By Bisi Lawrence
In the foaming maelstrom of unrelenting jostle for political advantage on every issue, by which Nigeria is consumed at the moment, no one may be adjudged to have got it right at any point in any endeavor. You are damned if you do, and damned if you don’t.

It’s frightening, really. It all gets   interesting by the hour, since the remedies that worked in some specific situations earlier, no longer work when applied to the same situations. They had a name for that type of logjam in the Second World War. (Sorry, if that was slightly before your time, but now is a good opportunity to catch up with history.).Anyway, the code name was SNAFU, which stood for “Situation Normal, All Fouled Up.”

We are all “fouled up”. We have storms, indeed tsunamis, blowing in a myriad of teapots all over the nation. And that brings up the first text message we are going to consider – in fact, it’s all for texts today.

Echoes: Biz Law, sir. I cannot imagine how you could keep aloof from the debate going on about the advisory letter written by the EFCC Chairman, Farida Waziri, about the candidates that should be presented by the PDP for the forthcoming elections in 2011. I am sure that you would not support such an outrageous interference beyond the call of duty by the EFCC. (080316270).

*Sorry to disappoint you, but I would. In fact, I do. It is not an action “beyond the call of duty”. Let us get that straight. The EFCC has contravened no statute that I know of. The purpose of the “letter” was purely advisory.

It was not an instruction; it was not a directive. It was an advice, a cautionary message which anybody was free to accept or reject. It could not even be rightly condemned as being “ultra vires” (which I think means acting beyond one’s legal powers or position – I am not a lawyer and shouldn’t tamper with such phrases) because the duty of preventing crime belongs to all of us, and more so to an organization formed specifically for such a purpose.

Crime prevention, or the prevention of a criminal reaping from the proceeds of his crime, is within the ambit of the operations of an anti-crime outfit, such as the EFCC. So what has Farida done wrong again this time?

Her purpose is to ensure that only those who are clean should be presented for leadership positions in the country. She had already declared that intent. It is a position that looks good on her both as a private citizen and patriot, as well as a law officer – an absolutely admirable position.

Consider the additional confusion which would come to life if people forwarded by a political part for election were found not to be qualified after the period allowed for substitution of candidates by the statutes?

Then we shall have all that rigmarole of litigation and delayed judgment, and those television appearances by SAN’s robed and ready to expound the fine points of law on which their cases rest. No wonder the lawyers who are in disagreement over this matter with the EFCC, especially the “senior” ones, do so with unveiled passion.

As for the position of the Attorney-General, he won’t be the first gentleman in that position whose protestations of embarrassment were, in themselves, a source of embarrassment to others. The conciliatory tone in a part of his reaction, however, denotes a mark of maturity that one finds an adornment to his role of authority.

But, when you consider it all over again, should someone sound that note of warning against the backdrop of our political development? If so, and if not the EFCC, who else? It is all in the cause of having a free, fair and credible election – isn’t that what we all say we want? And yet we are all – pardon me, several of us – are so eager to vilify someone who is doing her honest duty to contribute to that end. Some people would rather believe that Farida did all that to attract attention to herself.

People can be so uncharitable; that is most unkind. In fact, she cannot avoid attracting attention to herself in her official position and personal appearance. She is a lady, and she knows it. She has no need to demand attention; she commands it.

Anybody reading between the lines would appreciate that it was not merely a website item of many weeks old that was enough to bring down that torrent of sanctions against the EFCC. I would not be surprised if it was an orchestrated offensive which some unwary people innocently bought into. That has to be expected.

Several people who are affected by the operations of the EFCC are very powerful people. It should be expected that at one point, the “Empire” would fight back. The joy of it all is that Farida may not be undisturbed, but she is definitely undeterred.

Echoes: BIZLAW Nigerians should stand up against the gang to mortgage our future to an ungodly consensus. We are tired of Ciroma and co. (08075995166)

*Well, there we go with another hurricane in a teapot. The issue of a consensus candidate for the PDP is a matter for the PDP in the North. In what way is my future mortgaged? I may contribute to the issue, or I may not. You may vote for the consensus candidate, when and if he or she emerges, or you may not, as you please.

Echoes: I’m writing in support of what you wrote about Jega. Yes, I think he should talk. (08038925890)
*Well, he’s talking. And I like what he is saying…so far.

Echoes. I’m sorry to be personal. You look Ibo, but you are Bisi. The question to myself is, how do Ibos look? (Dr. Pemu – 08055250348)

*That’s easy. You just said it. I look like them, so they too would look like me, wouldn’t they?

Eches;: Can you dare pass this on – if we want PHCN to bounce back, just shut down the generators in the presidency, legislators’ quarters, national assembly, all government offices, federal parastatals, states and local government offices….(08033703490)

No sir, I dare NOT pass that on.

By the way, I have to end this page today with the mention of the passing away of my dear auntie, Madam Abiola Sunmoge. She is survived by good children, some of whom are great grandparents by themselves. We thank God for her gentle life, but I am going to miss her. Today is her funeral. She was only ninety-five years old.
Time out.