The Explosion And Implosion Of Mallam Nuhu Ribadu

The Explosion And Implosion Of Mallam Nuhu Ribadu

Chidi P Eze

Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC for short, really exploded and imploded. The occasion was on the 3^rd Annual National Trust Dialogue held at Ladi Kwali Hall, Sheraton Hotel & Towers, Abuja on January 19, 2006.

Mallam Ribadu rhetorically asked, “What is the trouble with Nigeria?” “The answer to this question can simply be answered in one word”, “Corruption”. He went further to offer myriad of factors that contribute to the crises of corruption Nigeria is facing today. Chiefs among the myriad of factors according to the chairman, are, our culture, our value system, our leadership and follower ship, our disposition to national values of patriotism and love of our fatherland as well as our respect for the rule of law.

The Mallam said that he would attempt to address only a few ISSUES, (emphasis mine) considered to be critical and central for our liberation from the monster called corruption and the clique of vampires who continue to suck the nation dry and expect us to worship them as “Big men”. But first, what is corruption? Asked the chairman. This is the definition of the vantage chairman,

The generally accepted definition of corruption is that which states that “Corruption is an abuse of public office for private gain”. However, some prefer the more encompassing definition that covers private sector: “The misuse of private or public funds/office/power/position for private benefit”. In the light of our own experience, I am inclined to the latter definition. (Obasanjo should know this).

The chairman posited that corruption has been with us for some time, but the period between 1979 and 1998 represent the darkest period of Nigeria as far as corruption is concerned.

What about the period between 1976-1979? How about the late Shehu Musa Yar’dua and his wealth? A Lt-Col elevated to a major-general purely on ethnic cleaver-age than merit. What was the source of his wealth? What of Obasanjo? Where did he get the money for his Otta farm? Through his salary? Let’s be real. It was not a rumor that there was a missing 2.8 billion naira under Obasanjo’s military regime. What about the wealth of Theophilus Danjuma and the Nigerian shipping line?

The 1979 known as the 2^nd republic covered Alhaji Shehu Shagari, 1979-1983, Ibrahim Babangida, 1985-1993, Sani Abacha, 1993 to June 1998, Abdul Salami Abubakar, June 1998 to May 1999. Here is how the Mallam described the Shagari administration:

………… Wanton waste, political thuggery and coercion was the order of the day. Disrespect for the rule of law started to manifest seriously during this period. Of course there was bare-faced, free-for-all looting of public funds through white elephant projects. This period witnessed the massive erosion of the nation’s morals and ethics. Corrupt public servants and others in the private sector bestrode the nation, masquerading as captains of businesses and power brokers with tainted and stolen wealth and demanded the rest of us to kowtow before them. Such was the situation that some Nigerians, disappointed in the way things were going, openly called for the return of the military.

Again hear the chairman on IBB and Sani Abacha regimes:

Under them, corruption became the sole guiding principle for running affairs of State. The period witnessed a total reversal and destruction of every good thing in the country –positive values were jettisoned, agencies were decimated (a snap checklist: - Nigerian Airways; Nigerian National Shipping Line; National Electric Power Authority; Nigerian Maritime Authority; Refineries; Steel Rolling Mills; Industries and manufacturing concerns (like automobile production plants –VON, PAN, Leyland, Styre, etc.); River Basin Authorities; Law enforcement agencies and even the military itself were either rendered comatose or destroyed). The decline we notice in the education sector today also started in that period. The shameless rot in the aviation sector, the absence of an efficient public transport system, the collapse of our public schools, the thievery in the Ports and the decay in our health care delivery system all of which huge sums had been budgeted and spent are a direct reflection of the poverty of leadership of that era.

The military regimes of that period legitimised corruption and in effect, did not offer much to the Nigerian nation. Significantly, that was the period when providence handed the nation, perhaps her best opportunity ever, to get her acts right and make a decisive move to pull herself out of the backwaters of economic, social and political underdevelopment. But, the leadership at the time did not have their eyes on the future; their eyes were set on the gravy train. It is on record that we earned more money in comparative terms then than in any other period in the history of Nigeria. But there was nothing to show for it. Instead, hundreds of millions of dollars were wasted on projects and programmes that have recently been revealed to be only conduit pipes to siphon Nigeria’s money into foreign accounts and personal projects. The military repeatedly banned and disbanded politicians and political parties, closed all forms of democratic debates and cancelled elections leading the society to near-destruction. In the period, Nigeria was a veritable laboratory to test all kinds of selfish concepts and ideas. The nation suffered near-permanent losses in all aspects –our moral fabric was shredded beyond recognition; social infrastructure were dilapidated; crime, both violent and non-violent were at their highest level ever; we were a pariah nation in the comity of nations; and worse, Nigerians had lost hope in themselves as a people.

I cannot believe my ears, especially this coming from indomitable mallam Nuhu Ribadu, the chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. The mallam’s explosion is quite understandable, but on his implosion aspect, Nigeria, I have a problem. Problem that a police man equipped with all the military and security gears was sent to investigate a case of murder, he had the murderer and was sure of the murderer based on his investigation, but left the murderer only to tell the society how the murderer butchered his victim. In this case the victim’s relative was arrested for being the victim’s relative. I have a problem in that the same police man is now the house maid to the murderer. The same police man has been exposing murder cases committed by other murderers, but cleverly avoided to mention his murderer-master’s, even though his master was at the scene where those other murders were committed and is still committing the same murder. This my analogy of the current chairman and his administration. The mallam’s cleverly short changed the corruption dates and time to portray his master in the good light and exonerate him from the gravy train. This is exactly the mode of EFCC---selective probe and selective punishment. I am really thrilled here by the mallam’s statement, hear him,………………..

….. But, if poverty is the root cause of corruption, what can we say is the justification for an Inspector General of Police, a Senator, Minister, Governor, Local Government Chairman or Bank MD who are not by any definition poor men and women, to steal from the public coffers? What underlies corruption to my mind is greed and that is why, the corrupt never stops stealing. Wherever and whenever they see even half a chance to line their pocket, they jump at it..

I don’t know if chairman Ribadu was giving the world some excerpts of his intending book on corruption in Nigeria or as typical in Nigeria, he is here emphasizing the cause of corruption, but not the solution. I would have recommended the book to Nigerian schools from elementary to tertiary institutions, but the facts there-in are incomplete. Because, the chairman defined corruption and talked about current disposition of our people to corruption which include among other things lack of respect for the rule of law. The chairman mentioned the story of Mr. Lee Kuan Yew, former prime minister of Singapore and his son current prime minister, who in 1995, purchased two properties from a developer, a public listed company at a discount of 5-7% or $1 million unsolicited. Complaints later emerged that Mr. Yew and his son had gained unfair advantage when purchasing the property on the ground that Mr. Yew’s brother was non executive director of the company. The matter was thoroughly investigated by a committee of the Stock Exchange of Singapore, the Monetary Authority and the Parliament with all of them absolving Mr. Yew and his son from the impropriety. Even at then, Mr. Yew donated the $1 million to the charity. Mr. chairman, does your master Obasanjo know about this incident? He needs to know.

Oh! our Nigeria, what a country? Mr. chairman, Obasanjo was accused of myriad of corruption by a governor from his own party, which include, establishment of Bell university with state’s resources, using the state money to acquire more lands and improve on his near bankrupt farm at Otta that now fetches him 30 million naira monthly, organized federal government contractors to donate over 6 billion naira for him in the name of building library, built an estate in Abuja fenced, secured and condoned off, having and maintaining credit card to siphon the national oil money, using and abusing his office and the Nigeria’s constitution, using and abusing the nation police and security out fits, instigating and sponsoring violence against states and their governors selected just like him self, creating and sponsoring division among Nigerian people, sponsoring assassinations of his political opponents and thwarting the investigation of the said assassinations, corrupting the Nigerian society especially the National Assembly members, excessive violation of human rights of Nigerians, directing the nation’s police force to protect the hoodlums desecrating the peoples’ lives and properties and more. Did you or the Nigerian parliament ever investigate him? Alhaji Mantu was accused of demanding and obtaining 54 million naira to confirm a minister, along with senator Jonathan Zwigina, by your colleague in the same government who happened to be the victim, did you ever investigate it? There was allegation of 300 million given to the members of the National Assembly to abort the impeachment of Obasanjo in 2003. Did you investigate it? 300 billion naira was given to Tony Anenih, then minister of works to construct and repair the nation’s dilapidated roads, was the job done? If not, did you ask as to what happened to the 300 billion naira? A northern member or members of the house of representatives brought out 4 million naira on the floor of the house as bribery money from the executive. Did you investigate it? If you know all those accusations against Shagari, Babangida and Abacha, why was Abacha the only one being targeted? Oh, because he is dead. It was said that the nation’s foreign reserve after the death of Abacha was $7 billion, but in only 10 months of Abdul Salami Abubakar’s administration, the foreign reserve dropped to $3 billion. What happened to the difference? Was there any road construction or industrial development that gulped $4 billion in ten months? According to the immunity clause, or section 308 of the Nigerian constitution, governors cannot be prosecuted while in office, but after they leave office….., Agreed. But there were numerous financial impropriety levelled against Prince Abubakar Audu, former governor of Kogi state. Why did you not investigate him more than two years after he left office? Financial impropriety was also levelled against Abdulahi Lawal, the former governor of Kwara state, up to being arrested with tons of money of different denominations at one of the Nigeria’s airports. Has he been investigated? Governor Bafarawa of Sokoto state was accused of owning a house in London purchased for over 2 million pounds and he accepted the charge, why was he never ‘disturbed?’ Governor Abdulahi Adamu of Nasarawa state was alleged to have been seen by a reporter leaving through the gate with tons of money, why was he not investigated? It was also alleged that governor Ahmed Markarfi of Kaduna state owned many houses in London and Nigeria, why was he not investigated? Abubakar Atiku was just a custom officer at Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, why is he Bill Gate of Adamawa or even Nigeria? Did you question the source of his wealth? Did you ever question the source of wealth of Ministers, commissioners, members of the national and states assemblies, top civil servants entrusted with the nation’s purse, given the type of houses they own and the type of cars they drive which are well beyond their normal and legitimate incomes? Are some of those and the children of those who ran Nigeria and her institutions aground in Obasanjo government today? Yes they are. Why then is the chairman talking about corruption in Nigeria in the past tense? Why are the governors that your master directing you to harass and abuse are only the Christian governors? Are the Christian governors the only corrupt ones out of the 36 of them? Oh! I know why, Obasanjo can easily trample on the rights of the Christian community and nothing would happen, because Christianity preaches non violence. That is why a CAN president to him was an idiot, but could not utter such word to a muslem chief who was there. Of course the Muslems are sacred cows who will be preserved at all cost so they would not rock the boat of the 3^rd term. It is no secret that governors Ahmed Markarfi and Abdulahi Adamu of Kaduna and Nasarawa states respectively, both muslem are among the most corrupt of all the Nigeria’s 36 governors and are the northern coordinators to extend Obasanjo’s tenure, it obvious that they are sacred cows. Mr. chairman, Obasanjo is the greatest culprit in corruption and violation of Nigeria’s law. He is as corrupt as he is lawless. He does not obey the nation’s court order, neither do his various governmental departments and agencies. That is the worst form of corruption. You are here singing the song of anti-corruption and castigating the past leaders, but your master is worse than all of them combined. The nation has never had it so good in the terms of petroleum dollar coming to her, but what has Obasanjo done with the money? Does Nigeria have tarred roads or stable electricity? Running taps? Good educational institutions? Peace? Good security? Good police organization? Justice in distribution of the nation’s resources and citing of industries or development? Equitable distribution of appointments? When Obasanjo uses his office to remove elected governors, what is it called? Abuse of office of the president in a democracy. It is corruption. When Obasanjo ordered Nigerian police to intimidate a senate president, what is called in Nigeria? Abuse of nation’s security out fit and official oppression. When Obasanjo continues to cajole and continues to remind an ethnic group that they were defeated in the war of self defence and deliberately denies them their share of national goods and services, but used their human resources to improve the national image, what is it called? Abuse of office and wickedness. When Obasanjo exonerated his cousin Christopher Makanjuola from prosecution from embezzlement of more than 400 million naira, but removed and docked a minister for giving 55 million naira bribe to up grade his ministerial vote, what is it called? Abuse of office, still corruption. When another minister from a certain ethnic group received a kick back and kick front to surrender the nation’s high priced houses to the president relatives, in-laws and sycophants with a chicken fee and the minister was only asked to go home and enjoy her penalty kicks, what is it called in Nigeria? In 2003, Nigerians elected their choices of those they wanted to represent them in political arena, your master Obasanjo nullified the peoples’ choices, was it not exactly what Babangida did in 1993? The nation is now in more dangerous and most precarious situation than she has ever been in the Nigeria’s history. The segregation of Nigeria is now more imminent than any other time in the nation’s history. Nigeria is more corrupt now than any other time in her chequered history. (see TI report) If you and EFCC are really serious about anti-corruption in Nigeria, are you un mindful of the fact that there is monumental financial scandal and massive fraud in the nation’s oil industry and resources with Obasanjo fully in charge? What happened to Okigbo report and Oputa panel report? Mr. chairman, as much as I would like to give you credit in your effort in frightening some cowards among Nigeria’s economic vampires, I like to draw your attention to the fact that your effort can only be taken seriously and appreciated more when you become independent, sincere and loyal to Nigeria and her constitution rather than to Obasanjo. Until then your EFCC will remain Obasanjo’s personal tool for personal vendetta. Please try to sit down with your master and define to him corruption, because he came from that part of the country where 2/3 of a given number is always a problem and you only need to claim that you passed through the walls of a high school to become a deputy governor. No offence.