Oladimeji Ramon

A former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mrs . Farida Waziri, says she was glad in retrospect that ex – President Goodluck Jonathan kicked her out of office .

She said had she not been sacked , she would have been traumatised by now , given the ongoing revelation of alleged grand corruption that took place under Jonathan’ s administration .

Waziri said the EFCC under Jonathan was not given free hand to operate, saying she got the first indication of it during the probe of the fuel subsidy scam .

She said it was her refusal to back down from the probe of one of the masterminds of the fuel subsidy scam that earned her a dismissal by Jonathan .

A statement on Sunday quoted the ex – EFCC helmsman as saying this during an interaction with journalists at an unnamed event , which she attended in Lagos at the weekend .

She was said to have been asked to react to the revelation about the alleged grand sleaze that took place under Jonathan’ s watch .

“ I’ m only glad that those things didn’ t happen under my watch as the EFCC Chairman because it would have been too traumatic for me . And that is why if I see President Jonathan today , I will kneel down to thank him for the honour done me by removing me as the EFCC Chairman at the time he did .

“ My first strong premonition of what was ahead was when I began the probe of the monumental oil subsidy fraud going on then.

“ I came to Lagos on a vital intelligence on the subsidy scam and as soon as I arrested a key 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 , ” Waziri was quoted to have said.

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