http://www.tribune.com.ng/14082009/news/news5.html

PDP, Mark slam Clinton over comments on Nigerian leadership - Clinton unfair to EFCC - Waku
By Leon Usigbe and Shola Adekola - 14.08.2009

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as well as the Senate President, David Mark, on Thursday, lambasted the United States Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton over her remarks during her visit to the country in which she suggested that there was failure of leadership in Nigeria as a result of corruption and bad governance.


In voicing its disappointment with the top US diplomat, the PDP said in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Professor Rufai Ahmed Alkali, that her statement did not reflect the realities on ground in the country.


It said while the party welcomed her visit to Nigeria as a further expression of the age-long strong cordial diplomatic relations between both countries, it was “at the same time concerned that some of her remarks are not only way off the mark, but also based on misinformation.”


According to the statement, “her sweeping statements on what she calls a ‘failure of leadership’ does not correspond with the reality of present day Nigeria, where a committed leadership operating within the realm of the rule of law holds sway.”


The party pointed out that the present administration “inherited a lot of challenges that were entrenched in the body polity for a long time,” saying that since assumption of office, President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua had demonstrated “a rare, but firm commitment to right the wrongs of the past, using constitutional instruments in order to strengthen democratic governance in the country.”


Senator Mark, in his reaction yesterday, said it was only Nigeria that can decide what form of democracy it wanted. Speaking at the Presidential Lounge of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, Mark insisted that just as other countries of the world decided their own form of democracy, Nigeria has the right to do same.


On the issues raised by Clinton on Nigeria’s efforts at strengthening democratic institutions through the reforms to fight corruption which she said was not firm enough, Mark replied: "What is wrong with the electoral system? What is the problem with it?  You see people just criticize because they want to do so.


‘’There is nothing in the electoral act that allows people to go and take ballot boxes and run away with it.Rather than face the real issues by functionally educating the people, we are just beaten about the bush.’’


Outspoken National Vice Chairman of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Senator Joseph Waku, has described the statement credited to the United States Secretary of State, Mrs. Hillary Clinton, that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has “fallen off,” as unfair.


Waku, in a statement released on Thursday in Abuja, said Mrs. Clinton’s undiplomatic attack on the EFCC showed “she’s either briefed on the facts on ground by a partisan adviser or she has her own bias against the present leadership of the commission”


According to the statement, “I have chosen to respond to Mrs. Clinton’s comment because I believe she made an avoidable error by singling out the EFCC out of all agencies of government in Nigeria to attack when there was obviously no need for it. It is either she has been wrongly briefed by her embassy staff in Nigeria or she is a victim of the propaganda mounted by some elements who either lost out in the commission or are being prosecuted by it at the moment.”


“I have read with dismay that the same EFCC Mrs. Clinton said has fallen off, has in the last one year, secured over 65 convictions and recovered funds above N50 billion, with over 400 cases in courts. I[b] have also heard [/b] that the present EFCC chairman inherited about 11 cases of politically exposed persons (PEPs), but today, she has taken more than 40 PEP cases to court.

If this is the fact on ground, how did Mrs. Clinton arrive at her own conclusion?” he querried.
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These guys are bloody comedians who will prefer marking their scripts themselves in an examination, or what do u think?

I think I should know who you're working for. That's what I think.

Clinton is right. The EFCC is not going after the "untouchables" who do the real damage to Nigeria because it is now controlled by the same "untouchables" it is meant to be bringing to justice. Clinton is entirely correct in stating that the "the EFCC has fallen off" . I would go as far as to say the EFCC should be renamed CEA - Corruption Enhancing Agency.

those old papa have no shame

ikeyman u suprised? hah

those pdp shuold all be beheaded in accordance with shaira section 14-14

nex:

I think I should know who you're working for. That's what I think.

I know i'm working for my conscience and on behalf of the set of people that believe that Mrs. Clinton was totally right and that our leaders are not yet ready to face reality. QED.

ikeyman you made a point. in sharia the punishment for rigging election is that your head be cut off. Can they cut off the head of northner governors.?

Farida Waziri is just a freaking figure-head in EFCC. A toothless BITCH!!!! Once they forced ribadu out of the place and put in that woman, i knew nigeria still had a long way to go.

she is not a toothless bitch! man that bitch has got fangs the size of dracula's balls.

but she is just a frigid bitch dog who can never be in heat to catch the criminals in government, imagine Yar (Fcking)dua saying he has challenges with corruption, when his bitch wife is round-tripping forex from here to Kathmandu

Clinton is just right about the EFCC, why are they bothered about NTA's 8.2 billion when Edo state proposed govt house will cost N6 billion (Without furniture)

A friend sent an article to me some days ago, where the writer said Nigeria should be renamed Scamerica.

No she should have told them off, they are CROOKS.

shanda:

A friend sent an article to me some days ago, where the writer said Nigeria should be renamed Scamerica.

Honestly!! seconded

which one be scamerica again?

I want to say that she was very fair with EFCC.
This is based on the fact that with the exit of Ribadu, the EFCC has become a lame dock. It has virtually relegated much of its basic functions to the background. Today, most of the indited persons (politicians in particular) by Ribadu-led EFCC are working free on our streets.what a shame!

Only if all the oppressed people of Nigeria can deliberately come together and organize themselves by embarking on days of fasting and prayer for God to deliver this country out the hands of these few oppressors.

lol Nigeria is still mad over clinton lol das my chick

She was very fair because efcc only nabs enemies of the PDP and small yahoo yahoo boys

Infact the yahoo yahoo boys are making money off of other countries and the efcc is locking them up. They should be lockin up the Nigerians who steal from Nigeria.

It shows how much the  Nigerian government doesn't respect its citizens. In America the only way you could get locked up for e mail scams is scamming Americans lol. The Nigerian Govt doesn't care about Nigerians but they try to put on for the rest of the world. With trash like the efcc

Madam Clinton called a spade a spade and they don't like it because they were expecting exaltation. But they were frustrated with what they got.

Well she spoke her mind, we don't like that in these parts, but I guess they (EFCC) would need a little ginger, they have been a bit quiet though they might also say they are working behind the scenes. All said though, Clinton was fair.

If EFCC could have collected 3 million from ibori for stealing Billions of naira only God knows how many crooks payed similar amount to sum up the so call 50 billion

DID SHE LIE?

Thank you so much MOGENTLE you are

really working for the entire nation.

Those old crooks are not ready to face realilty

Notting is wrong with Nigeria and Nigerian people

it is just bad goverance.

Mrs Clinton is 100% right.

She can go on and on and say it,

ikeyman00:


those pdp shuold all be beheaded in accordance with shaira section 14-14

hehehehe,

seconded,

I am not surprised at all.
Mark just displayed how uninformed he is, for him to think that nigeria of today is anything better cos of EFCC, he just proved that he is a slowpoke, i am even more disappointed that some dumb AREWA can open his mouth and say Clinton was wrong and that some high profile politicians has been taken to court and that 50B naira has been seized, so where is the money and what have they done with it?
Some basked mouth in the govt, so sad

Mr Ibru has got this to say

http://videos.ebonybay.com/Drama/ad1.asp?blurb=3338

Maybe they need to listen to this and tell me if na lie------fools

Well, Madam Secretary of State came to our dear Nigeria and called a spade a spade PERIOD! Whether our leaders accept it or not, we all know our problem-Leadership.
I think they are just trying to make alittle noise so as to make some people believe their stand. Moreover, she didn't mention categorically that it's the present leadership, she just said our problem is leadership despite our huge and enviable resources. THEY MUST BE GUILTY TO HAVE RESPONDED THAT WAY.
I am sure if Nigeria were to be the property of the US, every body will like to be here, cos they'll give it a VIP treatment considering the riches burried here. But most people remain here today, simply becaues they can't get visa, [/font]

otokx:

which one be scamerica again?

No mind dem !! It should be Scamgeria

Clinton said that we have failed leadership and ubiquitous corruption, and some stupid Nigerian politician found it in his heart to contest the allegation, l, ll, ll, llo, lol           
I don't even know what is more worrying, the ineptness of our leaders, or the corruption itself. Bloody Idiots. (One day all the money whey dem thief go choke dem for throat)

Shame on this govt!

dis is a 2ru talk dt mrs sectary don say, anyway truth is better sa!!

Wait, did Yaradua see her off to the Airport?

I cant seem to understand why we keep saying Ribadu was better than Farida, Ha!!

Its common knowledge that Ribadu's brief was to go after three sets of people 1) those who squandered PDP campaign funds (OBJ's lifeblood)  :oon personal use (e.g. Tafa Balogun and Dariye), those opposed to Third Term (i.e. OBJ's sovereignty), and those who dared seek the Presiency (i.e. who dared assume that one day OBJ will not be in power)!!

Ribadu was Obasanjo’s Rottweiler, ready not to bark but also to bite mercilessly anyone who dared questioned his master about his “God-given” right to run for a third term. ", Obasanjo needed someone young, ambitious and unknown whose loyalty to him will be total in return for promotion, influence and money. A young unknown officer in the person of Ribadu became the tool and ideal candidate. Ribadu was only important as long as Emperor Obasanjo pursued a third term agenda. His relevance, therefore, expired when the third term brouhaha was finally interred, "

Ribadu only fought corruption on Obasanjo’s terms which was to emasculate political nitwits and favour political boot lickers. He was answerable to no one but Machiavelli  Obj.- now his time has passed and we have a new Rottweiler. That her Boss has not perceived any threat serious enough to order her to action does not make her toothless. Lets approach 2011, and I can bet you that just as Ribadu started to work overtime in the wake of the Third Term project, so will Madam bare her fangs when the time is right

The only diference between them both (Ribadu & Farida) is that Ribadu tried to paint his work in good light to fool 'yuppie intellectuals' and impress his Boss. Farida's Boss obviously can't be bothered!!

As for Hilary Clinton, America has realised that the opinion of foreign countries in Nigeria has as much clout as breeze - the politicians no send and there is nothing America, England and them all can do about it. That's why Obama can't come and risk embarrassment so they sent Madam Hilary. If we embarrass her, no problem - it probably wont even make the news!!!

@ Soldee:

I think you left out 419s and real corrupt people that had nothing to do with obj or government. What of those that defrauded a brazilian bank, etc. You are being economical with the truth.
Note this, even those that support Ribadu know he made mistake but he is still far far ahead of Waziri, Yaradua, Ibori, Igbinedion, Andoakaa, etc.
truly he went after perceived enemies of his master but the questions we are asking is that:
NAME AN INNOCENT MAN RIBADU PROSECUTED DURING HIS TENURE?
THOSE THAT HE PROSECUTED, DID THEY STEAL OR NOT?