Finally, the sun set for Farida Waziri last Wednesday when the Presidency replaced her with Abdullahi Lamorde, as the head of the controversial Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. As it is the tradition with new appointments into critical bodies in Nigeria, the focus of the government and the public has automatically shifted to Lamorde, 48, and a familiar face in the anti-corruption war.? In other words, whatever the new helmsman does will now count for or against him. His appointment as the acting chairman of the agency effectively puts him on the spot and takes away his freedom. What he previously enjoyed as an unseen and unsung figure working behind the scene to checkmate corruption, will now been seen, measured and evaluated by the public in Nigeria and beyond. It is what he is able to do or not in the days ahead that will determine Nigeria’s seriousness in the fight against graft and go a long way to change or reinforce the perception of Nigerians and the International community on the commission.
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Lamorde has a serious task at hand because of the feeling by many Nigerians and the international community that the commission under Waziri did not do enough to tackle the rising wave of corruption in the land. If not for anything, the new boss of the agency has a critical assignment to undertake to assure donor and collaborating agencies that their assistance for anti-graft war is not lost. He also needs to convince Nigerians that the war against corruption has not been lost to powerful but corrupt politicians who also use their money to buy their way through.
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One thing that stands to his credit and may also work in his favour is that he has been in the system since the inception of the EFCC and should be taking off from a solid ground. His sound knowledge of the Nigerian environment coupled with his many years of experience in economic crime fight within Nigerian and outside, may come in handy in boosting his performance and changing the way the agency has been run thus far.
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But the big hurdle remains: will Lamorde be able to satisfy the government and the public in the task that lies ahead of him? While the government may have some unwritten ‘code of conduct’ for him apparently to protect its officials, the public would want a situation where the EFCC under Lamorde remains neutral and treats all Nigerians who appear before it equally. And, given the known fact that the government has the power to hire and fire the agency’s head will it be possible for him to operate without fear or favour?
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What will he do about high profile corruption cases hanging on the neck of top politicians in the ruling party, whose voices make a lot of impact on the administration?
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Many Nigerians are yet to be convinced that any Nigerian has the capacity to make a change in the way the EFCC is being run as long as the head of the commission is still being appointed by the sitting president. The fear is that once the man at the helm of affairs is chosen by the president, the agency will not be able to pursue those not approved by the government. That is what has been plaguing the agency since its inception. In spite of all that the former head of the commission, Mr. Nuhu Ribadu did, his organisation was largely seen as a weapon in the hands of former president Obasanjo to witch-hunt his real and imaginary enemies. Ribadu did not help matters when many politicians who were not in the good books of the administration were hounded out of the 2007 political race, one of them, being Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State, who was surreptitiously dropped by the Obasanjo administration on flimsy allegation of graft after winning the primary of his party. He was only able to reclaim his mandate through the Supreme Court after his cousin, who was anointed by the government of the day, ruled for over five months.
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Legal luminaries believe that the law establishing the agency must be amended to pave the way for the needed independence of the commission to be able to fight graft in the country.
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Yusuf Ali, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, believes that as long as the president has the power to hire any head of the agency he also has the power to fire at will. That notwithstanding, he wants the agency to desist from media trial of suspects and adhere strictly to the rule of law in the discharge of its assignments.
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Another SAN, Niyi Akintola, is of the view that the agency is understaffed and not well placed to handle the task of investigating serious financial crimes as is the case in other climes. He says it is not possible for about 5000 officers to investigate over one million petitions at any given time.
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But as the man mounts the saddle at a time when the ovation for the EFCC has really ebbed, it is clear that he has been boxed into a tight corner and the cynosure of some sort. Lamorde must therefore prove to the world that his calling into the strategic office is not for the purpose of satisfying the myopic interest of a few well-placed hawks in the political and social spheres. Given his antecedents as a fearless, courageous and committed officer, with experience anti-graft operations in many advanced countries of the world, he must rise to the occasion by justifying the confidence reposed on him by the nation.
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Lamorde should not for any reason play into the hands of some fraudulent but highly influential politicians who pervade the Nigerian system but should do his best to meet the yearnings of Nigerians at all times.
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The extent to which he can go in avoiding the pitfalls that afflicted his predecessors? and pursue his work with fearlessness, firmness but fairness would determine if indeed, Lamorde will make the needed impact as an economic crime czar, which he has already been branded or if he would emerge as a villain at the end of his tenure. Good luck as he steps into the public dock.
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