Nuhu Ribadu, Okiro and a Policy Course

28 Dec

We woke up this morning to the news that Mr. Nuhu Ribadu, the Chairman of the Nigerian Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, is to go on a course at the Nigerian Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies for a year. Actually, it was announced yesterday by Inspector General Mike Okiro yesterday, but I didn’t hear about it because I was following the news of Ms Bhutto’s assassination.

Mr. Okiro says that Mr. Ribadu’s name is the second, according to seniority, on the list of police officers who are to attend the course. Therefore, he says, Ribadu is to attend the course. When asked about this, Nuhu Ribadu said that he had not been informed about any course.

Reactions
The main reaction of Nigerians has been one that assumes that it is a way to get Mr. Ribadu out of EFCC. I am partly of that persuasion myself. Some things are simply about timing. EFCC has not exactly been living up to the expectations of Nigerians since Mr. Yar’Adua became president, and hearing that the leader, whose reputation is linked to any successes that the EFCC might have had, is going to be off duties for a year does not exactly make Nigerians any more comfortable. It is quite easy to say that an institution should be bigger than an individual, but in a country where institutions are generally weak, one is not exactly wrong if one still links an institution to a personality. This is especially so when the institution is as young and sensitive as the EFCC.

Some analysts also think that there is hardly any way that the Inspector General would announce this without the knowledge of the president. Although people have acknowledged President Yar’Adua’s slowness, the general opinion has been that he has been clean. This might just be a thing that changes the minds of people towards him. But then, Yardy, in his characteristic taciturnity, is not expected to comment on this.

  • http://nigeriancuriosity.blogspot.com/ solomonsydelle

    I have been researching the “Chain of command” on this issue. I thought EFCC was subject to the Ministry of Justice and thus the Attorney general. Now, it seems that the Inspector General can also give EFCC orders.

    Nevertheless, the last few weeks, there has been increasing chatter about ‘reigning’ in the EFCC. There was hope that Nigeria was finally moving towards accountability, especially with the arrests of Ibori and Adedibu. This will cripple the hope many Nigerians had. How sad.

  • http://nigeriancuriosity.blogspot.com solomonsydelle

    I have been researching the “Chain of command” on this issue. I thought EFCC was subject to the Ministry of Justice and thus the Attorney general. Now, it seems that the Inspector General can also give EFCC orders.

    Nevertheless, the last few weeks, there has been increasing chatter about ‘reigning’ in the EFCC. There was hope that Nigeria was finally moving towards accountability, especially with the arrests of Ibori and Adedibu. This will cripple the hope many Nigerians had. How sad.

  • http://www.grandioseparlor.com/ imnakoya

    What I hate about Nigeria is how the elites and those manning the instruments of power/office have come to see the people of Nigeria as an incapacitated bunch with little or no ability to “read between the lines” and make sense of issues of national importance. Look at how the police Inspector General spins his sending Ribadu on study leave…’just like that’!

    Yes, our institutions should be bigger than any individual, but we are not there yet, and it’s instances like this that tend to compromise the so-called institutions we have in Nigeria! I’m tired, there’s too much drama happening in Nigeria all within a very short interval – Etteh, Siemens, Ibori, Africom, Iyabo Obasanjo, now Ribadu.

  • http://www.grandioseparlor.com imnakoya

    What I hate about Nigeria is how the elites and those manning the instruments of power/office have come to see the people of Nigeria as an incapacitated bunch with little or no ability to “read between the lines” and make sense of issues of national importance. Look at how the police Inspector General spins his sending Ribadu on study leave…’just like that’!

    Yes, our institutions should be bigger than any individual, but we are not there yet, and it’s instances like this that tend to compromise the so-called institutions we have in Nigeria! I’m tired, there’s too much drama happening in Nigeria all within a very short interval – Etteh, Siemens, Ibori, Africom, Iyabo Obasanjo, now Ribadu.

  • http://loomnie.com/ loomnie

    Solomonsydelle, EFCC was seen by people as a big hope. Even when there were allegations of the use of EFCC to witchhunt Obasanjo’s opponents people didn’t mind it anyway, as long as it was well-known that those opponents were in any case corrupt. This, I fear, may be the end of any hopes trust people might have had in the commission.

    Imnakoya, yes, the impunity with which the so-called elite act is the must insulting bit. There is so much drama, and I refrained from reporting on it up till now…. But I guess that if our journalists choose to be rephrasing press releases for publication as news stories, we bloggers could at least try and present some clear-headed analysis.

  • http://loomnie.com loomnie

    Solomonsydelle, EFCC was seen by people as a big hope. Even when there were allegations of the use of EFCC to witchhunt Obasanjo’s opponents people didn’t mind it anyway, as long as it was well-known that those opponents were in any case corrupt. This, I fear, may be the end of any hopes trust people might have had in the commission.

    Imnakoya, yes, the impunity with which the so-called elite act is the must insulting bit. There is so much drama, and I refrained from reporting on it up till now…. But I guess that if our journalists choose to be rephrasing press releases for publication as news stories, we bloggers could at least try and present some clear-headed analysis.

  • http://iyanandegusisoup.blogspot.com iyan and egusi soup

    loom,
    happy new year! i’m still waiting on that ‘meaningful’ book discussion. :D

  • http://iyanandegusisoup.blogspot.com/ iyan and egusi soup

    loom,
    happy new year! i’m still waiting on that ‘meaningful’ book discussion. :D

  • Nonye

    Its just a pity that our country is being ruled by people that think they can do anything they like and go scot free. Ribadu has been doing a great job and now they want an escuse to remove him from the picture. sometimes i just wonder what this country is turning to. i am just feed up with the whole situation around me.

  • Nonye

    Its just a pity that our country is being ruled by people that think they can do anything they like and go scot free. Ribadu has been doing a great job and now they want an escuse to remove him from the picture. sometimes i just wonder what this country is turning to. i am just feed up with the whole situation around me.

  • Wen131

    I have had a lot of comments about the drama saga of Ribadu, but wait a moment, Is Ribadu’s name synonymous with EFCC, No. Yes, the Inspector of Police has no business announcing his training. Yes EFCC was supposed to be attached to the Ministry of Justice, that, is chain of command but who cares. This is Nigerian, we should let some situation sort themselves out. Who knows, a much better person than Ribadu could do more. Agreed he has done a good work based on what has been published and what we heard but another should be given a chance. Nobody is the Messiah. We all have equal right to get to a particular position, if qualified. Today is Ribadu, tomorrow it could be the Inspector of Police, who knows? No condition is permanent and change is inevitable. After the rain, comes sunshine. We will wait.

  • Wen131

    I have had a lot of comments about the drama saga of Ribadu, but wait a moment, Is Ribadu’s name synonymous with EFCC, No. Yes, the Inspector of Police has no business announcing his training. Yes EFCC was supposed to be attached to the Ministry of Justice, that, is chain of command but who cares. This is Nigerian, we should let some situation sort themselves out. Who knows, a much better person than Ribadu could do more. Agreed he has done a good work based on what has been published and what we heard but another should be given a chance. Nobody is the Messiah. We all have equal right to get to a particular position, if qualified. Today is Ribadu, tomorrow it could be the Inspector of Police, who knows? No condition is permanent and change is inevitable. After the rain, comes sunshine. We will wait.

  • http://loomnie.com/ loomnie

    Wen131, thank you for your comments. Yes, I think an institution should be bigger than one person. The problem, like I said in the post, is about the timing. Sending Ribadu on a course when there are controversies surrounding its choice of cases to prosecute is the problem. I am waiting to see what becomes of EFCC under the new person; and I really, sincerely hope that the new person would show that EFCC as an institution is much bigger and stronger than the personality of a single person.

  • http://loomnie.com loomnie

    Wen131, thank you for your comments. Yes, I think an institution should be bigger than one person. The problem, like I said in the post, is about the timing. Sending Ribadu on a course when there are controversies surrounding its choice of cases to prosecute is the problem. I am waiting to see what becomes of EFCC under the new person; and I really, sincerely hope that the new person would show that EFCC as an institution is much bigger and stronger than the personality of a single person.