As Ribadu's Tenure Extends

By

Marshall Ifeanyi

ifeanyimarshallc@yahoo.com

 
Before the extension of the tenure of the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mal. Nuhu Ribadu, there were debates on the end of his tenure: whether it is before or after the April elections or even next year. A write-up was thought of but a search even on the internet could not yield a clear result until the Chairman himself disclosed that his tenure would end on April 8, 2007 after 4 years in office, though the appointment was renewable. Expectedly, President Olusegun Obasanjo extended the tenure.
 
As Ribadu’s tenure came to its tail end thoughts such as who will be bold and courageous enough to fit into his shoes as to indict and prosecute the mighty and powerful who embezzle public funds for personal aggrandisement emanated. So many other questions that criss-crossed minds begged for answers. If Ribadu had left office, will some of those convicted corrupt personalities as a result of his investigations and prosecutions be granted amnesty? Will the next EFCC chairperson have had the gumption to investigate and bring to book the present extremely powerful untouchable(s) touted by the media? Would the President too have been investigated over the Presidential library project and the shares in Transcorp? If Ribadu was not returned, will the EFCC have remained relevant in the fight against corruption in Nigeria ? If he had relinquished office at this young age, will he have resigned from the Nigerian Police as well or will he have been assigned other jobs? How will Nigerians have reacted to his exit if he was not returned – happy, sad, mixed feelings? Now that he had been returned, what will happen to those indicted but immune public officers whom he constantly vowed will not escape his net after the elections? Will corrupt politicians’ names continue to be published even after election periods? Will EFCC be continued to be perceived afterwards as a Gestapo organization in the next administration? Will Nigeria ’s battered image receive more leverage or will she go further down the drain as a more corrupt nation?
 
Questions like the ones raised leave an air of uncertainty without definite answers. A good many Nigerians agree that the advent of the EFCC and the subsequent appointment of Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, son of a former minister, was a welcome development. During his first tenure as the boss at the anti-corruption agency, influential Nigerians: businessmen, politicians, public office holders, political appointees and even legal practitioners were caught in his drag-net. We could easily remember the pitiable ends of former IG of Police, ex-governor of Bayelsa State and formerly celebrated 419ners, who were all thought to be sacred cows and untouchables. This sent scary warning signals to public office holders so that today election and campaign financing was somewhat becoming modest and not without caution as aspirants are mindful of the eagle eyes of the EFCC. Civil Servants are not also left out in the list of scared people as a good number of them now adhere to due process in handling public funds. Though low salaries promote corruption because majority of them live below their income. The impact of Ribadu’s work at the EFCC was complemented by that of the ICPC thought by many to be a toothless bulldog.
 
The name Ribadu became synonymous with EFCC as the commission helped in sanitizing the polity and the economy. However many observers became wary of the role of Ribadu in the altercations with opposition groups, especially those in the bad book of the Presidency and the ruling party, PDP. The ways and manner EFCC coaxed legislative houses to impeach their governors gave reason for the public to be skeptical about its genuineness.
 
The accusation of selectivity in its pronouncements and actions, especially with the submission of allegedly indicted individuals to INEC for disqualification, was widely condemned which compelled the Senate President, Senator Ken Nnamani to warn EFCC to maintain its credibility when he said, “It will be disastrous for Nigeria if anything is done that will erode the credibility of EFCC…it will set us back from the good image (we’ve earned) over the years”. This concern influenced the decision of the amendment of EFCC Act to make it autonomous and independent from interference from the Executive arm of government.
 
Some commentators say that EFCC under Ribadu should be applauded and not vilified despite the hate list which caused rancour in the polity. They say that the errors in the list are not the handiwork of Nuhu and his commission but of someone else somewhere. Nigerians should look at the patriotic zeal with which Nuhu had worked to numb the dirty fingers that dug into the tills and excuse his inability to discourage the President from meddling with his work. We should not be in a haste to forget the dogged effort to clean the bad and negative image given the country and her citizens as a result of the unscrupulous works of 419ers using among other means the internet. The fight was with such a determined vigor that the popular Oluwole market in Lagos Island was closed down.
 
Ribadu’s opposition to the amendment of the EFCC Act is understandable since he is part and parcel of the government that put him in office. One only hopes he has an opportunity to pour out his real mind on the need to make the EFCC truly independent from the Presidency which it is speculated, has been choking him with witch-hunting tasks. Poor Ribadu, caught between the ethics of his job and the dictates of his employers.
 
As he leaves, let us not forget that the task of curbing corruption is a collective one for all stakeholders and not the exclusive responsibility of government agencies. The reviewed remuneration of federal public servants tends to favour only the public office holders at the expense of civil servants as the salary restructure does not meet the existing economic indices and as such does not make for decent standard of living. If corruption must be tackled and EFCC continue to maintain its credibility, the conduct of the staff of the commission must be in accordance with public interest. There should be observance to the right to fair hearing and the staff must be ready to do diligent investigations before blowing the whistle on the suspects. They should be careful not to unnecessarily victimize innocent citizens especially in seasons of petitions writing (such as election times) against perceived enemies.
 
Personally, I consider Nuhu a person of proven integrity and one that works with diligence whose life may be threatened because of the nature of his assignment which is a source of discomfort to nefarious individuals. I group him in the rank of other Nigerians who had served or are serving this great nation selflessly. These are people who are constantly in the eyes of observers and in the mouth of critics. It was thought that whether Ribadu remained or another person was brought in, the agency should not be run as a one-man-squad as such could erode institutional capacity of governance.
 
Mal Nuhu Ribadu was born in November, 1960.  He graduated from the Nigerian Law School and was called to the bar in 1984, before joining the Nigeria Police, where he rose to become Head of the Legal and Prosecution Department, Police Headquarters, Abuja .  His 18-year service in the Nigeria Police culminated in his appointment as the pioneer Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) by President Olusegun Obasanjo, in 2003. Ribadu has been a recipient of several awards, as a police officer, prosecutor and Chairman, EFCC. 
 
Marshall Ifeanyi  



 

Marshall