Ribadu’s exit and the end of the war against corruption
It has been long in coming. But there were many Nigerians who thought President Umaru Yar’Adua will have the good sense to allow Nuhu Ribadu, the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to continue with the task of clearing the Augean stable of institutionalized looting of public fund if only for the future of Nigeria and the President’s legacy. As it were, that is a road not taken.
Readers will recall that a few months ago I had predicted in my column under the title: Ribadu As Sacrificial Lamb To Appease Ex-governors, that Yar’Adua may sacrifice Ribadu to appease his ex-governors friends to the detriment of national interest. I am not a soothsayer but this is one prediction that has come to pass.
At last, they have succeeded in removing the impediment to their looting of the treasury. The man who demanded restitution from thieving ex-governors and other political office holders has been sidelined.
The current ruling political elite led by President Umaru Yar’Adua have put an end to the vibrant war against corruption with the forced exit of Ribadu, the courageous chairman of the EFCC whose activities in the last few years have given a boost to the war against looting of public fund. Ribadu may not be indispensable but the fact that EFCC’s director of operations and the heartbeat of the commission, Ibrahim Lamorde, has equally been sent on course in Jos along with his boss signifies that the real intention is to emasculate the war against corruption.
After several failed efforts to tame Ribadu and slow down his enthusiastic war against corruption, Yar’Adua with the active connivance of the Attorney-General of Federation (AGF), Mr. Mike Aondoakaa, finally found a way out to ease out the anti-corruption czar.
The pliant tool in shoving Ribadu out of EFCC is the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. Mike Okiro who announced only a few days ago that Ribadu must proceed on a one-year course in Kuru, Plateau State. He said the course was necessary to prepare Ribadu who is an Assistant Inspector General of Police, for the post of IGP.
The discerning public which had watched with disdain the several attempts in the recent past to save some thieving ex-governors from the determined efforts of Ribadu to bring them to book immediately knew that the IGP was not saying the whole truth. The ploy had only one objective: to exploit a bureaucratic means of dealing with the Ribadu menace.
There is however the small issue of whether the IGP is in a position to validly issue such order. Ribadu may be a policeman but the law setting up EFCC removes the authority of the IGP over the EFCC boss and places it with the president.
It had become clear early enough that Yar’Adua despite his public posturing never felt comfortable with the arrests and arraignment of his ex-governor colleagues. Getting Ribadu to slow down was however a problem. The situation however got to an unbearable point for the presidency when EFCC arrested Ibori. Now, Ibori was a major power broker and financier whose pivotal role in the emergence of the Yar’Adua presidency is already public knowledge. There were foot soldiers too like the AGF whose appointment; it has been said was influenced by Ibori. So was the appointment of the IGP, according to recent revelation. Consequently, Ibori’s arrest was one too many. It was time to shove Ribadu out of the window.
By easing Ribadu out of EFCC obviously to give fraudulent ex and current political office holders a breathing space, the message we are passing to the international community is that Yar’Adua’s government does not possess the political will to fight corruption. Yet about the most decisive cause of our stunted growth is the willful looting of public fund that has gone on since Nigeria attained political independence in 1960. It is estimated that over $400 billion has been stolen in the last 47 years.
Now Yar’Adua has declared an open sesame for looting. Any wonder that barely a few days after the announcement of Ribadu’s removal, fleeing former governor of Edo State, Lucky Igbinedion has signified his intention to come back from his Morocco hide-out. One by one, all the indicted ex-governors and other affected political office holders are going to be let off the hook. The war against corruption is dead and Yar’Adua has just applied the final nail.
Without the will to fight the war against corruption, Nigeria’s quest for economic transformation is doomed.
Given the tremendous pressure that Ribadu had to face from the political class coupled with the hostile environment against any sort of crusade against corruption right now, it is unlikely that Ribadu’s successor can continue where Ribadu stopped. Yar’Adua’s implicit involvement in Ribadu’s forced exit is the death knell on the war against corruption. That must be sweet music in the ears of politicians who can now loot with careless abandon with no Ribadu to watching over their shoulders.
Ribadu despite his faults has been an invaluable asset to Nigeria. Some complain about his methods and his tendency to resort to arbitrariness to achieve his objectives.
But in the few years that he headed the anti-corruption agency, he exhibited un-common courage, and a mind-boggling single-mindedness to earn the grudging respect of even his foes. The only other Nigerian that comes near in terms of altruism and dedication to national duty is the likeable and similarly brave Professor Dora Akunyili of NAFDAC.
His enduring legacy is in instilling fear into our thieving political elite nurtured in a contra-culture that encourage them to see the public purse as their private purse. Ribadu’s exit is, however, Nigeria’s loss and as it may yet turn out, Yar’Adua’s loss as well. In a way, Ribadu is the winner in this entire shenanigan. He is leaving the EFCC when the ovation is loudest and more importantly without a blemish. I have no doubt that history will be kind to him while his antagonists will end up as mere footnotes in the belly of time.
It has been long in coming. But there were many Nigerians who thought President Umaru Yar’Adua will have the good sense to allow Nuhu Ribadu, the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to continue with the task of clearing the Augean stable of institutionalized looting of public fund if only for the future of Nigeria and the President’s legacy. As it were, that is a road not taken.
Readers will recall that a few months ago I had predicted in my column under the title: Ribadu As Sacrificial Lamb To Appease Ex-governors, that Yar’Adua may sacrifice Ribadu to appease his ex-governors friends to the detriment of national interest. I am not a soothsayer but this is one prediction that has come to pass.
At last, they have succeeded in removing the impediment to their looting of the treasury. The man who demanded restitution from thieving ex-governors and other political office holders has been sidelined.
The current ruling political elite led by President Umaru Yar’Adua have put an end to the vibrant war against corruption with the forced exit of Ribadu, the courageous chairman of the EFCC whose activities in the last few years have given a boost to the war against looting of public fund. Ribadu may not be indispensable but the fact that EFCC’s director of operations and the heartbeat of the commission, Ibrahim Lamorde, has equally been sent on course in Jos along with his boss signifies that the real intention is to emasculate the war against corruption.
After several failed efforts to tame Ribadu and slow down his enthusiastic war against corruption, Yar’Adua with the active connivance of the Attorney-General of Federation (AGF), Mr. Mike Aondoakaa, finally found a way out to ease out the anti-corruption czar.
The pliant tool in shoving Ribadu out of EFCC is the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. Mike Okiro who announced only a few days ago that Ribadu must proceed on a one-year course in Kuru, Plateau State. He said the course was necessary to prepare Ribadu who is an Assistant Inspector General of Police, for the post of IGP.
The discerning public which had watched with disdain the several attempts in the recent past to save some thieving ex-governors from the determined efforts of Ribadu to bring them to book immediately knew that the IGP was not saying the whole truth. The ploy had only one objective: to exploit a bureaucratic means of dealing with the Ribadu menace.
There is however the small issue of whether the IGP is in a position to validly issue such order. Ribadu may be a policeman but the law setting up EFCC removes the authority of the IGP over the EFCC boss and places it with the president.
It had become clear early enough that Yar’Adua despite his public posturing never felt comfortable with the arrests and arraignment of his ex-governor colleagues. Getting Ribadu to slow down was however a problem. The situation however got to an unbearable point for the presidency when EFCC arrested Ibori. Now, Ibori was a major power broker and financier whose pivotal role in the emergence of the Yar’Adua presidency is already public knowledge. There were foot soldiers too like the AGF whose appointment; it has been said was influenced by Ibori. So was the appointment of the IGP, according to recent revelation. Consequently, Ibori’s arrest was one too many. It was time to shove Ribadu out of the window.
By easing Ribadu out of EFCC obviously to give fraudulent ex and current political office holders a breathing space, the message we are passing to the international community is that Yar’Adua’s government does not possess the political will to fight corruption. Yet about the most decisive cause of our stunted growth is the willful looting of public fund that has gone on since Nigeria attained political independence in 1960. It is estimated that over $400 billion has been stolen in the last 47 years.
Now Yar’Adua has declared an open sesame for looting. Any wonder that barely a few days after the announcement of Ribadu’s removal, fleeing former governor of Edo State, Lucky Igbinedion has signified his intention to come back from his Morocco hide-out. One by one, all the indicted ex-governors and other affected political office holders are going to be let off the hook. The war against corruption is dead and Yar’Adua has just applied the final nail.
Without the will to fight the war against corruption, Nigeria’s quest for economic transformation is doomed.
Given the tremendous pressure that Ribadu had to face from the political class coupled with the hostile environment against any sort of crusade against corruption right now, it is unlikely that Ribadu’s successor can continue where Ribadu stopped. Yar’Adua’s implicit involvement in Ribadu’s forced exit is the death knell on the war against corruption. That must be sweet music in the ears of politicians who can now loot with careless abandon with no Ribadu to watching over their shoulders.
Ribadu despite his faults has been an invaluable asset to Nigeria. Some complain about his methods and his tendency to resort to arbitrariness to achieve his objectives.
But in the few years that he headed the anti-corruption agency, he exhibited un-common courage, and a mind-boggling single-mindedness to earn the grudging respect of even his foes. The only other Nigerian that comes near in terms of altruism and dedication to national duty is the likeable and similarly brave Professor Dora Akunyili of NAFDAC.
His enduring legacy is in instilling fear into our thieving political elite nurtured in a contra-culture that encourage them to see the public purse as their private purse. Ribadu’s exit is, however, Nigeria’s loss and as it may yet turn out, Yar’Adua’s loss as well. In a way, Ribadu is the winner in this entire shenanigan. He is leaving the EFCC when the ovation is loudest and more importantly without a blemish. I have no doubt that history will be kind to him while his antagonists will end up as mere footnotes in the belly of time.
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