Waziri Yet To Be Formally Communicated Of Her Removal

The removed Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes, Mrs. Farida Waziri, on Wednesday is yet to be formally communicated to her.

President Goodluck Jonathan has approved the appointment of Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde as the Acting Chairman/Chief Executive of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

The appointment takes immediate effect, and effectively relieves Mrs. Farida Waziri of her position as EFCC Chairman.

A statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, said the change took immediate effect

Abati However disclosed that the removal was to revitalise the fight against corruption.

“The President may in due course announce further reforms and will be looking at other key areas to give more vigorous emphasis to the administration’s transformation agenda,” he said.

Mrs. Waziri was appointed EFCC Chairman by the Late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua on May 18, 2008 and confirmed by the Senate on May 27, 2008.

Investigation however provided that Waziri’s failings include the alleged shoddy handling of the case of former governor of Delta State, James Ibori, whose acquittal by a court was not contested with an appeal by the EFCC.

The Chairman of the House Committee on Drugs/Narcotics and Financial Crimes, Mr. Adams Jagaba, while speaking on the development, noted that Jonathan had the power to “hire and fire” a head of the agency.

The sack came barely one month after the House had initiated a bill to amend the EFCC Act to make either a retired justice of the Supreme Court or the Court of Appeal the chairman of the agency.