Thomas Imonikhe and Friday Olokor
15 October 2008
Lagos — ECONOMIC and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) chairman, Mrs. Farida Waziri's claim that her agency has not received any petition to probe former President Olusegun Obasanjo for alleged corruption, yesterday elicited condemnation from Chief Gani Fawehinmi (SAN) and Alhaji Balarabe Musa.
In separate reactions they described her claim as not only "disappointing but absolute nonsense."
Similarly, chairman, Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders (CACOL), Mr. Debo Adeniran, said Mrs. Waziri, pronouncement was treacherous and deceitful.
The EFCC boss had at a national roundtable for good governance organised by The Initiatives, a group in the House of Representatives, held in Abuja on Monday said in spite of adverse media reports against Obasanjo, her commission had not received any formal petition to commence investigation against him.
She said it was wrong for anyone to think that the EFCC would commence investigation and possible prosecution of the former President on the basis of unsubstantiated allegations against him.
But reacting to Mrs. Farida's stand on Obasanjo, Fawehinmi said evidence against the former president was overwhelming.
Speaking from London in a telephone chat with Daily Champion yesterday, Fawehinmi said: "She (Mrs. Waziri) is talking absolute nonsense.
How can she be saying that? The evidence against Obasanjo is so legion, transparent and so voluminous."
He said the $16 billion spent by the Obasanjo administration to revamp the power sector between 1999 and 2007 without commensurate result was enough evidence for the EFCC to prosecute him.
He also cited the Obasanjo Presidential Library, Abeokuta, Ogun State capital, which the ex-President initiated while in office as another example.
Speaking in similar vein, former governor of Kaduna State and chairman, Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP), Alhaji Musa said Mrs. Waziri's statement on the issue was disappointing.
"The allegations against Obasanjo are not only credible but all embracing that no one who sincerely want to fight corruption can do so without first investigating the former president. He should be the first person to be investigated.
Speaking from Kaduna on telephone Musa said: "For her to say that there is no evidence to investigate Obasanjo is very disappointing.
It means that she wants to end her career like her predecessor in office, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, she has no and legitimacy to investigate anybody if she can't investigate Obasanjo" Musa said.
In separate reaction, Mr. Adeniran said: "The EFCC is just playing to the gallery. The arguments of Mrs. Waziri do not hold water. We are coming out soon with our action on the claim by the EFCC.
"The statement by Mrs. Waziri shows the disconnection between her and Ribadu. There is no continuity in EFCC. Mrs. Waziri is not sincere with her fight against corruption and while we are not calling for the abrogation of the EFFC, we recommend that Mrs. Waziri should be sacked for not doing what she is expected to do.
"Her comments on Obasanjo smack of treachery and deceit. It is a conspiracy against the people of Nigeria. Credible person should replace her.
All the probes in the National Assembly do not exonerate Obasanjo because he was the Accounting Officer of the eight-year administration. Look at the Independent Power Project (IPP) for instance, he was also in charge of Petroleum Ministry. With the EFCC Act, there is no other petition or evidence needed for Obasanjo to be prosecuted.
"We decided to submit our petition openly to the EFCC in Lagos so that the case is not pushed under the carpet," he said.
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