The chairman of the Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Farida Waziri, yesterday reinforced the growing apathy and waning interest in transparent civil governance in the world most populous black nation by looking her country men in the eye and arbitrarily declaring that accused corrupt Governors and other top elected officials have no case to answer.

Farida Waziri, EFCC Boss

Waziri whose appointment was greeted with wide spread Sinicism in the wake of an allegation of being brought in to unravel the succeeding war on corruption by her predecessor, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu shocked the entire world when she said in Abuja that the case files on 31 Governors and proven evidence of money laundry and embezzlement of public funds were missing and that some of the allegations were exaggerated.

The EFCC boss who rode into office on the back of the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Michael Aondoakaa, a man viewed with suspicion by the international community as being comfortable with the culture of corruption, did not disappoint watchers of Nigeria’s event in not waiting for the due process of law before acquitting and discharging the officials which includes former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

By implication, Waziri have cleared Chief James Ibori (Delta), Chief Orji Kalu (Abia), Chief Lucky Igbinedion (Edo), Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani ( Enugu), Mr. Ayo Fayose (Ekiti), Chief Joshua Dariye (Plateau), Mr. Jolly Nyame (Taraba), Alhaji Saminu Turaki (Jigawa), Mr. Boni Haruna (Adamawa), Peter Odili (Rivers) whose cases were widely known all over the world.

Waziri, who was reacting to a question put to her during the roundtable discussion of The Initiatives, a group of lawmakers in the House of Representatives said apart from having no case against Obasanjo, most of the case files on top political office holders, particularly former state governors contained no vital evidence to prosecute them.

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Foreclosing the possibility of investigating any corrupt allegations against Chief Obasanjo, Mrs. Waziri insisted that the commission had nothing against the former president.
On the allegation of massive corruption levelled against 31 state governors by her predecessor, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, the anti-graft body chairman said when she took over; it was found that most case files against some of the former governors lacked documents that could ensure successful trial in the law court.

Because of the absence of those vital documents, she explained that it was difficult for the commission to start prosecuting the former governors.
According to her, “Most of the cases mentioned by the former EFCC chairman turned out not to have strong and enough facts to charge them to court. The case files against some of the governors are so scanty.”

The EFCC boss admitted that there was enough time for the former governors to cover their tracks, adding that some of the documents that could be used as evidence against them were not available in the commission.
Notwithstanding, she assured that the commission was still working on the petitions filed before it by concerned citizens, adding that some of the ex-public officers against whom were convincing evidence would be prosecuted.

The EFCC boss told Nigerians who were eager to see past rulers in the dock that the commission could not prosecute anybody without petition against such person. She therefore urged members of the public to help the commission by coming up with petitions against corrupt leaders. She promised that the commission would protect the identity of any petitioner.
Earlier in her speech at the event, the EFCC chairman stated that the commission would put in place within a democratic structure, effective enforcement mechanism that would root out corruption from offices and in the streets.

She admitted that corruption is a direct function of governance and insisted that government in itself must respect the laws in existence and continuously open itself to audit by the EFCC to flush out corrupt practices and officials.

“We will partner with government agencies and the citizenry in a pro-active way. This will involve active liaising process whereby the commission is appraised by government agencies, the citizenry and business entities of fraudulent practices.
“We intend to pursue a policy and practice of respect for existing laws while eschewing arbitrariness because effective governance and business can only thrive in a society whereby the level of corruption is at a minimum.”