!!

y am i seeing ds as signs of ET

Tolexander: Imagine!

Mrs Faridat Waziri was the EFCC chairman for 3years, knew obasanjo has skeleton in his cupboard and couldn't mastermind the investigation to bring this man to justice.
What evidence has she now to prove to us that she hasn't been protecting all other corrupt politicians walking freely?

Is there now any justification to her cry yesterday saying her hardwork wasn't justified by the way she was booted out from the office?

thank u!

I trust OBJ in this matter, Nigeria today is stagnant because it is laden with many Waziris. If Nigeria were to be a true state,the likes of Waziri should have been kept at bay.

Mrs Faridat Waziri contributed to the corruption in Nigeria. In her time, many notorious politicians were celebrated as saints.

donroxy: Don't mind that woman !!!

Obj is talking about action she is talking about Paper !!!

How many Cases were prosecuted and persecuted succesfully in her regime .........!!!

U can be drinking a cup of coffee with FBI/CIA/Interpol everyday but that doesn't mean U are still with them if U can't utilise any of their resources to win a case !!!


Nigerian thieves pack all the money abroad ......FBI and other sister agencies may not supply you with Intelligence if they know U are not gonna act or a weakling !!!



God Bless Nuhu Ribadu .......That is the only anti-corruption czar Nigerian ever had other than Buhari/Idiagbon ........... Kudos to Obasanjo !!

Are you asking a rhetorical question or is this an expression of unabashed ignorance and intellectual laziness? Have you bothered to find actual answers to these questions? Why not find out how many prosecutions and convictions were recorded during her tenure and then compare that with Ribadu's! The woman openly made very bold and verifiable claims that it is on record that her tenure had the highest number of prosecutions and convictions to date. why not disprove that claim with cold, hard facts?

Nigerians must be the most indolent people ever. Everyone just likes parroting nonsense and re-echoing stereotypes all over the place, based on a zombie-like bandwagon mentality. I guess it's too much work to take out some time to THINK and do your own research in order to arrive at objective conclusions.