The Decay And Rot In The EFCC- By MM, Firdausi

To my greatest amazement, I stand to be corrected if I must believe, that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC, has only been turned into an Advanced/ Glorified Police Station within the period under review cum the present leadership. Many may want to ask what may be the rationale behind this indignifiable assertion, yet do we really know how a Police Station look like in a layman’s understanding! This is the story of a Master turned Slave, as it depicts the present day running and operations of the EFCC.



In the past, officers and men of other Law Enforcement Agencies LEAs, often wished to be Seconded to the EFCC, but today this is seldom sought for due to the fact that the Agency’s Operation has been hampered to function by the present leadership. How, if I may ask? These are some of the reasons that could be averred as to why maladministration and malfunctioning has become the order of the day in the Anti-Graft Agency. Kindly permit me to say that these are few among what we have observed in the EFCC, when some of us attempted to ascertain the current state of activities within the Agency. They include but not limited to issues such as Poor Stationery, Transportation and Travel Allowance (DTA), Leadership and Illicit Asset Acquisition, DFA from Office of Accountant-General, Intra-Posting Favouratism, Granting of Bail to highest Bidders, and Sudden Missing Case Files of Politically Exposed Persons PEPs.

First and foremost, the issue of Stationery in the EFCC is turning out to be an eye-sour. Previously, during the tenure of Mrs. Farida Waziri, LEAs jostle to be seconded to the EFCC. This is because at that time, it must not even be heard that Operatives used their money to do the work of the office. Reason being that, how much do you earn, such that will make you feel you can foot the bills of running the office with personal money. Invariably, a situation like this gives rise to the fact that you have other illicit source of wealth, thus, you tend to invest so as to get cases compromised. Due to this, there was never a time during Mrs. Waziri, when lack of Stationery impedes the functioning of the Agency. All provisions for stationery are made, such that an Operative does not have a justification not to work or even receives bribes which in turn may be claimed as fund required to carry out investigation of cases. Today, the dimensions have changed, where investigators go to buy the stationery with which they use to function. Also, there are issues of Transportation for investigation, which since assumption of office by the present leadership of the agency, has become a deteriorating issue. Such that Investigators now require a complainant or suspects to take charge of some aspect that requires vehicular movement. A scenario that is common in most Divisional Police Stations, where officers buy virtually all the stationery they use, as well as fund the running cost during investigation of cases.

If we could recall vividly, there was a time when the Out-going government of President Goodluck Jonathan stated that his government fights corruption using “Technology”. This brings us back to the second issue of Running-Cost, which include Staff Training, Travel Allowance and Operational Funding in the Agency, as provided for by the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation in Circulars. Investigation in the EFCC requires fund, and this comes in various sub-head in accounting procedures. Thus, Staff Training, Duty Tour Allowances in Public Service may fall under what is called a Recurrent Expenditure. During the tenure of the previous leadership of the Anti-graft agency, operatives are given the opportunity to strive in order to bring results. Therefore, the aspect of staff training and travel allowances are never taken for granted, as that was the pivotal means of achieving the goal of the Agency in investigations. But today’s leadership of the EFCC sees staff training and travel allowance as a “Jamboree” which operatives use to get their pocket heavy. As such, instead of allowing investigation to be carried out, they prefer to keep these funds, and return them at the end of the financial year. Where, a particular percentage is given to them out of the “Returned Funds”, unaccounted for. Even if you are the one, won’t you rather ground the functioning of your organisation, in order to get free money at the end of the day. This is what is obtainable in most government Agencies within the last four 4 years, as we expected that the EFCC should make a difference and rather lead by example as an Anti-graft Agency.

Thirdly, you may have heard that we laymen on the street from time to time say that the EFCC is not working, because President Goodluck Jonathan did not give them the chance to do their job due to his body language and lack of political will. This may just be a micro part of the reason for the poor functioning of the Agency. But have we ever asked ourselves, if the present leadership of the Agency itself really wants to do the job of fighting corruption! That’s if the person or individual at the helm of affairs is not culpable. The erstwhile leadership of Agency, Mrs. Farida Waziri, may be accused of all manner of wrong doing. But can you point a finger at that woman to say, this and this are what she did with the funds of the Agency illegally. No! Rather, you can only say that she was using the funds of the office to carter for the “Welfare of her Staff”. But today, all allegations of Building Hotels, Secret operation of Bureau De Change worth Eight Hundred Million Dollars $800million, Running Doctorate degree in the UK, Operating a School in Sudan etc, are what has been linked with the present Leadership of the EFCC. How then would you expect a Public Office holder with all of these distractions, to have time in the discharge of the Statutory Function he/ she was appointed to do. Certainly, that must be a fallacy, since we cannot serve two masters at the same time, else the other would get crushed.

Peradventure, all things should have been working smoothly in terms of Public Expenditure in the EFCC, if only that its present leadership had pursue the line of Mrs. Farida Waziri. That is to say, during the tenure of the previous leadership, it was asserted that the Department of Finance and Account DFA of the Agency, was headed by a seasoned accountant from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation; Mr. Femi Jegede, who made sure that there was no cut-corners, yet priority was given to the Operation activities of the Agency. But as at now, it’s a different ball game, where it was revealed that a staff who was employed as an Administrative Officer same time with the Commandant of the Agency’s Academy, had been saddled with the crude pivot of the Finance and Account of the EFCC. The fellow, it was alleged that he even flout the instructions of the Agency’s Leadership to pay staff allowances, hence “Fixes Funds in Banks” just to yield interest for his personal gain. And the most provoking aspect of the whole charade is that this DFA believes that his “Spiritual Consults” have assured him that no one can touch him for these illicit dealings. No wonder he was assumed to have spoken rudely to the Commission’s Secretary, Mr. Emmanuel Aremo Adebgoyega, sometime back during a misunderstanding.

Another striking rot bedevilling the EFCC is the Intra-Posting Favouritism that is affecting the Prosecution of high profile cases. Here it was asserted that some Operatives of the Agency who have been compromised, are the ones allowed to work is the Economic Governance Section, that which investigates “Politically Exposed Persons- PEPs” as they are called. While in other cases, if an officer is too steadfast, he/ she is used to arms-twist PEPs, such that will bring about negotiation for the gains of those at the top in the Agency. By so doing, these officers are allowed to perpetuate all manner of extortion from the PEPs, provided they take kickbacks in the form “Returns” back to the leadership. Most importantly, is the allegation that some of the Officers in this PEPs Investigating Section are placed on “Pay Roll” of some government MDAs. In the same line, the granting of bail to suspects in this aspect is given to the highest bidder. Professionalism is eroded, where most Head of Sections/ Zonal Offices, knowing fully well that they are not permanent staff, tend to grant bails to highest bidders, even to a road side Maize seller, despite the set down procedures for granting bail to suspects. A propensity to hamper prosecution, as jumping of bail by the suspects may lead to striking out the case in court as already intended and envisaged by the authors. This has really affected the proper working of the EFCC, as that was not the case during the previous leadership of Mrs. Farida Waziri. At that time, whoever a suspect believes he/ she may be, if investigation warrants them to be in custody, Mrs. Waziri spares no “Sacred Cow”. Now, the game-changer believes in the assumption that if he does that, he will lose his job of further enriching himself. Who then is deceiving who in the fight against corruption in Nigeria.

Meanwhile, a further revelation on how bad it has become in the EFCC, is the current Removal of compromised PEPs’ cases in all Zonal Offices from EFCC Record, to prevent incoming administration from re-opening the cases. This is more of a taboo if compared to offences in our stone-age society. How on earth can a set of people, who are meant to checkmate the activities and indulgences of an Anti-graft agency, turns out to be its schemers in perpetrating such menace. Information at disposal reveals that the “Board Members” of the Agency, are currently carrying out a taboo-like tour of all the offices of the EFCC in the country. The aim is solely to clean-up all cases that have been made to undergo unwholesome surgery in the past. A crime I’ll refer to as “Aiding and Abetting” in relation to a Criminal Case. What should we have expected from a Board, whose architect sees nothing wrong and doesn’t give a damn in seeing “Stealing not as Corruption”? Now, we ask, are these features mentioned above not peculiar to our Police Stations in Nigeria today? Yes. Except that, that of the EFCC state of affairs is yet to die and be buried. It is recommended, that all Zonal Heads of Operations and Section Heads, who are not Permanent Cadets of the Agency be sent back to their parent organisations. Just as the ranks already attained by some credible Senior Cadets is an equivalent to those presently seconded, and heading positions in the Agency.

Moreover, if the Chairmanship of the EFCC must be from an external source, we have Retired Senior LEAs and Policemen, with proven antecedents. In which, at anytime you hear some of them speaks in media, it is solely on illicit dealings of any government in power. That is to say, we have such personalities who are Credible, Tact, Disciplined and Incorruptible in the task that may be assigned them. On this note, the incoming administration of the President- Elect Muhammadu Buhari, must be wary of most of those Serving Police Officers, seeming to have once worked in the EFCC. As most of them really do not have anything to offer, because close to 90% of them are even linked to some corrupt politicians. Therefore, a quick amelioration of this situation will go a long way to spring back that Agency.

I fear and weep for this country, believing that the Incoming government of President-Elect, Muhammadu Buhari will take a swift look at this Agency in order to rekindle its Olympic torch. Even though, we at the Civil side of the country would not hesitate to always call a spade, a spade.

God bless Nigeria and help us weed out any canker-worm from amongst us. Amen.



@mmfirdausi

mmfirdausi@gmail.com