GREAT EXPECTATIONS, MADAM EFCC!

Icheoku wants to formally congratulate Madam DIG Farida Waziri, retired, the new Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Chair-lady on her new appointment and wish her success as she tries to clean the Augean stable of corruption unlimited called Nigeria! When you mention corruption anywhere in the world today, the first place that comes to mind is Nigeria! When you talk about crimes of fraud anywhere in the world the first thing that comes to mind is the notorious Nigeria 419 syndrome. Then add the governors, ministers and even the presidents whose money laundering notoriety has become a teaching topic for corruption in most many a university and police academies in the world then the situation appear comatose! What is Icheoku saying? That Madam EFCC has her job cut out for her and will need all the strength and prayers to make an impact!

Her opening statements and steps so far is encouraging but she must tread meticulously and deftly carry about her duties. Madam EFCC must not assume any air of a "super-human" superiority, the bane of her predecessor in office Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, whose good works were overshadowed by his petulant arrogance and protection of the master mind of corruption in Nigeria, himself, corruption personified, Olusegun Obasanjo! According to Madam EFCC, corruption is so endemic in Nigeria that the United States of America has posited that Nigeria will become a failed or a rogue state within some years if the endemic nature of corruption practices in the country were not tackled. According to available reports, the amount of graft in Nigeria is so high that development is impossible. We cannot continue like this in the midst of plenty where the basic amenities are not there for the masses. Mrs Farida Waziri lamented that governors hide under the cloak of immunity to evade the watchful eyes of anti-graft bodies but vowed that the EFCC under her leadership, will not wait for the expiration of their tenure before taking action as investigations into their activities are already on and will be updated continually till they leave office and answer for their crime. Speaking further Waziri said the gap between the rich and the poor is getting wider, adding that while the masses don’t even have access to basic amenities of life such as pipe-borne water, electricity, hospital etc their political leaders are swimming in stupendous wealth. "It is a well-known fact that a country is not known for its greatness by the amassing of wealth but how the country treats her poor". To this Icheoku will like to add that any governor with a credible culpability should be made to resign and face the charges immediately; there is no need to wait for their penultimate end of tenure before prosecution. If only the Senate and House of Representatives have the will to fight corruption in Nigeria, they can use the instrumentality of law-making to checkmate corruption but albeit one of them Alhaji Nuhu Aliyu made it known to the world that they are populated by criminals - 419 practitioners. So it becomes almost impossible for the legislators to legislate themselves out of business.

Madam EFCC please consider pursuing these measures with necessary authorities in your quest to eradicate corruption in Nigeria. See if they can make certain grave financial crimes a High crime and/or misdemeanour with severe penalty including the death sentence, just as a deterrent (China has such laws). Such a public servant/politician/military should also be banned for life from holding any position of trust including any political office and have all the proceeds of corruption confiscated. Seek the western countries support and cooperation if you are seriously geared to fight corruption in Nigeria - that is where they bank their loot and launder some with property acquisitions. Solicited their help to discourage these criminals from banking their proceeds in these countries such that they have to explain the source of any deposit exceeding $9999.99dollars USD anything they bring such money overseas. Such explanation will be cross-checked with your agency back in Nigeria. Sign pacts with FBI, M15 and Israeli MOSSAD (their financial crimes branch) to assist Nigeria combat financial criminality world-wide. Also start a whistle blower prize for any public official whose information leads to a successful prosecution of a financial criminal. Finally, get rid of corrupt officials in the EFCC - periodically demand they declare their assets and pay random visit to their homes and make them explain disproportionate assets found in their possession including cars, houses, homes and fat bank accounts.

You also said that you are aware that each time monies are released to the states and the local government to do certain things in those areas, these monies are shared. According to you, plans are already in place to put up preventive measures to checkmate these excesses. You are going to be very proactive monitoring money earmarked for certain projects in those areas and cross check physically with what is on ground and take up those we know are in position to steal these monies. Those who sign vouchers, who sign cheques, those who counter-sign and when we get them, they will tell us where the monies are. "The governors at the moments have immunities but they don’t have immunity of investigation. We will go ahead to investigate them, compile their case file, up date them from time to time and wait till they are available. These are what we are going to do" she said. Sounds very lofty indeed and hopefully your courage will see you through.

"What we have today is not encouraging because cases drag so much in the court. We have some lawyers who are not following the ethics. When they know that their clients have very bad cases, they play for time. They first challenge the jurisdiction of the court and this takes ages and you know the case can last up to one year in high court. "They can appeal which may last another one year. It may also last another one year in the Supreme Court so a case takes ages to be completed, meanwhile, the culprit is on bail and is enjoying his loot and other Nigerians are watching and this is not helping matters. To this Icheoku will like to add that a Special Adhoc Tribunal should be established to try corruption cases expeditiously. Such a tribunal will have specific instruction and timetable to dispose all corrupt cases before them and within an allotted time. No technicalities, once evidence exists to the culpability then they will jump in and out of the matter immediately. No rigorous trial procedures will be allowed or encouraged; just proof of evidence. You own such and such, how did you acquire them? If they are not yours who owns them and what is the source of the purchase money? if there is no satisfactory explanation, then their confiscation by the State. If the property is real estate or vehicles or machinery or other tangible accouterments then auction them to the State government owners of the looted revenue and they in turn can dispose of it as they may deem fit. if it is cash, then use the cash for a state's road project or any other project that would have ordinarily absorbed the earmarked money which was embezzled. A "Forfeiture of Crime Proceed Act' may be the anecdote to this criminal behavior and the National legislature should be encouraged to pass such bill for the president's signature.

Continuing, Madam EFCC, said "we will expose those who come in to public office poor and go out very rich. They go back home to demolish their little shanties and build a paradise in the villages, with high walls, and bore holes and all such thing that make modern life livable". That is a lofty idea provided it is not bogged down with implementation; as what Nigerians want in real term, is nothing but justice, fairness and end to corruption. So Madam EFCC provided you will be fair in your decisions as to who gets investigated and/or prosecuted; you must be seen to be the opposite of your predecessor in office, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, who shielded his boss Olusegun Obasanjo. if you can pull off this, then Icheoku will supports your effort as laudable. Icheoku hopes this includes military and para-military personnel as some of these retired military men, customs, police and navy are known to be stupendously very rich.

Now that you have your assignment cut out for you as you eloquently identified them, Icheoku wishes you all the best and hopefully Aaandokaa and cohorts will allow you to achieve your set out laudable goals. In any event that they do not let you operate, please shout out to Nigerians so that they can rally round you; but do not ever die in silence. Once again congratulations on your appointment as the new helms' woman at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission!