Understanding RIBADU From The Record!

It is imperative in the light of current image laundering by the EFCC Chairman, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu and the moral pretence by General Olusegun Obasanjo on the war against corruption to make a clear statement on what the real issues are and why the general public should not allow the fraud and deception to go unexposed.

Media appearances by Mallam Ribadu, in particular at Channels Television and the MBI in the last 24 hours deserved our response to save the general public from the infamy and criminal complicity of the EFCC in indulging some alleged corrupt persons in the cover of the presidency. We watched Mallam Ribadu as he unconvincingly sweated to defend General Obasanjo’s deep hand in the Transcorp blind shares and the corrupt patronage to Bell University, Ota. Equally of note was his defence of Olabode George as a part-time Board boss that could not have had any shady financial deals in the Nigeria Ports Authority.

We are not persuaded by Mallam Ribadu’s claims that he needs time to conclude his investigation on the above cases, when the same Ribadu few months ago went before the National Assembly to pass sweeping judgment on mere petitions (without investigation) alleging most of the State Governors of corrupt enrichment.

We wish to state that the foundation of the civil rule is fraught with corruption and that the fight against it requires a systemic change. The EFCC as set up in the context of fight against financial and economic crimes has serious legal and legitimate limitations. You cannot use corruption to fight corruption. You cannot be fighting corruption yet a Gbenga Obasanjo that has no record of employment anywhere bought a house worth hundreds of thousands of dollars and Mr. President was not scandalized by such expo. You cannot fight corruption when the account of the NNPC under the Petroleum Ministry in which Mr. President doubles as the Minister is not transparent. It stinks to the highest order when Mr. President and his godson - Ribadu talk about their war against corruption when the PTDF probe has posed several questions that are being evaded on the sources of fund that accrued to the cronies and concubines of the principal officers in the presidency.

A war against corruption is fluke when it is targeted at perceived thieves in the club of the thieves. In what way has the trial and jailing of Tafa Balogun addressed corruption in the Police? The present corruption drive is just to punish those who have fallen out of favour with Mr. President in the circle of thieves. Mallam Ribadu is the most dishonest person to claim ignorance and look the other way that the Annenih, Ahmadu Ali, Bode George, Bukola Saraki, Peter Odili, Lucky Jonathan, Yar'dua, Mantu, Adamu Abdullahi, Markarfi, Oyinlola, Agagu, etc. are not corrupt. Even those in the civil society who sides with the EFCC Chairman have been opportunistic, insincere and deliberately misleading our people.

A system that induces corruption cannot fight corruption. Where did the President get the fund with which the National Political Reform Conference (NPRC) was prosecuted? All those who claimed from such questionable sources of fund have no moral right or standing to talk about corruption. How come public money spent on such diversionary exercise was wasted and yet the Presidency is talking about fighting corruption. A system that allows Ministers and the elected perks and leverage for corrupt enrichment must certainly have inbuilt mechanism for corruption. Even the procurement of a faulty presidential jet speaks volume of corruption in the presidency. Rather than fight the cause, the attention was to the journalists who expose the fraud.

As far as we are concerned, the EFCC instrument has two objectives in the hand of any dictator:
-       To witch-hunt and decimate perceived enemies; and
-       To manipulate and undermine the transition process to the favour of the incumbency.

It is of public knowledge that from Mr. President to all the Governors, the ministers, commissioners, and the parliaments in both the States and National Assembly, they all live above their legitimate income. To pretend to fight corruption is the height of national deception. UAD makes bold to state and differs that there is no fight against corruption because it has no impact on the values system, on the economic management and the living standards of the people. Genuine anti-graft war should be anchored on values system.

Ribadu deserves our sympathy because he is just an ignorant and ideological bereft person. He does not understand the precepts of corruption and reduces the whole issue to targeting the enemies of the reticent dictator. We have it on good authority that the list of indicted persons released by the EFCC was compiled by OBJ, Annenih and Ahmadu Ali while Ribadu was held hostage. Ribadu must certainly be day-dreaming to think that corruption is a piece meal issue. The option before Ribadu is to resign NOW to save his face from the mess that would soon unfold. Ribadu cannot talk of corruption when the neo-liberal economic programme of the regime sustaining him is promoting corruption. Whatever may have been Ribadu’s gains would soon filter away by the time the final bubble of the endangered transition burst. If he has any honour, this is the time for him to take the bow. We cannot afford to wait until the exit of Obasanjo before we begin to hear stories of “my hands were tied”.

Comrade Abiodun Aremu was UAD Convener May 2005 – July 2009
EFCC AND THE WAR AGAINST CORRUPTION – (extract from the text of the Press Conference addressed by United Action for Democracy (UAD) on Tuesday, February 20, 2007)