Nuhu Ribadu Removal's: So What
The recent removal of Malam Nuhu Ribadu as the
Chairman of the EFCC was long expected.It is expected,
because the guy fall short of expectation of what, he
ought to do, when he was appointed five years ago by
the government of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.
Infact, I was one of the people, that greeted his
appointment with enthusiasm with the hope, that he is
the right person for the job going by his antecedents
as a socialist, which he portray during his school's
days at Yelwa Government Secondary School, Yola and
later at the College of Preliminary Studies also in
Yola.
Nuhu Ribadu in the early days of his assumption of
office as the Chairman gave the impression, that he is
going to woek for the overall interest of this country
with the fear of God. But, along the line, presumably
when his mentor the then President Obasanjo indicate
interest to have a third term through manipulations,
Nuhu Ribadu started to exhibit attitudes that run
contrary to what was really expected of him that, he
is going to do his work with the fear of God.
More importantly, he derailed from doing the work
expected of him by doing all he can do within the
confine of the law of the land. He went on berserk
intimidating all those, he perceived as obstacle on
the way, for his mentor to have a shot as President
for the third term.
One of the people, who received the greatest
humiliation of his life from Nuhu Ribadu was the
former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar who come from the
same state with Nuhu Ribadu and who, played a major
role in his appointment as the Chairman of the
EFCC-infact, Nuhu Ribadu some time ago dispute the
claims, that Atiku was behind his appointment as the
Chairman of the EFCC.
Nuhu Ribadu, because of this thankless job, parted way
with some of his childhood friends like Alhaji Lawal
Bello Namtari former Chairman of Mtel, Alhaji Musa
Garba a Yola based businessman, former Deputy
Commissioner of Police Danjuma Ibrahim and a host of
others.
There is a saying in Hausa that says " Komin nisan
jifa sai ya dawo kasa" literally means no matter how
high you throw a stone, it must surely come down.
Today, Nuhu Ribadu was removed as the Chairman of the
EFCC against his wish and desire.
What people failed to understand is the fact, that
Nuhu Ribadu is still a serving Police Officer and the
Inspector-General of Police as the head of the Police
can deploy his officer anywhere, he desire. Nuhu
Ribadu is therefore quite a surbodinate officer to the
Inspector-General.
The point has to be made, that there are countless
number of the likes of Nuhu Ribadu, who can
competently hold the office of the Chairman of EFCC
and can even do better than what Nuhu was able to do
in the last five years of his stewardship as the
Chairman of the agency.
Honestly speaking, Nuhu Ribadu was selective in the
persecution of people. If not, why didn't he prosecute
or order for full scale investigation into the
allegation of fraud and 419 committed by Iyabo
Obasanjo the daughter of the former President now, a
serving Senator when the Austrian company write a
petition to the EFCC in 2006? Why swept it under the
carpet?
What is really annoying was Nuhu's non-challant
attitude towards obeying court orders. I was surprise,
that as a learned person, Nuhu could not complied with
court order twice to returned to the Gubernatorial
Candidate of Action Congress in the April, 2007
election Alhaji Ibrahim Bapetel his property impounded
by the EFCC about two yeats ago.
One thing, that Nuhu failed to realised was that power
and holding position of authority is transient-which
is a great pity indeed.
Nuhu Ribadu should as a matter of consolation accept
what befall him as what was destined to happened. He
is still young to pursue his career in the Nigeria
Police and the present government of President Umaru
Yar'adua is quite grateful for the little effort, he
made to the country. If not, he could have been fired.
Rather, than Nigerians be making noise over the
removal of Nuhu Ribadu as the Chairman of the EFCC,
the best thing that people would do at this material
time, was to proffer solutions to the myraid of
problems of corruption in the country.
Nuhu Ribadu was just one single individual among the
medley of Nigerians. Therefore, to just waste time in
discussing the removal of an individaul does not
portend good for the country and the generations
coming behind.
The removal of Nuhu to this writer and those of many
Nigerians does not warrant any media hype as to why he
was removed. One thing is that Nuhu is a public
servant working for the people and the country as a
whole.
He is being paid from the public coffer. It is the
peroragative of those, who are his paymasters to send
anywhere, they deem fit to send him. Infact, sending
to NIPSS in Kuru near Jos is really for his own good
and at the same time increase his proficiency in his
working life with the Nigeria Police Force.
No doubt, that Nuhu Ribadu has done his best in the
fight against corruption and it is also proper to
accord him a place as one of the Nigerians, that has
done wonderfully well for his people and country, when
he was given the opportunity to served.
This writer has a tremendous respect for the late,
Ahmadu Ribadu's family especially the present head of
the family. But, the facts has to be stated to set the
records straight for people to know. May God continue
to guide our leaders to trade the right path and that
of honour which even if, they left office, people
would profoundly remembered them and the good thing(s)
they have done.
BY
USMAN GARBA SANTURAKI,
WRITES FROM HOUSE NO 74, TAFIDA STREET,
JIMETA-YOLA.
E-mail:usbaturaki@yahoo.com
08036180958