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Rebranding the EFCC

June 14, 2009

CORRUPTION:At the end of it all, corruption will decide the place of Nigeria in the future. For democracy to survive current strains and stresses, Nigeria must take calculated steps to reduce the magnitude of stench and the overpowering odor of this massive putrification. Look at the comedy of our politics and focus briefly on Ido Osi in Ekiti, a village inhabited by less than twelve thousand people. In the twinkle of an eye, corruption came to town and 250 million Naira changed hands in that small and relatively insignificant community.


INEC umpires fought and snitched on one another over a sharing formula that greed distorted. Look at the rerun, a woman above 70 years in a regulation retirement age of 60 was drafted to mess up that poor state in order that preplanned injustice could be easily run through her tired chemistry. Above all else, all these integers of corruption, the kidnappings, the militancy in the Delta, the armed robbery, the forgeries and 419s, the stealing in Government, the darkness of NEPA through the abuse of IPP allocations will all combine with twenty naira police checkpoints to either crush our current democracy or build a permanent wedge against the advance of the internet and the microscopic electrons that will leapfrog man away permanently from the kitchen of poverty. There is no way Nigeria will partake of the dividends of the future in its current shape and form as long as this corruption stands like a rock blocking its translation. And critical to making a pathway to Nigeria’s deliverance is the place of the law and its enforcement. The law must be fair. It must be justly applied. It has got to work. That accounts for the unusual fascination with the work of the EFCC

ATTORNEY GENERAL: London and America are, by now, quite familiar with the rather healthy appetite of our Attorney General in the sophisticated Hotels he lodges at. His mission to these cities are however subjects of the most embarrassing discussions across the globe. The man was in London and his robust letter to the crown courts on behalf of former Governor Ibori to thwart the money laundry case of the London Metropolitan Police is now history. Our attention to Siemen’s scandal, the new jumbo contracts handed over to the Company as reward for this embarrassment, and the recent cold shoulder our delegation got from America on Halliburton must by now have firmly informed Government of the World’s revulsion at the rats running the corruption race in this vast democracy. This must be the most shameless and uncaring Attorney General since that position was established in Nigeria. But the Government is well pleased in the approach of the man to the goals of transforming Nigeria from the middle of the Anti corruption table to its very bottom.

NUHU RIBADU: Nuhu Ribadu is throwing heavy punches at the Country and punishing the EFCC from far away England. This is understandable even if indefensible and unpatriotic. The manner of his exit is wrong and attempts to humiliate him by stripping him of his new AIG medals have been highly controversial. He has fought back gallantly using all the links and contacts he had built up for the EFCC to fight his battles with the Yar’Adua Government. None of EFCC former foreign partners would engage it for anything now. And the image of Nigeria’s seriousness and commitment to due diligence and honesty is in shambles. Before he finally gave up the EFCC, Nuhu Ribadu had practically pulverized it to the dust.

That the average man in the streets is still fascinated by the image Ribadu had created over time is a  fact. Before he went into full time politics with Obasanjo, the young dynamic and no nonsense man had displayed courage in very unusual ways. He had pulled in most of the 419 barons from across the Nation, locked them up in handcuffs and dragged them firmly to court where some had died, many had been jailed and a number had vomited their ill gotten loot by force. Nothing had been encountered in Nigeria like Ribadu in Nigeria’s public life. And all marveled and yelled at the lion heart courage, the microscopic focus on corruption and a sophisticated strategy for its combat. The International community took notice. Nigeria climbed up steadily on the anti corruption table. But sudden success got into his brains and denied it of access to the oxygen of common sense. Obasanjo corrupted him with power exposing him to damage and letting his reputation suffer. All who saw yellow where Obasanjo perceived red soon went to explain their findings to Ribadu at those dinghy cells in Abuja and South West Ikoyi in Lagos. The man simply ignored court orders and moved on. Otunba Oyewole Fasawe was a pathetic figure by the time Ribadu finished with him. He was in detention for two months without trial. But it was the satanic list that eliminated Obasanjo’s enemies from contesting democratic elections that finally shocked Nigerians out of its hypnosis. Particularly the rude attempt to humiliate and eliminate Vice President Atiku Abubakar from contesting elections. When he was redeployed finally, apart from the poor process adopted, many Nigerians felt his time was up. But his demotion and humiliation on the passing out parade ground was too oppressive for fair minded citizens and they spoke with one voice to condemn this abuse. All the same, they were glad to bid cherio to the sherrif.

EFCC TODAY: The EFCC at this point of its monumental difficulties needs rebranding. Nigerians are laughing loudly now . Before they were mocking quietly. All foreign partners and donors have packed bag and baggage and are now looking for new adventures. The public image that it cuts right now is that of a once useful investigative house that suddenly collapsed on itself when its rabidly passionate but questionably impartial builder suffered cruel ejection by opportunistic authorities. Hardly any seriousness is contained in mountains of charges that the EFCC posts through the courts only to amend two days before trial begins. In one instance recently, two hundred counts were posted on the charge sheets against one act of executive corruption. The volume and complexity of these charges alone is mindboggling, how much more the unimaginable size of the evidence that must be gathered, collated, assembled and presented for argument. The courts are confused and lawyers are excited at the prospects of long trials and the guarantee of secure income for eternity. No wonder then, for years, no conviction is happening even from inherited old cases. For those powerful and influential accused charged to court, nothing happens as soon as they are granted bail. It is therefore quite normal that very popular cases like the Wabara 55 million case, the Ibori money laundering charges, the Dariye London loot, the Identity card issues and many others are fading out of our memories. But as long as lawyers are collecting fees, their dark gowns and brown wigs will keep flying around the courtrooms in this elaborate joke. When friends of Government are reluctantly charged to court as a result of International pressure, they are quickly granted bail. Their next appearance is almost always beside the President in Aso Rock grinning animatedly and fixing very photogenic faces at the lens of media camera.

WAZIRI: Well of course, the troubled head of the EFCC, aware of the universal ridicule that the body suffers has recently been moving around begging media houses for help. In doing this, she has chosen quite unwisely, to drop names of those she claims to be investigating. A method that worked for a while for Ribadu but later threw all his assets in reputation into the drainage canal when elections came. For rebranding to succeed for the EFCC, it must start most definitely from Madam Waziri herself. The image of an angry crime fighter is diminished by the tonnage of precious jewelry she carries to the office every morning. What message is the pretty lady sending out to 419 and rich political thieves if her bearing and carriage advertises her undying love for expensive metals. She looks like a high net worth business woman just back from the Dubai Gold Souk and glamorously advertising her wares for the rich and mighty. And crooks know best how to tempt a pretty lady.  Mrs. Waziri herself must confess that many were sympathetic and agreed reluctantly to give her a fighting chance from the beginning. But most international crime fighters with built up relationship with EFCC lay in watchful wait for flashes of sincerity from the new EFCC leadership. However, instead of grabbing at the opportunity by beaming encouraging rays of integrity, only the tall hefty shadows of the most pronounced corrupt elements in society kept creeping into the game. And that Madam investigator finds absolute comfort in the company of these elements can only be logical as long as the President himself will not wake up on time unless these gentlemen come knocking  on his door in the morning.

CASES TO COMMENT ABOUT: If today, the EFCC were to handle the following cases with the virile masculinity of a committed crime-buster, a great new brand would have arrived. Remember Societe Generale Bank and the pitiful lamentations of those poor customers defrauded by a family that now parades Senators, Governors and all classes of power brokers. Imagine how many families have suffered undeserved funerals. Well, if the Managing Director of that unfortunate Bank then, now Governor Bukola Saraki is covered by immunity, how about Oloye himself, former Senator Abubakar Olusola Saraki the father, founder and owner and ultimately the man to whom the sorrow of the scam must rest. Is he a constitutionally immune person? How come he parades his political articles arrogantly around without even one minute of interrogation from Waziri. Look at former President Obasanjo. Remember the bulging suitcase of documented allegation submitted and completely covered by all the Country’s Television Stations. Documented cases of Presidential library, Transcorp, PTDF, Dariye loot and so many others. How far has investigation gone and what is the report card to those who took time out to pay their way to Abuja and submit these petitions.  How about Dariye himself. Is his case now forgotten? Perhaps we can be informed on the case of money laundering against the second Lady, wife of the Vice President, Mrs. Jonathan.  And wait a minute, how is the case against Governor Akume doing. Was that not the fellow Ribadu claimed Mrs. Waziri came to bail? Look, who is fooling who? By looking critically inward, studying already investigated cases and listening dispassionately to the agony of victims of looted funds a new brand EFCC glistening like newly shined silver would be born and Nigerians would be proud once again to claim proprietorship of EFCC.

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