I never knew Ibori, says ex- EFCC chair Waziri

A former Chairman of the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mrs.
Farida Waziri, has said that ex-Governor James
Ibori was not behind her appointment.
She said she never knew Ibori before she was
made the EFCC chair.
Her position contradicted the claim by ex-
President Olusegun Obasanjo that Mrs. Waziri
was head-hunted for the job by Ibori.
Mrs. Waziri, who spoke in an interview with
EFCC Magazine, “Zero Tolerance”, to mark the
10-year anniversary of the agency, said some
groups deliberately fought her and churned
out false documents.
She said: “I never knew him; I never knew
James Ibori. When I was appointed, I went to
the Villa very often because the President
called his staff and told them Farida has free
access to him 24/7 whether in the office or
Villa.
“So, I went there very often and I met Ibori; he
was always there.”
On the allegation that she aided Ibori’s escape
to Dubai through a tip-off, she said: “It’s all
lies of the enemies.”
“By the time I write my book, the truth will
prevail. I never knew Ibori; look, I believe
what is worth doing at all is worth doing well.
I don’t believe in half measures.
“By my training and upbringing, I can never
betray my country for anyone, for any reason;
I never had to go to National Security Adviser
with the police to assist, that was when the
police was attacked.
“If I was in league with him, wouldn’t I have
said ‘lie low, don’t worry’, that we will just do
that and pretend. Let me ask you, if I was in
league with Ibori and was not sincerely
pursuing him, would he have gone out of this
country to Dubai?
“Of course, I was all out and that was how he
ran out and went and got himself in more
trouble.”
Mrs. Waziri also explained that contrary to
insinuations, a former Attorney-General of the
Federation, Mr. Mike Aondoakaa (SAN), did not
know about her appointment.
She said Aondoakaa was shocked that the late
President Umaru Yar’Adua picked her outside
the list submitted to him.
She added: “I think what happened was that
my younger brother, Aondoakaa, the former
AGF, was close to Ibori. This former AGF is
from my area, my local government, but I
never knew him. Well, he might have known
me because young people know the elderly.
“When I was in Turkey with my husband, one
of my relations called and said, ‘you know your
brother is now the AG’. I said ‘really’. People
probably linked me to him and thought he
brought me.
“Believe you me; he was against my becoming
the EFCC chairman. When the President picked
my CV, that was when he came to my house
for the first time and said the President had
shocked them.
“What happened? He said ‘he picked your CV,
now are you going to do the job. Because the
press will come after you, why don’t you
answer now so that I can go back?’
“I asked him, ‘is it the president that sent you?’
He said ‘yes’. I said ‘I will think about it’. He
said ‘no, no, no, I should tell him now.’ I
called my husband and told him this is what
the AG has said and he said ‘well, you cannot
refuse to serve your father land in any
capacity, so convey to them the message.”
On her sack as EFCC chairman, faulted the
approach adopted by President Goodluck
Jonathan.
She said: “The manner of the sack was what
bothered me. I have done a span of 35 years,
fighting for my father land. I deserve some
little dignity and respect.
“When you wake up and you see on AIT, Waziri
sacked! ‘NTA, Waziri sacked!’ Channels, ‘Waziri
sacked!’ That is the style I am talking about.
“My predecessor’s case was even worse, but I
do hope that the authorities will take note.
Except you are removed as a result of gross
misconduct, any other way, you should be
treated with dignity, respect for human
person.
“So, it’s the style I frowned at, not about
leaving; I knew I would one day leave. In fact,
the hand writing was on the wall. I knew it was
a matter of time.”