Jonathan fired me for probing oil racketeers, says ex-EFCC chair

Mrs. Farida said there was a call from the Presidential Villa not to arrest the racketeers but she refused to be compromised on the case.

She said the late Minister for Information Prof. Dora Akunyili knew of the plot to remove her and asked her to beg Jonathan.

But she said she rejected Akunyili's advice because it was totally against her "conscience and moral judgment.ÔÇØ

She said another highly-placed source said those in and around the Presidency did not like her because she did not contribute money for Jonathan's elections in 2011.

As part of the countdown to her removal, she said ex- President Jonathan once summoned her on the rumours about her in office.

Jonathan fired me for probing oil racketeers, says ex-EFCC chair Jonathan fired me for probing oil racketeers, says ex-EFCC chairDuring the encounter, Jonathan asked her if she would like to go and rest but she was quick to reply if the ex-President wanted to sack her.

She said Jonathan only muttered "no.ÔÇØ

She said she was courageous enough to tell Jonathan not to throw her to the wolves.

Also, she said a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Chief Pius Anyim offered her ambassadorial appointment in line with the agenda to oust her from office.

She said ex-President Umaru Yar'Adua was more committed to anti-graft war than any other person.

She said the death of Yar'Adua left her vulnerable because his demise broke the spine of the fight against corruption

The one-time EFCC chairman made these revelations in her book, "Farida Waziri, One Step AheadÔÇØ, which is due for public presentation in Abuja on Tuesday.

She exposed intrigues which trailed her tenure and an attempt to scandalise her out of office.

Jonathan fired me for probing oil racketeers, says ex-EFCC chair She said she was on the street of Abuja when the then Head of Media and Publicity at EFCC, Mr. Femi Babafemi broke the news of her sack to her.

Former President Goodluck Jonathan removed Mrs. Waziri from office on November 23, 2011 after spending three and a half years in charge of the anti-graft agency.

She said she got the news as follows: "Ma, have you heard the news?ÔÇØ I was driving on the street of Abuja when his call came in from the office. It was the voice of Femi Babafemi, Head of Media and Publicity at EFCC. I listened calmly to him. Instead of going to the office, I went home.

"I switched on the TV and waited for the news hour. It came on first on Channels, and shortly after, on NTA and AIT. My husband was sleeping upstairs. I went into his room to wake him.

"I have been sacked.ÔÇØ He grumbled about someone disturbing his sleep. "It's too early for jokes this morning.ÔÇØ

"It is not a joke. I have been sacked. It is in the news. Come and see.ÔÇØ We went downstairs together. He watched the TV in silence. "It's okÔÇØ was all he said.

But she attributed the immediate cause of the sack to the investigation of some oil racketeers.

The excerpts from the book read: "The date was November 23, 2011. It didn't take me by surprise. There had been rumblings and maneuverings in the recent past to guess such an end was in the offing. The last straw that broke the camel's back was an EFCC operation in Lagos.

"The agency got a tip-off about some oil racketeers who were in Nigeria for dubious dealings. People of interest were going to move money into Lagos. The tip-off came from outside the country, one of our reliable foreigner(sic) agents. We flew into Lagos and organised the operation. Detectives moved to the target office, to conduct a search and bring the suspect to Abuja. At the time they got into the office, the target was not on seat.

"I'd asked the team to invite the accountant and to bring along the computers. Few minutes after the arrival of the accountant and the machines, I got a call from Aso Rock, the Presidential Villa.

"The message was an order: ÔÇØRelease the man immediately!ÔÇØ My calm explanation to the voice from the villa was "The person you are calling for is not arrested; it is his accountant we invited here.ÔÇØ "Ok, let the accountant go.ÔÇØ

"That put me in a dilemma. We had acted on intelligence. We spent days planning the operation. And indeed, we had on our hands a good case complete with evidence. How do I explain to my operatives that the case has to be jettisoned because of a call from Aso Rock? How do I disabuse their minds from thinking I had compromised?

"I asked the detectives to take the accountant's statement and release him on bail. While we were at it, the caller from the Villa interrupted us again with another order: "Release the computers to him.ÔÇØ He tried to justify this by claiming, "he contributed so much to the campaign of President Goodluck Jonathan.ÔÇØ

"At that point, I asked him: "Is this instruction from Mr. President? " Yes, the voice affirmed. I played my last card: "I can release the man on bail, but I won't release the computers. "How did it end?ÔÇØ "The outcome was my sack a few weeks later. I guess this and other events contributed to my removal, although other events took place before this.ÔÇØ

The former EFCC chairman recalled what happened after his removal and how the late Prof. Dora Akunyili hinted her of her imminent sack.