September 21, 2008
SaharaReporters, New York.
Chairperson of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mrs. Farida Waziri, recently attended a small-time seminar in England organized by Cambridge University on economic and financial crimes. “It was the kind of seminar that should have been attended by junior officers of EFCC,” one of the agency’s sources told Saharareporters, “but she decided to go herself.”
Mrs. Waziri’s attendance at this event is symptomatic of her lackluster performance as head of an anti-corruption agency whose reputation, in the words of a diplomatic at a major European embassy in Abuja, “is highly damaged.”
Another source in Abuja told SaharaReporters that the EFCC helmswoman was “executing President Yar’adua’s dishonest and totally compromised 'war' against corruption in Nigeria.”
A source close to Mrs. Waziri disclosed that she has been frustrated that Nigerians seem to rate her much lower than her substantive predecessor, Nuhu Ribadu. She was honest enough to admit to Justice Olubunmi Oyewole of the Lagos State High Court that she did not expect that she would be badly received by the Nigerian people as the new EFCC chair. She also complained to her London chaperon that she did not think she would leave the agency worse than she met it.
Mrs. Waziri has spent more than a 100 days as EFCC chair, and she has made progress in her mandate to “effectively shut down the agency’s fight against corruption in Nigeria,” according to one source knowledgeable about the goal of the group that sponsored her candidacy. “No one is clicking glasses to celebrate her 100 days in office,” said our diplomatic source. He added: “Not even her most fervent supporters are calling her an ‘Amazon’ anymore.”
SaharaReporters had reported and chronicled the circumstances surrounding Mrs. Waziri's appointment, including the shady nature of her primary backers. She was sponsored by a coalition of serving and former governors who faced immediate or future prosecution by the EFCC. Her primary backers were former Governor James Ibori, whose eight-year tenure in Delta State was marked by massive looting, and Bukola Saraki, an equally corrupt scion of the bank-looting Saraki family. Mr. Saraki is the governor of Kwara State.
Mrs. Waziri’s appointment did not gain traction until a largely reclusive political figure, former police Inspector General, Mohammed Dikko Yusuf, took it up with Yar'adua. “MD Yusuf,” as he is popularly called, is Yar'adua's cousin. His motivation in pushing for Waziri's candidacy to take over the EFCC was less than noble. Yusuf had faced a series of interrogation from former EFCC operatives, including a relentless police officer Ibrahim Magu (who recently spent three weeks in detention on the orders of current IG Michael Okiro) over his involvement in the Halliburton scandal.
It has been revealed that Yusuf received kickbacks from the UK-based Jeffrey Tessler, a central figure in the investigations. “Oga never forgave Nuhu Ribadu and his boys for interrogating him," according to one of the former IG’s aides who sought anonymity.
Since her appointment, Mrs. Waziri has settled down to do the bidding of her sponsors. “Our intelligence is that neither past governors and former officials nor the current ones are now afraid about carrying on corrupt activities,” said an American source who was part of a group that visited Nigeria. “She did not seem to know what the EFCC was about," said another member of the delegation, who made it clear they were expressing their private opinions.
But a European diplomat told our correspondent in confidence that Mrs. Waziri’s style has emboldened corrupt elements in the country. “Nobody now looks over his or her shoulder while stealing,” said the official. “They feel that the new EFCC has embraced a cynical approach.”
As exclusively reported by SaharaReporters, some Lagos-based editors met recently with Mrs. Waziri at the Lagos Sheraton Hotel to work out a plan to shore up her badly battered image. The “image-laundering” meeting was packaged for her by Newswatch magazine editors Dan Agbese and Yakubu Mohammed as well as veteran journalist, Segun Babatope.
An editor of a major newspaper, who attended the Sheraton meeting, told SaharaReporters that two things gave away Mrs. Waziri as an unserious anti-corruption official. “First was the sheer amount of vanity she displayed in her person, especially the huge amount of expensive jewelry she wore to the meeting. The second was that she didn't come across as one who has a grasp of her EFCC job.”
Since assuming office, Mrs. Waziri has laced her speeches with high rhetoric about the need to increase the tempo of anti-corruption war, but several sources in her agency told SaharaReporters that she was yet to lead any serious investigation since coming to the agency. “She has simply relied on cases started and completed by Nuhu Ribadu and Ibrahim Lamorde and in cases that she started, it was never headed in any serious direction” said one agency staff who was referring to the health ministry corruption case involving former president Obasanjo's daughter, Senator Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello and the Police Equipment Funds (PEF) scam perpetrated by Kenny Martins.
In a stunning claim, another agency insider told us that Mrs. Waziri “has compromised some of the big cases either by destroying case files or refusing outright to prosecute certain cases with diligence.” The source pointed to the cases of former governors Orji Uzor Kalu, James Ibori, Saminu Turaki, Chimaroke Nnamani, and Lucky Igbinedion who had all been charged with serious criminal cases and with diligent prosecutors that prevented them from dissipating their assets for close to one year. “But once Mrs. Waziri took over at the EFCC, she has not only refused to push further for their cases to be pursued aggressively, but also instructed EFCC lawyers to soften their opposition to the accused governors’ frivolous requests to regain their international travel documents. The source also told SaharaReporters that the corruption cases against the former governors are at various stages of collapse.
The former governors have since been traveling far and wide dissipating their assets and in some cases engaging in fresh financial criminal activities. Igbinedion has made several visits to the U.S. and has a habit of frequenting big malls, especially in Atlanta, Georgia.
An American source told us that it is scandalous that “President Yar’adua included Ibori and Igbinedion on the delegation that represented Nigeria” officially at the recently concluded Beijing Olympics.
An EFCC source said Mrs. Waziri has taken to prosecuting “politically weaker culprits.” Under her charge, the agency has arrested and charged the former governors of Oyo State, Rashidi Ladoja, the former acting governor of Plateau State, Michael Botmang, and the former governor of Adamawa State, Boni Haruna. “These men have serious cases of corruption,” said our source, “but everyone in the EFCC knows that their collective corruption pales into insignificance when compared to that of the former governor of Benue state, (and now Senator) George Akume, who has used Mrs. Waziri as surety to regain his international travel passports in the past.” SaharaReporters had exclusively reported Mrs. Waziri’s transactions with Akume.
To pave the way for the impending collapse of all criminal cases against former governors, Mrs. Waziri fired the ten best-trained EFCC investigators handling the cases. They were re-assigned to remote parts of the nation's police force.
She has also resisted acting on the corruption files involving former Governor Bola Tinubu of Lagos, who sources told SaharaReporters had stolen close to N50 billion from the coffers of Lagos state and continues to enrich himself through dubious construction contracts with the state government. Tinubu reportedly settled with Mrs. Waziri, using Oba Akiolu of Lagos, a retired police officer, as his go-between. One source close to Tinubu said Mrs. Waziri and some of her associates will collect close to N1 billion in the deal. In order to deflect attention from Tinubu, the EFCC turned to arresting and prosecuting Bode George, but while at it, it was obvious that Chief George had entered into some deal with the EFCC, going by the shoddy manner his bail application was quickly concluded without resistance from EFCC lawyers.
Mrs. Waziri's EFCC has been reluctant to take any action against Sanni Yerima, a former governor of Zamfara state and now a senator. EFCC reports already indicted Yerima of stealing billions of naira and the charges against him and Akume were already drafted.
Mrs. Waziri has also made no attempt to bring former Governor Peter Odili to book for looting the Rivers State treasury. Odili recently marked his 60th birthday in grand style in Abuja. “It’s as if he thumbed his nose at the people of Rivers State and the Waziri-led EFCC,” said a political activist based in Port Harcourt. The EFCC is yet to challenge a scandalous perpetual injunction granted a high court judge in Port Harcourt granted to Odili.
Under Waziri, the governor of Cross River, Liyel Imoke, who is implicated in the embezzlement and squandering of $16 billion in power project funds, was let off the hook and allowed to stand for re-election to office. The planned arrest of Imoke was most high profile case attempted by Waziri led EFCC, but the Nigerian nation watched as she bungled his arrest, even as EFCC officers were said to have surrounded his house to effect his arrest in Abuja.
“Let me tell you, the EFCC had surrounded Imoke to arrest him. But when Yar’adua’s people called to stay action, Mrs. Waziri ordered that a statement be written denying that Imoke was close to being arrested. She lied to the nation to allow Imoke to regain immunity to avoid prosecution,” said an agent of the EFCC.
Another prominent case that she has ignored is that of the managing director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Timi Alaibe ,who had strong petitions written against him over his handling of NDDC funds.
A source close to Waziri said she allowed Alaibe to go scot-free after he funneled a substantial bribe to her through Attorney General of the Federation, Michael Aondoakaa. Instead of arresting Alaibe, Inspector General of Police Mike Okiro was asked to pursue the chairman of the NDDC, Sam Edem allegedly for hiring some medicinemen to kill Timi Alaibe and the governor of Akwa Ibom, Sam Akpabio.
Our reliable sources also disclosed that Mr. Aondoakaaa has received bribes worth $2.5 million from the Central Bank Governor, Charles Soludo, to kill the report that indicted the CBN governor over the embezzlement of Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) funds. Aondoakaa, who recently purchased a $1 million house in Abuja, has already "taken care of Mrs. Waziri” on behalf of Soludo, according to our source.
Another embarrassing case has to do with controversial businessman, Jimoh Ibrahim, who was indicted for forgery by the EFCC and charged to a Lagos High court. But the EFCC has twice failed to produce Mr. Ibrahim in court due to the highly compromised way Mrs. Waziri reportedly handled his arraignment. Aondoakaa is known to publicly support Mr. Ibrahim.
SaharaReporters can reveal authoritatively that six serving governors have extensive petitions and preliminary investigations indicting them for fraud, money laundering and abuse office. One of them is Governor Sam Akpabio of Akwa Ibom, who was accused amongst other things of purchasing two houses in London (one behind a Four Seasons Hotel in London, the other, a flat purchased for a woman in the Kessington Gardens area of London). Also, Mr. Alao Akala, the governor of Oyo State, has been fingered in massive looting of Oyo State treasury, according to several petitions seen by SaharaReporters. Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola of Osun State is also the subject of two petitions before Mrs. Waziri. Others include governors Murtala Nyako of Adamawa state, Bunu Sheriff of Borno, and Mugthakarda Wammakko of Sokoto state. The various petitions at the agency portray all six governors as the biggest stealers. But an EFCC source told us that “the petitions against
them have been scanned, treated and later abandoned by the EFCCC under Mrs Waziri.”
Under Waziri a new set of lawyers led by Festus Keyamo and Wole Olanipekun now have unfettered access. Even though Keyamo was part of the legal team that defended Orji Uzor Kalu against the EFCC, he now enjoys a lucrative retainership with the agency. Wole Olanipekun, who was once part of a team of lawyers that wanted the EFCC scrapped, has assumed a prominent place in Waziri's EFCC. Olanipekun is also the lead lawyer defending Yar'adua in his election petition cases. Some of the lawyers are to be featured at the soon to be inaugurated annual EFCC seminar.
A member of the commission told SaharaReporters that the level of internal corruption within the EFCC now rivals those of a police station, “even though madam promised to reduce the influence of the police in the agency.” Mrs. Waziri has kept recruiting some of the most corrupt policemen who have built mansions, bought dozens of cars from the proceeds of corruption.
One case involves Lanre Jimoh, a police fixer for Bukola Saraki, whose notoriety in Ilorin, Kwara state earned him the sobriquet "Lanre Olopa".
Mrs. Waziri has also spent a huge sum to spruce up her office and burnish her image. SaharaReporters learnt that her monthly imprest account has shot up to N30 million for sundry expenses. Her office furniture, freshly ordered to taste, is worth several millions. She rejected any furniture her predecessors had used in office. She also moved offices to allow for more space and aesthetic decorations, according to a female agent of the agency. Also, the agency has hired a new administrator who is a younger brother of former Senator Abba Aji as the Assistant Director of Administration at the EFCC, Senator Mohammed Abba Aji became influential at the presidency after he assisted Yar'adua in fixing the presidential election petitions tribunal ruling through his brother's wife, Justice Uwanni Musa Abba Aji. The former senator has since been rewarded with a high ranking position as the "chief fixer" between Yar'adua and both houses of the National Assembly. A source told SaharaReporters that the new EFCC assistant director was a local government secretary in one of the northern states with limited education and scanty experience in administration.
Waziri has scrapped the part of the EFCC, "Fix Nigeria" that served as a bridge between the agency and the civil society. On the international front, no foreign partner is amused by her compromised ways. Under her leadership no foreign entity has repatriated funds to NIgeria and there were certainly no known cooperation to prosecute money laundering cases involving politically exposed persons as was the case before she came to the EFCC.
The US government has signaled an end to any open collaboration with the EFCC. A source at the EFCC said the US State Department has been cold to Mrs. Waziri’s intention to visit the US. SaharaReporters investigations show that, since becoming the EFCC chairwoman, she has not been allowed into the US for any official business. The only time any senior ranking EFCC official was allowed into the US was to check up on equipment purchased by the agency in Los Angeles. However a source told SharaReporters that the visit was aimed at gathering evidence to prosecute Nuhu Ribadu for treason over an arms deal he struck with a US-based small arms manufacturing firm in LA that was billed to supply the EFCC with weapons for its work.
We could not obtain any official response from the US embassy to explain why the US apparently does not want her to visit.
Chairperson of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mrs. Farida Waziri, recently attended a small-time seminar in England organized by Cambridge University on economic and financial crimes. “It was the kind of seminar that should have been attended by junior officers of EFCC,” one of the agency’s sources told Saharareporters, “but she decided to go herself.”
Mrs. Waziri’s attendance at this event is symptomatic of her lackluster performance as head of an anti-corruption agency whose reputation, in the words of a diplomatic at a major European embassy in Abuja, “is highly damaged.”
Another source in Abuja told SaharaReporters that the EFCC helmswoman was “executing President Yar’adua’s dishonest and totally compromised 'war' against corruption in Nigeria.”
A source close to Mrs. Waziri disclosed that she has been frustrated that Nigerians seem to rate her much lower than her substantive predecessor, Nuhu Ribadu. She was honest enough to admit to Justice Olubunmi Oyewole of the Lagos State High Court that she did not expect that she would be badly received by the Nigerian people as the new EFCC chair. She also complained to her London chaperon that she did not think she would leave the agency worse than she met it.
Mrs. Waziri has spent more than a 100 days as EFCC chair, and she has made progress in her mandate to “effectively shut down the agency’s fight against corruption in Nigeria,” according to one source knowledgeable about the goal of the group that sponsored her candidacy. “No one is clicking glasses to celebrate her 100 days in office,” said our diplomatic source. He added: “Not even her most fervent supporters are calling her an ‘Amazon’ anymore.”
SaharaReporters had reported and chronicled the circumstances surrounding Mrs. Waziri's appointment, including the shady nature of her primary backers. She was sponsored by a coalition of serving and former governors who faced immediate or future prosecution by the EFCC. Her primary backers were former Governor James Ibori, whose eight-year tenure in Delta State was marked by massive looting, and Bukola Saraki, an equally corrupt scion of the bank-looting Saraki family. Mr. Saraki is the governor of Kwara State.
Mrs. Waziri’s appointment did not gain traction until a largely reclusive political figure, former police Inspector General, Mohammed Dikko Yusuf, took it up with Yar'adua. “MD Yusuf,” as he is popularly called, is Yar'adua's cousin. His motivation in pushing for Waziri's candidacy to take over the EFCC was less than noble. Yusuf had faced a series of interrogation from former EFCC operatives, including a relentless police officer Ibrahim Magu (who recently spent three weeks in detention on the orders of current IG Michael Okiro) over his involvement in the Halliburton scandal.
It has been revealed that Yusuf received kickbacks from the UK-based Jeffrey Tessler, a central figure in the investigations. “Oga never forgave Nuhu Ribadu and his boys for interrogating him," according to one of the former IG’s aides who sought anonymity.
Since her appointment, Mrs. Waziri has settled down to do the bidding of her sponsors. “Our intelligence is that neither past governors and former officials nor the current ones are now afraid about carrying on corrupt activities,” said an American source who was part of a group that visited Nigeria. “She did not seem to know what the EFCC was about," said another member of the delegation, who made it clear they were expressing their private opinions.
But a European diplomat told our correspondent in confidence that Mrs. Waziri’s style has emboldened corrupt elements in the country. “Nobody now looks over his or her shoulder while stealing,” said the official. “They feel that the new EFCC has embraced a cynical approach.”
As exclusively reported by SaharaReporters, some Lagos-based editors met recently with Mrs. Waziri at the Lagos Sheraton Hotel to work out a plan to shore up her badly battered image. The “image-laundering” meeting was packaged for her by Newswatch magazine editors Dan Agbese and Yakubu Mohammed as well as veteran journalist, Segun Babatope.
An editor of a major newspaper, who attended the Sheraton meeting, told SaharaReporters that two things gave away Mrs. Waziri as an unserious anti-corruption official. “First was the sheer amount of vanity she displayed in her person, especially the huge amount of expensive jewelry she wore to the meeting. The second was that she didn't come across as one who has a grasp of her EFCC job.”
Since assuming office, Mrs. Waziri has laced her speeches with high rhetoric about the need to increase the tempo of anti-corruption war, but several sources in her agency told SaharaReporters that she was yet to lead any serious investigation since coming to the agency. “She has simply relied on cases started and completed by Nuhu Ribadu and Ibrahim Lamorde and in cases that she started, it was never headed in any serious direction” said one agency staff who was referring to the health ministry corruption case involving former president Obasanjo's daughter, Senator Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello and the Police Equipment Funds (PEF) scam perpetrated by Kenny Martins.
In a stunning claim, another agency insider told us that Mrs. Waziri “has compromised some of the big cases either by destroying case files or refusing outright to prosecute certain cases with diligence.” The source pointed to the cases of former governors Orji Uzor Kalu, James Ibori, Saminu Turaki, Chimaroke Nnamani, and Lucky Igbinedion who had all been charged with serious criminal cases and with diligent prosecutors that prevented them from dissipating their assets for close to one year. “But once Mrs. Waziri took over at the EFCC, she has not only refused to push further for their cases to be pursued aggressively, but also instructed EFCC lawyers to soften their opposition to the accused governors’ frivolous requests to regain their international travel documents. The source also told SaharaReporters that the corruption cases against the former governors are at various stages of collapse.
The former governors have since been traveling far and wide dissipating their assets and in some cases engaging in fresh financial criminal activities. Igbinedion has made several visits to the U.S. and has a habit of frequenting big malls, especially in Atlanta, Georgia.
An American source told us that it is scandalous that “President Yar’adua included Ibori and Igbinedion on the delegation that represented Nigeria” officially at the recently concluded Beijing Olympics.
An EFCC source said Mrs. Waziri has taken to prosecuting “politically weaker culprits.” Under her charge, the agency has arrested and charged the former governors of Oyo State, Rashidi Ladoja, the former acting governor of Plateau State, Michael Botmang, and the former governor of Adamawa State, Boni Haruna. “These men have serious cases of corruption,” said our source, “but everyone in the EFCC knows that their collective corruption pales into insignificance when compared to that of the former governor of Benue state, (and now Senator) George Akume, who has used Mrs. Waziri as surety to regain his international travel passports in the past.” SaharaReporters had exclusively reported Mrs. Waziri’s transactions with Akume.
To pave the way for the impending collapse of all criminal cases against former governors, Mrs. Waziri fired the ten best-trained EFCC investigators handling the cases. They were re-assigned to remote parts of the nation's police force.
She has also resisted acting on the corruption files involving former Governor Bola Tinubu of Lagos, who sources told SaharaReporters had stolen close to N50 billion from the coffers of Lagos state and continues to enrich himself through dubious construction contracts with the state government. Tinubu reportedly settled with Mrs. Waziri, using Oba Akiolu of Lagos, a retired police officer, as his go-between. One source close to Tinubu said Mrs. Waziri and some of her associates will collect close to N1 billion in the deal. In order to deflect attention from Tinubu, the EFCC turned to arresting and prosecuting Bode George, but while at it, it was obvious that Chief George had entered into some deal with the EFCC, going by the shoddy manner his bail application was quickly concluded without resistance from EFCC lawyers.
Mrs. Waziri's EFCC has been reluctant to take any action against Sanni Yerima, a former governor of Zamfara state and now a senator. EFCC reports already indicted Yerima of stealing billions of naira and the charges against him and Akume were already drafted.
Mrs. Waziri has also made no attempt to bring former Governor Peter Odili to book for looting the Rivers State treasury. Odili recently marked his 60th birthday in grand style in Abuja. “It’s as if he thumbed his nose at the people of Rivers State and the Waziri-led EFCC,” said a political activist based in Port Harcourt. The EFCC is yet to challenge a scandalous perpetual injunction granted a high court judge in Port Harcourt granted to Odili.
Under Waziri, the governor of Cross River, Liyel Imoke, who is implicated in the embezzlement and squandering of $16 billion in power project funds, was let off the hook and allowed to stand for re-election to office. The planned arrest of Imoke was most high profile case attempted by Waziri led EFCC, but the Nigerian nation watched as she bungled his arrest, even as EFCC officers were said to have surrounded his house to effect his arrest in Abuja.
“Let me tell you, the EFCC had surrounded Imoke to arrest him. But when Yar’adua’s people called to stay action, Mrs. Waziri ordered that a statement be written denying that Imoke was close to being arrested. She lied to the nation to allow Imoke to regain immunity to avoid prosecution,” said an agent of the EFCC.
Another prominent case that she has ignored is that of the managing director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Timi Alaibe ,who had strong petitions written against him over his handling of NDDC funds.
A source close to Waziri said she allowed Alaibe to go scot-free after he funneled a substantial bribe to her through Attorney General of the Federation, Michael Aondoakaa. Instead of arresting Alaibe, Inspector General of Police Mike Okiro was asked to pursue the chairman of the NDDC, Sam Edem allegedly for hiring some medicinemen to kill Timi Alaibe and the governor of Akwa Ibom, Sam Akpabio.
Our reliable sources also disclosed that Mr. Aondoakaaa has received bribes worth $2.5 million from the Central Bank Governor, Charles Soludo, to kill the report that indicted the CBN governor over the embezzlement of Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) funds. Aondoakaa, who recently purchased a $1 million house in Abuja, has already "taken care of Mrs. Waziri” on behalf of Soludo, according to our source.
Another embarrassing case has to do with controversial businessman, Jimoh Ibrahim, who was indicted for forgery by the EFCC and charged to a Lagos High court. But the EFCC has twice failed to produce Mr. Ibrahim in court due to the highly compromised way Mrs. Waziri reportedly handled his arraignment. Aondoakaa is known to publicly support Mr. Ibrahim.
SaharaReporters can reveal authoritatively that six serving governors have extensive petitions and preliminary investigations indicting them for fraud, money laundering and abuse office. One of them is Governor Sam Akpabio of Akwa Ibom, who was accused amongst other things of purchasing two houses in London (one behind a Four Seasons Hotel in London, the other, a flat purchased for a woman in the Kessington Gardens area of London). Also, Mr. Alao Akala, the governor of Oyo State, has been fingered in massive looting of Oyo State treasury, according to several petitions seen by SaharaReporters. Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola of Osun State is also the subject of two petitions before Mrs. Waziri. Others include governors Murtala Nyako of Adamawa state, Bunu Sheriff of Borno, and Mugthakarda Wammakko of Sokoto state. The various petitions at the agency portray all six governors as the biggest stealers. But an EFCC source told us that “the petitions against
them have been scanned, treated and later abandoned by the EFCCC under Mrs Waziri.”
Under Waziri a new set of lawyers led by Festus Keyamo and Wole Olanipekun now have unfettered access. Even though Keyamo was part of the legal team that defended Orji Uzor Kalu against the EFCC, he now enjoys a lucrative retainership with the agency. Wole Olanipekun, who was once part of a team of lawyers that wanted the EFCC scrapped, has assumed a prominent place in Waziri's EFCC. Olanipekun is also the lead lawyer defending Yar'adua in his election petition cases. Some of the lawyers are to be featured at the soon to be inaugurated annual EFCC seminar.
A member of the commission told SaharaReporters that the level of internal corruption within the EFCC now rivals those of a police station, “even though madam promised to reduce the influence of the police in the agency.” Mrs. Waziri has kept recruiting some of the most corrupt policemen who have built mansions, bought dozens of cars from the proceeds of corruption.
One case involves Lanre Jimoh, a police fixer for Bukola Saraki, whose notoriety in Ilorin, Kwara state earned him the sobriquet "Lanre Olopa".
Mrs. Waziri has also spent a huge sum to spruce up her office and burnish her image. SaharaReporters learnt that her monthly imprest account has shot up to N30 million for sundry expenses. Her office furniture, freshly ordered to taste, is worth several millions. She rejected any furniture her predecessors had used in office. She also moved offices to allow for more space and aesthetic decorations, according to a female agent of the agency. Also, the agency has hired a new administrator who is a younger brother of former Senator Abba Aji as the Assistant Director of Administration at the EFCC, Senator Mohammed Abba Aji became influential at the presidency after he assisted Yar'adua in fixing the presidential election petitions tribunal ruling through his brother's wife, Justice Uwanni Musa Abba Aji. The former senator has since been rewarded with a high ranking position as the "chief fixer" between Yar'adua and both houses of the National Assembly. A source told SaharaReporters that the new EFCC assistant director was a local government secretary in one of the northern states with limited education and scanty experience in administration.
Waziri has scrapped the part of the EFCC, "Fix Nigeria" that served as a bridge between the agency and the civil society. On the international front, no foreign partner is amused by her compromised ways. Under her leadership no foreign entity has repatriated funds to NIgeria and there were certainly no known cooperation to prosecute money laundering cases involving politically exposed persons as was the case before she came to the EFCC.
The US government has signaled an end to any open collaboration with the EFCC. A source at the EFCC said the US State Department has been cold to Mrs. Waziri’s intention to visit the US. SaharaReporters investigations show that, since becoming the EFCC chairwoman, she has not been allowed into the US for any official business. The only time any senior ranking EFCC official was allowed into the US was to check up on equipment purchased by the agency in Los Angeles. However a source told SharaReporters that the visit was aimed at gathering evidence to prosecute Nuhu Ribadu for treason over an arms deal he struck with a US-based small arms manufacturing firm in LA that was billed to supply the EFCC with weapons for its work.
We could not obtain any official response from the US embassy to explain why the US apparently does not want her to visit.
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