Graduation:NBA, others flay FG for stopping Ribadu

More Nigerians and groups on Sunday condemned the prevention of the former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, from graduating on Saturday from the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, Plateau State by security operatives.

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Former Chairman of the EFCC, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu

The groups and prominent individuals are the Nigerian Bar Association, the Campaign for Democracy, and the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, as well as a former NBA President, Mr. Olisa Agbakoba; the founder of The Redeeemed Evangelical Mission, Bishop Mike Okonkwo; and two activist lawyers, Mr. Femi Falana and Mr Bamidele Aturu.

They described the Federal Government’s action as a witch-hunt, barbaric, repressive, absurd and a wrong signal to the international community.

But another activist lawyer, Mr. Festus Keyamo, disagreed, saying Ribadu’s case does not call for sentiment or emotion.

Ribadu was forced out of the graduation ceremony by security operatives on the grounds that he was not supposed to have attended the NIPSS since he had been demoted from the rank of Assistant Inspector-General of Police to Deputy Commissioner of Police.

Speaking through its President, Mr. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN), the NBA argued that there was no justification to prevent Ribadu from graduating, since he had completed the Executive Course 30.

Akeredolu, who spoke with one of our correspondents said, “Indeed, if the Federal Government had any genuine reason to prevent him from attending the programme, the decision should have been conveyed to him and authorities of the NIPSS in a civilised manner.

“The action of the authorities by marching Ribadu out of the hall when guests were already seated amounted to nothing but barbarism in the extreme.

“We condemn this very mean action, which has exposed the Federal Government and its democratic pretension to ridicule. We call on all well-meaning Nigerians to join hands with the NBA in confronting barbaric ideas in whatever guise.

“The NBA is not unaware that Ribadu has dragged the authorities to court over the reduction of his rank from Assistant Inspector-General of Police to deputy commissioner of Police. He has also sought refuge in the court for the protection of his fundamental rights. While both matters are pending in court, none of the parties to the disputes is allowed by law to take the law into his hands or resort to self-help.

“Since the Federal Government under President Umaru Yar‘Adua has repeatedly taunted the rule of law as its mantra, it should at least make efforts to ensure that all security agencies are restrained from engaging in the violations of the rights of Nigerians.

“The NBA, therefore, demands that the security agents who forced him (Ribadu) out of the ceremony should be brought to book so as to reassure Nigerians that executive lawlessness and abuse, God for-bids, as against the Rule of Law, has unfortunately finally established his presence in our current political dispensation.”

In his comment, Agbakoba (SAN) reminded those behind Ribadu’s ordeal that power was transcient.

He said, “It is very wrong and it was done in bad taste. It is not decent. The treatment meted to him is tantamount to witchunt and there is no justification for it.

“It is not right to treat him like that. Don‘t forget that he did his best at the anti-graft agency and that cannot be taken away from him in spite of his shortcomings.

“People who are doing this to Ribadu must realise that power is transient and they must be careful while holding public office.”

Speaking to journalists during the closing of TREM’s Kingdom Life World Conference in Lagos, Okonkwo said the former EFCC boss’ travails were the “price one pays for attempting to change things that are wrong in the country.”

He added, “Ribadu’s current matter is part of the witch-hunting in Nigeria. For me, it is possible Ribadu had made some mistakes, but you can not rule out the fact that he has also contributed to the progress of this nation.

“The people who are fighting him are those he stepped on their toes. So the progress of this nation requires some people to pay its price. I think that is the price he is paying. He should see beyond this and take it as a man.

“It should not discourage us. We should not allow adversity to discourage us if we must get to our destination. Somebody has to pay the price. We are celebrating Mr. Barack Obama and America today because someone paid the price. Infact, adversity should spur us on.”

To Falana and Aturu, the action against Ribadu was capable of sending a wrong signal to the international community that Nigeria was moving towards a Banana Republic.

Falana said, “The brutal assault on Ribadu should be seen as an extension of the increasing wave of repression in the land.

“By waging a psychological and physical attacks on a man who has sued the government, the Yar‘Adua regime has shown that its touted belief in the rule of law is a grand ruse.”

Aturu said, “The reported humiliation of Ribadu is the height of this administration‘s lack of respect for decorum and due process.

“Without any doubt, the Gestapo-like manner in which the latest act against Ribadu was executed reveals the existence of a mafia right in the corridors of power.”

In its comment, the CD said the treatment meted out to Ribadu was a dent on the integrity of President Umaru Yar‘Adua.

It added in a statement by its President, Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin, on Sunday that the loser in all this was the Yar’Adua administration.

The statement reads in part, “We view this action as an overkill by corruption in Nigeria which would not consider any weapon offensive in its fight back against Ribadu who dared to look corruption in the face in Nigeria.

“There has yet to be any official explanation for why this crude measure was resorted to, but we are alarmed that some lawyers are insinuating that Ribadu could not have taken his employers to court and not expect the system to give it back to him.

“It is a sad day for justice administration in our country when lawyers of whatever hue started to think in this bizarre way.

“If Ribadu had taken the whole country to court, is that a sufficient reason to give him that barbaric treatment? Where else should an aggrieved seek redress in a ‘rule of law‘ Republic?”

The CD, therefore, demanded the immediate cessation of all official hostilities against Ribadu which it said smacked of intolerance and lack of respect for the Rule of Law.

Another non-governmental organisation, the HURIWA, said the action against the former EFCC chairman was capable of painting Nigeria as a country led by fascists and despots.

A statement by the National Coordinator of the group, Mr. Emmanuel Onwubiko, expressed worry that the development was worrisome because Chapter Four of the 1999 Constitution prohibits taking of citizens as hostages by security operatives paid with tax payers‘ money to maintain law and order.

HURIWA argued that though the Federal High Court ruled that Ribadu should honour the invitation of the EFCC, the court did not and will not order his illegal abduction from the venue of a graduation ceremony.

But Keyamo disagreed with them, saying that what the NIPSS and the Nigeria Police did was right.

He said, “The status of Ribadu must first be determined before he can graduate form NIPPS in the light of his pending suit at the Federal High Court.

“This issue does not call for sentiment or emotion, as the matter at stake is pure interpretation of the law. The simple question is ‘should the NIPPS graduate Ribadu as an AIG or DCP’? Until that issue is settled, common sense dictates that what the police and NIPPS have done is right.

“Ribadu, being a police officer, is subject to internal rules of administration and discipline.

Also speaking on the issue, Ribadu’s lawyer, Mr. Tayo Otyetibo (SAN) said, “With this development, The Federal Government has failed the nation on its rule of mantra.

“It is a most uncivil and indecent way of handling an otherwise simple matter.”

But in his reaction, the EFCC Spokesman, Mr. Femi Babafemi, said the commission had nothing to do with Ribadu’s current ordeals.

“We don’t have anything to do with the purported ordeal,” he said.

Meanwhile, sources in Abuja confirmed on Sunday that the former anti-corruption czar was expected to appear before the IG on Tuesday.

One of the sources, who claimed that Ribadu maight face a disciplinary panel, added that some charges, including insubordination, dereliction of duty, and tarnishing the image of the office of Inspector-General of Police, had been listed against him.

Our source added that if Ribadu was not dismissed, the best he could get was retirement.

He said, “I can assure you that Ribadu is going to face a disciplinary committee, which in turn will recommend the appropriate disciplinary action that will be taken against him.

“He may either be dismissed or be retired; but his days in the police appear over.”

Asked to explain how the former EFCC chief dragged the IG’s office into disrepute, the source said that on several occasions, he declined summons by the IG, Mr. Mike Okiro, while he was the EFCC chairman.

He added that Ribadu shunned Police officers’ meetings because of his conviction that the commission was outside the control of the IG.

It was also gathered that the police authorities did not take lightly his refusal to honour the invitation of the EFCC Chairman, Mrs. Farida Waziri, to shed some light on the key areas of the commission’s operations.

Ribadu, in his response, had cited his involvement in programmes leading to the completion of his course at the NIPSS as the reason for not honouring the invitation.

It was gathered that Waziri felt slighted and reported the matter to Okiro