Waziri Merely Seeking Presidential Favours, Omokri Slams Ex-EFCC Boss Over Jonathan Comment

Former senior special assistant to ex-president Goodluck Jonathan on new media, Reno Omokri, has accused Farida Waziri, former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), of having a history of telling lies against ex-presidents.

Omokri, who was reacting to allegations by Waziri against former President Jonathan, said the ex-EFCC boss is only seeking Presidential favours from the current administration.

Waziri had recently accused Jonathan of pressurizing her to release one of the masterminds of the fuel subsidy scam from EFCC custody, adding that her refusal to heed to then President’s orders led to her sack.

She thanked Jonathan for sacking her then, noting that if she had not been dismissed, the revelation of alleged corruption under the previous administration will have been too traumatic for her.

“I arrested a key subsidy culprit I got a call from the Presidential Villa asking me to release the suspect, because, in their words, ‘he is our person’, but I refused to let him off and days after I was removed from office,” she told journalists in Lagos during the weekend.

Reacting on Monday, Omokri said the former EFCC boss was looking to be in the good books of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Omokri also said after the sack of Waziri, Nigeria made its highest improvements in the annual Corruption Perception Index.

“My attention has been drawn to comments made by Farida Waziri to the effect that she was removed as Chairperson of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

“Waziri also said that she received a call from Aso Rock over this case which instructed her to drop her investigations.

“It is understandable that when there is a new government in power, people would want to ingratiate themselves to the new administration and one of the easiest way to do this is by demonizing the previous government.

“Nigerians will remember that Mrs. Farida Waziri was appointed as the chairperson of the EFCC by the late President Umaru Musa Yar’adua in May 2008 under very controversial circumstances after the unceremonious removal of the pioneer Chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Nuhu Ribadu.

“After she was appointed, Mrs. Farida Waziri made some uncomplimentary remarks against former President Olusegun Obasanjo because he said “I know that the woman they brought in to replace Ribadu (Farida Waziri) was not the right person for that job”.

“In response to that statement, Mrs. Farida Waziri described ex-President Obasanjo as a man known for “speaking in a manner that betrays his status as an elder statesman”. She also accused President Obasanjo of ‘mischief’.”