Mrs. Farida Waziri, on Wednesday described as "blatant falsehood," the
claim by ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo that she was recommended for
the EFCC job by convicted former Delta State Governor, James Ibori.
Expressing surprise that a man who has been twice a Nigerian leader
would "descend so low to peddle falsehood," Waziri warned Obasanjo to
respect his age or else she would "open up on him."
"I will like to warn that those who live in glass houses don't throw
stones and as such Obasanjo should not allow me open up on him.
Respectable elder statesmen act and speak with decorum", she said in a
statement personally signed by her.
Ex-Vice-President Atiku Abubakar said the claim by the former
President that he was persona non grata in the United States, was not
true.
Obasanjo had in an interview he granted Zero Tolerance, a magazine
published by the EFCC, also said that the war against corruption in
the country slowed down during Waziri's tenure because she was not
qualified for the job.
He had said, "Go and look at her track record. Go and look at the
condition or the qualification; go and look at the type of interaction
that anybody holding that job will have with a similar organisation
elsewhere; did Waziri have that type? What connection did she have
with FBI? What relationship did she have with Metropolitan Police in
London? It's not a picnic."
But Waziri, in the statement which showed her level of anger, said she
doubted if Obasanjo could boast her level of education.
The EFCC former chairman then went ahead to reel out her educational
qualification and her relationship with international security
agencies while serving in the Nigeria Police Force for 35 years.
She said, "Again for the record, I served in the NPF for 35 years and
got to the pinnacle of my career before my appointment as the EFCC
chairman. If Obasanjo's real age has not blurred his memory, I will
like to remind him that I was a Commissioner of Police, Admin Force
CID, CP, General Investigations, CP, Anti-fraud, CP , X squad, CP, and
Police Special Fraud Unit where I secured the first conviction in a
case of Advance Fee Fraud in Nigerian history.
"These are all prime investigative organs of the Nigeria Police where
I related with other law enforcement agencies, including the FBI
across the world. I must place on record that at the SFU, I did not
only relate with the FBI, Interpol and the Metpolice, among others ,
we carried out joint operations at different times on a number of
cases. I have also led the Nigerian delegation to the Interpol
headquarters in France.
"To further expose the height of mischief in the allegations, the past
and present chairmen of the EFCC have both worked under me; yet
someone can open his mouth to say I am not qualified to head the same
agency. This is in addition to my educational qualifications such as a
first degree in Law, a Master's degree in Law and another Master's
degree in Strategic Studies. I doubt if Obasanjo himself can boast
this level of educational qualifications.
"I will also like to remind Obasanjo that no chairman of the EFCC has
till date beaten my records in terms of investigation of high profile
cases, prosecution, conviction and recovery."
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