Nuhu Ribadu – Hero or Villian?

There have been so much press reports about Nuhu Ribadu, the erstwhile EFCC boss in Nigeria, in recent times and especially over the past two weeks. A This Day (Nigerian Newspaper) report on 26th November 2008, stated a fact when it said that Nuhu Ribadu’s problems with the Nigerian Government is far from over. Reports on his plight in Nigeria seemed to have doubled in intensity and it seems Ribadu is bound to face some harsh times and difficult challenges in forthcoming days/weeks/months. Ribadu was appointed as EFCC chairman in March 2003, and his tenure in office was renewed by Obasanjo in April 2007and some may ask why an outgoing president should renew Ribadu’s appointment the same month he was to complete his tenure as President of Nigeria.

The whole saga seems to have commenced with the departure of Obasanjo from the sit of power after a change in Nigerian presidency. When Yaradua was sworn in as President in May 2007 there were many cases pending with EFCC, and more arrests were still being made. With Nigerians calling for thorough investigation of pending and new cases of corruption by the EFCC, one would have thought that there would be continuity in the leadership of an establishment that seemed to be doing well. Not EFCC leadership. Nuhu Ribadu was in December 2007 sent on a compulsory course at Kuru. After Ribadu’s removal from office, a replacement was announced in the name of Farida Waziri months later. This pitiable excuse given for Nuhu Ribadu’s removal from office was seen as some, not as an education induced removal but simply to get Nuhu Ribadu out of the way.

Not long after, Ribadu’s catalogue of problems with EFCC and the police started. First he was demoted (wrongfully?) from Assistant Inspector General of police to Assistant Commissioner (downgraded by 2 ranks) in August 2008 (this made him the first ACP to undergo the NIPSS course. He was summoned to face the anti graft agencies to shed light on some unclear issues, but Ribadu ignored this for fear of his safety. He could be detained or arrested for unspecified charges and we know in Nigeria this happens ever so often. My question is; why summon Ribadu and not Lamorde? Ribadu must have handed over to Lamorde who took over from him, and I would want to believe that Lamorde (who was also sent on the NIPSS course) would have handed over to Waziri F. Ribadu had to resort to court action to prevent EFCC from either arresting him or forcing him to appear.

Ribadu also took the police to court to challenge his double demotion. This seems to have so enraged the police and Ribadu’s problems escalated. Last week, Ribadu was denied graduation from NIPSS, and many reports had it that he was forcefully and disgracefully ejected from the graduation venue and taken to places unknown. False excuses were given for Ribadu’s so called inability to graduate. It didn’t end there; Ribadu was redeployed to Edo State as Deputy Commissioner of Police – Administration, with immediate effect. And now we wake up to a catalogue of complaints against Ribadu that would culminate in Ribadu facing a trial at Kaduna on 4th December 08. The alleged offences will include indiscipline, disregard for police rules and regulations, serious acts of misconduct, improper dressing, discreditable conduct, conduct prejudicial to discipline, disobedience to lawful order, etc. This is the first query which all boils down to one fact – RIBADU WORE MUFTY TO SEE PRESIDENT YARADUA ON 13TH NOVEMBER AND ALSO TURNED UP FOR HIS GRADUATION IN PLAINCLOTHES.

Temple Chima Ubochi poses these questions in a Nigeria World Feature Article:

Nuhu Ribadu is now in trouble. His only crime being that he wanted to bring the looters of our commonwealth to justice. Is it a crime to work assiduously for the poor masses? Is it a crime to ask that the people’s wealth be used in making life easier for them? … Let’s ask the Inspector-General of Police, the Attorney General and Minister of Justice and Madam Waziri what crime Ribadu has committed, if not to deal with him for daring to arrest some of the “untouchables”? Ribadu’s problems started when he arrested James Ibori, but, YarÁdua is yet to tell us why some people must be protected and be allowed to get away with the looting of our commonwealth while still claiming zero tolerance for corruption.

The second query Ribadu is faced with is to explain why in disobedience to the orders of the Inspector General of Police, he dragged EFCC and the Federal AG to court. This they say is tantamount to “discreditable conduct”. The third query was that Ribadu was expected to appear before a panel on Tuesday 25th November but failed to turn up. A top officer of the police was quoted by This Day to have said:

Ribadu is a very proud and arrogant man. As long as he is still in the Force, he has to abide by the rules and regulations of the Force. If he is tired of the police job, he should go to another place where he would do as he likes. Police is a disciplined force. He must be disciplined for him to remain in the force,”

Is the Nigerian Police really a disciplined force?

But according to Sahara Reporters, New York, who view Ribadu’s maltreatments by the Yaradua regime as “a public nightmare”; this meeting could not have taken place as Okiro who called the meeting was not in Abuja to attend the meeting. He was said to have travelled to Conakry, Guinea. Sahara Reporters are of the view that Ribadu who is being victimised by Waziri and Okiro would know no rest until he is demoted further, dismissed and jailed.

There is even more to come. Ribadu according to EFCC latest propaganda is accused of not declaring his assets as EFCC chairman before and after leaving office; and he is purported to own properties at Dubai, London and Abuja. Sahara Reporters are unhappy with the media coverage of these false allegations for they took it upon themselves to ask for proof and cross-check these allegations and gave their full findings (visit www.saharareporters.com). Their findings corroborate Ribadu’s refutation of EFCC’ claims as baseless. Ribadu released a statement stressing that he does not own houses in Abuja, Dubai or and in the UK. He only owns a personal house built in the 90s, in his village in Yola; an undeveloped land in Katampe, Abuja bought in 1998; just his one official account; and his former official residence paid for in a legal bid by his father in law, which is now the family home. Ribadu stated also that he declared his assets when he assumed office as EFCC Chair.

When the Ribadu problem started late last year, Ribadu enjoyed almost a 50-50 split opinion as the Saint or the Villain. Many still smarting from his ruthlessness in office during the Obasanjo era, were quick to declare that Ribadu got all he deserved from the people he worked for. “What goes round, comes round”, they say. Amongst these is the Action Congress who issued a statement that Ribadu’s nemesis is a payback, a poetic justice. Nevertheless this statement seems to have a political undertone which gives their objectivity a knock:

“Ribadu, as a tool in the hand of a power monger and an anarchist, helped pave the way for the emergence of this administration by throwing roadblocks on the path of credible opponents of the PDP candidate and emboldening INEC to ruin the elections. Today, the administration does not want to have anything to do with him. He has fallen on his own petard,” AC

But many others still maintain that Ribadu was only doing a job he was appointed to do, and did it very well, and surely this could not be seen as a crime? Ribadu the Hero seems to be bringing out very good ideas from concerned Nigerians e.g. Prof Pat Utomi (ADC 2007 Presidential Candidate) has used this Ribadu saga to call on Nigerians and leaders to “give account of their roles; set a moral tone for the country by proactively taking the moral high ground; not slide to tyranny; build a democracy that works for the majority and sensitive to the weak and minority; making all involved in “shoddy outing” to account for their indiscretion; put Nigeria behind Nigerians; create millions of jobs for Nigerians; create wealth; diversify the base of national income; and turn Nigeria from “paradise deferred to paradise reclaimed”.

The president of CACOL (Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders), Debo Adeniran, says Nigerian administration has since inauguration moved from telling one lie to another, e.g. lies about the health of president Yaradua, Niger Delta, and performance of budget 2008. They see Ribadu’s humiliation as a collective public shame.

The President of the Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria, Chief Ajibola Ogunshola actually calls Ribadu a national hero. He sees Ribadu’s travails as unfortunate and undeserving, and called for the rule of law to prevail as Ribadu had gone to court. He further predicted and asked to be quoted that Ribadu would still emerge from his ordeals to play a greater role in Nigeria’s development. Ogunshola also lamented the fact that President Yaradua is unable to effectively wade into the Ribadu affair thus:

“I want to talk a bit about Yar’ Adua here. I think he is handicapped, primarily by the Supreme Court case that has not been decided. I think and I want to be quoted that the Supreme Court has been unfair to the nation for not giving judgment on the presidential election petition on time. The case has been in the Supreme Court since April. As it is, they, the judges of the Supreme Court, led by Justice Kutigi; should even have cut short their holiday by the end of December. Otherwise, it will be doing a disservice to the nation. …Yar’ Adua has to be his own man and not be at the mercy of those who brought him to power because at this moment, all sorts of characters are parading round the whole place because Yar’ Adua is handicapped and he has not been confirmed as President.”

What do you think?

IS RIBADU A HERO OR VILLAIN?

WHO WOULD YOU RATHER SEE AS CHAIRMAN OF EFCC OR EVEN THE COMBINED EFCC AND CAC (Corporate Affairs Commission)?

Please visit my blog entry on this subject on African Loft Community to sample some comments by concerned This Day readers who have been so moved to share their views via http://community.africanloft.com/kickapps/_NIGERIANS-HAIL-NUHU-RIBADU-A-HERO/blog/144704/4392.html