Lagos — Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), yesterday said the United State's Secretary of State, Senator Hilary Clinton, was ignorant of the commission's anti-graft campaign strides. This was in a response to Mrs. Clinton's umbrage against the EFCC when she visited Nigeria last week. She had described the anti-graft body as an organization has "fallen off".
A statement by EFCC's spokesperson, Mr. Femi Babafemi, described as unfortunate and misinformed Clinton's opinion.
"The EFCC has chosen to put the record straight following series of public enquiries as to the authenticity of Mrs. Clinton's claim. We wish to state that the impression created by her statement that the Commission has not done much in the last one year is not only misleading but a contradiction of the records of activities within the same period.
"While no one can disprove the fact that Nigeria has a problem of corruption like other nations, it is really unfortunate for anyone to put the blame on the EFCC or impute that the Commission has not been doing anything," the statement stated.
While corroborating the fact Mrs. Clinton may have been misinformed, EFCC said: "For the records, the EFCC has in the past 12 months secured about 70 convictions and recovered funds in excess of N50 billion. Currently, we have over 40 cases of politically exposed persons (PEPs) charged to court including three former governors, four ex-ministers, a senator, three house of representatives members and a top chieftain of the ruling PDP among others.
"This is in addition to over 400 cases all taken to court within the same period. Our activities also cut across all parts and sectors of Nigeria; from former governors to ex-ministers, bank executives, heads of federal and state parastatals, local council chairmen, political party leaders, Nigerians and foreigners alike.
"If this is the record which can be verified by anyone, we are therefore not surprised that the American official's position must have been informed by the well funded propaganda machinery and mega-phone of falsehood of some foreign based disgruntled elements who have built heavy war chest and can afford to spread falsehood in connivance with their die-hard cronies at home, rather than empirical facts and figures," the statement said.
EFCC admitted there are challenges in the fight against graft, but not entirely EFCC's. "We have also not hidden our challenges from Nigerians especially in regard to prosecution and conviction of PEPs, but this is certainly what should be of concern to all stakeholders and genuine lovers of our country, with a view to asking the right questions from the right quarters and coming up with solutions rather than directing a misplaced aggression at one single level in a chain of collaboration."
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Madam EFCC and her spokespersons may want to bury their heads in the sand thinking no one sees them, (like the proverbial ostrich) but that is not how it plays with the Nigerian public. Again that's not how the world sees it. It is not a secret that EFCC under Farida Waziri has been shielding the real thieves, the billion dollar thieves and going after what would amount to minor police cases.
We thank Mrs. Clinton for speaking out boldly. We call on other leading nations of the world to speak out in a similar manner. Nigerians have been saying the same thing but have as usual been ignored. She and her sponsors, the corrupt, wicked and insensitive Jihadist oligarchs must understand that it will not be 'business as usual' for ever. You have been a cog in the wheel of any kind of progress in Nigeria as it is presently constituted. We are not daunted by your liquid courage. Your days are numbered.
excisionist(at)gmx.com
Dear Readers, The anger against the EFCC is an expression of anger agiainst all the "Wahala" in Nigeria. The Corporate existence of Nigeria as one Country is in the interest of the minority tribes of Nigeria. This holds true for those of us who hail from the Riverine areas of Nigeria who can be swallowed up by some ambitious majority tribes in the south if Nigeria is shrunk back to the former Regional structure. As far as the EFFC(?) is concerned, no one will be happy with it as long as people like Ibori and the rest are free to rape our economy while the rest of the population is starving. An apparently well-placed lady from Abia State told us last night in Miami Florida that we were all failing to do the right thing by staying in a "White Man's Home". Some of us looked at her as if she had some mental disease. We told her that we were grateful to Nigeria for the excellent opportunities that it offered to us by sending us overseas to study. But, "You cannot blame a child for running away from a disfunctional family' if he/she has another family that accepts him. Out of sheer politeness, we invited her to not one but two parties in the same night.
Who are you speaking for Mr. Owi? The South-South? Not everybody benefited from these people like you did nor is everyone prepared to feed from the crumps that fall from their table as some elders from Delta have been doing. These elders have been serving their selfish interests and ignoring the needs and aspirations of the masses. This is what brought us to where we are today. Enough of that !
Without the presence and support of the big groups from the South East and South West and the northern Muslim fear of their reaction, don't you think we would have been wiped out long ago? If you like the way they have mismanaged the country's resources which they have controlled since independence, you can go and live with them. Good luck. As for us younger generations, we know where we belong culturally.
Braise S.
Madrid
EFCC is playing games.
see www.tonyelumelu.info