By Rotimi Fasan
THE terms in which we discuss what is generally called ‘the fight against corruption’ gives one the impression that that fight itself has become a project in its own right.

It is as if corruption is native to Nigeria, as if ours is the only country in the world where there are corrupt people. Sometimes one wonders if we are not being unjust to ourselves in our discussion of corruption- the manner corruption is almost always front page news.

But then, what else is there to talk about when the least of our problems is traceable to the culture of corrupt enrichment that seems to direct our way of life? What else could engage our attention where the authorities appear unenthusiastic about the need to do things the right way?

The sermon they preach is forever at variance with what they do, for which reason we continue to move in circles, taking one step forward and several backwards each time they claim to be fighting corruption. It is the reason we are now in this situation where the two people at the centre of the so-called fight against corruption are at loggerheads, working at cross purposes.

It is no longer secret that the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Mohammed Adoke, and chair of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Farida Waziri, are at daggers-drawn over how the anti-graft war is being  fought. We’ve been here before and would return again and again as long as we continue to act like people without will to do what is right.

The seasoned whip that was used to flog Nuhu Ribadu has now been retrieved from the rafters and Waziri’s ample back is feeling the unaccustomed sting of its bites. Perhaps rather uncharitably, some might say Waziri deserves what she is getting.

When she was appointed to replace Ribadu, the pioneer chair of the EFCC, it looked like her supporters wanted her to execute a secret script. Abuja appeared totally tired of Ribadu, wanted him out and was not going to do it in a civilised way.

They were bent on humiliating the man who certainly ruffled not a few feathers with his abrasive, take no prisoner approach. When Ribadu appeared not ready to leave quietly, some people sought to take him out completely by making an attempt on his life.

The final onslaught was completed when the man was finally pushed out of the EFCC office. This was when Waziri came and she worked as if on a demolition mission. She seemed bent to chart a course different from that beaten by Ribadu who was by far her junior in the Police Force. It was as if her brief was to dismantle whatever Ribadu and his supporters saw as the former chair’s achievement.

Then Justice Minister and Attorney General of the Federation, Michael Aondoakaa, tried to ensure that whatever could count in Ribadu’s favour at the EFCC was erased. Concerned Nigerians complained as were outsiders who had a stake in our war against graft.

They could not see the sense in Aondoakaa’s actions- his brazen act of subverting the course of justice by protecting known and unknown offenders/suspects against the country’s laws against corruption. Waziri, it appeared then, was his instrument of (in)justice. She was quite obliging. Where Ribadu had gone right, Waziri went left. But it wasn’t long before the unholy romance went burst.

A domineering character if ever there was one, Aondoakaa would soon overreach himself for he would not be satisfied with even the perfunctory attempt Waziri was making to fight corruption. He piled pressure on her in a bid to have total control of the EFCC, a move Waziri resisted. It would not be easy to measure just how much Aondoakaa did to subvert the anti-graft war or what his presence as the Justice Minister did to stall Waziri’s effort at the EFCC. But after the bust-up between the two became public matter, Waziri appeared to gain confidence and moved against a few big fish.

Bode George as was James Ibori, among others, were caught in her net. And the fight is still on- or so we must believe for our own good. But, in fact, that fight might have come to an end as Aondoakaa’s successor, Mohammed Adoke, seems to have lost interest in Waziri’s effort. The Presidency, some reports too are suggesting, appears tired of Waziri. Adoke is moving against Waziri.

His recent letters to the Police Service Commission and the Inspector General of Police are meant to pick a hole in Waziri’s appointment. Given the circumstances of her emergence at the EFCC, it’s not impossible that Waziri’s appointment could have a ‘comma’ somewhere. Adoke probably thought something irregular could be found against her appointment, hence the request for information on her rank as at the time she left the Police

Force in 2000 and her subsequent appointment as EFCC chair some seven years later. It’s shocking that it’s only now that a dirty war is being fought that the AGF thought it fit to look into Waziri’s records in the Force. This says something about the way people are appointed into office, namely, without necessary qualification. This is not saying that Mrs. Waziri is unqualified for the EFCC job. Her training makes it clear that she is very qualified. The problem was with the manner she was appointed and the circumstances surrounding that.

It was perhaps natural for Adoke to look in that direction in order to find some ‘technicality’ that could disqualify her. Otherwise, one would think such effort unnecessary as one would expect that every public officer was appointed but only after scaling over requisite security, academic and professional hurdles, etc. Waziri’s appointment appeared to have been for a special reason leading to the kind of suspicion as must have led Adoke to look in her cupboard for skeletons.

It’s obvious that the anti-graft fight is headed for the rocks not just on account of the fight between Adoke and Waziri but precisely because of the reason for the disagreement between them. Adoke, it is alleged, has been withdrawing high profile cases the EFCC has been prosecuting. These include the controversial cases of the Vaswani brothers, cases of the former Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Ahmed Bello and ex-chair of the Police Equipment Fund, Kenny Martins, among others. One wouldn’t know the reason for Adoke’s action but it does not appear to be in furtherance of justice.

This might be why there have been calls in some quarters for him to be investigated for various misdeeds. It’s clear the fight against corruption is not near being won for as long as those entrusted with it cannot be trusted to do the job.