Ribadu

Ribadu’s Exit Controversy-Much Ado About Nothing!

Ayo Fawibe

“We are fighting corruption and corruption is also fighting back”

“The other day, I put Bulama in handcuffs, they said I did that because I’m Fulani and he’s Kanuri…….”

That was the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Mallam Nuhu Ribadu in Washington, DC March, 2007 responding to questions about the organization’s activities. As the gathering at the Nigerian Embassy listened to Ribadu with his light Hausa/Fulani accent, it was clear that he was reveling in authority and confidence to haunt the high and the mighty in the war against corruption.

Ribadu’s posture in Washington on that occasion was that of a though cop whose bravado was to send the message of complete readiness for more action. However, despite all the boldness, Ribadu betrayed some uneasiness to suggest that the EFCC is only doing its best in an unfriendly situation.

Corruption is quite friendly with the Nigerian society. The EFCC, the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) are the enemies while the politicians, the civil servants, the legislature, the judiciary, the bankers, the churches, the mosques and the businessmen/women are the in Ribadu’s words the proverbial corruption fighting back to ensure that the system remains rotten. In a nutshell, corruption is endemic everywhere in the Nigerian system and almost every Nigerian would have benefited from corrupt practices one way or the other, directly or by proxy.

Honestly, Ribadu deserves some commendation for the much he has done, even if some of his activities as the EFCC remain questionable. The young man was just being answerable to his boss Obasanjo. The issue of whether Ribadu did his job creditably or otherwise would impinge so much on the present controversy surrounding his possible exit from the EFCC. But he must be convinced that he did his best, not just by prosecuting politicians but even a fellow Northerner, Alhaji Shettima Mohammed Bulama, the former Managing Director, Bank of the North. His perceived detractors would also be quick to find out what happened to General Buba Marwa and Abacha’s loot, why he never took Atiku’s allegations against Obasanjo seriously, what happened to those PDP stalwarts who in the name of Obasanjo’s second term campaign helped Dariye to loot the Plateau State treasury and why was Governor Gbenga Daniel untouchable?

As Nigerians and the world continue to analyze the circumstances surrounding Ribadu’s imminent exit from the EFCC, no one should ever lose sight of the fact that this would only signify mark the Ribadu era, not the end of efforts to clean up the Nigerian system. Late General Murtala Muhammed as head of state personally disguised and went round to the lowest levels of the Nigerian society to niche in the bud the growth of corruption, unfortunately, corruption fought back and he was assassinated. Generals Muhammadu Buhari and Tunde Idiagbon’s administration also attempted to sanitize Nigeria, corruption fought back and they were yanked out of the system.

Except if Ribadu is already being power intoxicated, he perfectly understands that in the Nigerian system, there are always the “powers that be” and they cannot be discountenanced so easily. If it were to be so easy, Ribadu would have clamped at least thirty former governors into detention immediately after May 29, 2007. At least, he thought he had enough evidences to prosecute them and deter some of them from bidding for a second term. When he presented his list to the National Assembly in 2006. Nigerians were thrilled that the war against graft was finally yielding some dividends, but he was wrong as Obasanjo wouldn’t sacrifice the likes of Ogun State Governor Gbenga Daniel for PDP’s success in the forthcoming polls.

All those clamoring for Ribadu’s stay in office should remember that his position is not an elective office and he is subject manipulation within the system. Obasanjo appointed the man Ribadu as a bulldog to harass the likes of Atiku, Fasawe and other perceived enemies. He did the job so well to Obasanjo’s satisfaction and at the least reminded Nigerians that our treasury is constantly being looted. But Ribadu should see his appointment as just an assignment that is not for a lifetime.

Above all, Ribadu was only trying to condition Nigerians to “ change” therefore if he is a dynamic enforcer of change, he should not be scared to accommodate change. Ribadu’s advocates should not forget that he is a police officer, a public official, and a government appointee who must be guided by civil service rules. The fact that he is EFCC boss shouldn’t exclude him from further training and developmental procedures in the civil service.

Nigeria’s population is over a hundred million, so we surely have more than a thousand well-qualified people to manage the EFCC. Ribadu is a young man who can still do a lot more for Nigeria, he should not aspire to limit himself to being the EFCC boss. More so, the EFCC is just like the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency(NDLEA) and other government agencies whose administrators have been moved time and time again, so the present controversy is uncalled for.

However, if Ribadu believes that his redeployment to the Nigerian Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies(NIPSS) is politically motivated and unjust, then he should resign honorably from the police force and forge ahead. In any case, the EFCC is just in its infancy and the exit of Ribadu shouldn’t amount to the extinction of the institution.

Nigerians should also learn some lessons from Obasanjo’s uneventful eight years rule. He was imposed on the people as the only one who could make it happen, but those who foisted him on the nation have been proved wrong and they must now be licking their self-inflicted wounds. So why should the fate of EFCC be tied to a Ribadu?

Over the years, the anti-corruption war has been solely executed within the whims and caprices of Obasanjo as well as Ribadu, it would be a good idea to try someone else and who says Nigeria cannot produce a better personality to manage the EFCC. What if Ribadu is somehow incapacitated or indisposed to continue in office, would that mark the end of the EFCC?

Our colleagues in the media are not helping matters as they seem to have approached the Ribadu’s exit issue with an undue sensationalism and over hyping. The anti-corruption crusade is always newsworthy, but if Ribadu has been penciled down for further training, his departure from the EFCC should not overshadow the whole essence of the organization itself. The press should rather dwell more on issues of continuity and the substance itself, which the actual prosecution of the anti-corruption project. Ribadu should not be over celebrated at the expense of the real issue; our Editors should encourage their staff to focus their searchlights more on possible replacements, thereby setting the agenda for a thorough scrutiny of such personalities.

Mallam Nuhu Ribadu should count himself lucky if he has to quit at this time when the ovation is loudest. He is an Assistant Inspector-General of Police, his sojourn at the NIPSS would surely position him in good standing for greater challenges in future. After all, he was already being named as a possible replacement to the immediate past police Inspector-General Sunday Ehindero. Some Nigerians also even felt that he should succeed Obasanjo as Nigeria’s president.

As the anti-corruption crusade continues to generate so much interests and ripples, the federal government should seriously consider the possibility of merging the EFCC, the ICPC and the Code of Conduct Bureau into one very strong body. The merger of these organizations would increase people’s confidence in the anti-corruption effort as well as enhance the credibility of the enforcers, including the likes of Ribadu.