Date Published: 07/19/09

Sir,

N53.3B: A beneficiary's cart before the horse

Some individuals, on the hill of Yar’Adua appointing Mrs. Farida Waziri EFCC Chairman, went to town prophesying how wonderfully she would turn the anti-graft agency to what it is supposed to be. We all have seen how ‘marvelously’ the EFCC is performing now.

If what the Senate Committee on Banking submitted is true, then among the vocal few that made the most noise as to the fantastic way Farida would perform, was a woman politician whose name has also appeared as one of  the beneficiaries of the N53billion ‘largesse’ that crippled some of the dead Nigerian banks. This particular woman who had over N1billion against her name, had on President announcing Farida appointment, rushed to the media, giving testimonies on how she knew the woman of the EFCC and how she is endowed with impeccable character and penchant for fighting crime. “Mrs. Waziri will prove that women can perform better”, she affirmed. Unknown to the public that she was praise-singing Farida in advance for an incubating case; in order that Farida remembers to be kind when the chips are down. You now see why I say that the beneficiary had her horse before the cart. Now that the woman politician is involved, let Farida show her ‘impeccable character’ (prophesied by the woman) on the case.

I thank God that it was another woman, Senator Nkechi Nwaogu (the Chairman Senate Committee on Banking and Financial Institutions) that busted the information to the public. The EFCC may have had this information with them and why they did not move into it before now should be suspect.

Chief Pius Umukoro, Effurum Road, Warri, Delta State