EFCC, Ribadu And The Civil Society Sympathy

As the hues and cries over the demotion of Ribadu hits the Olympus, I am forced to look at the characters of those crying more than the bereaved. These cries have nothing to do with the “ill manner” Mrs. Waziri is running the EFCC. The cry has nothing to do with the effect of this shameless act by the Police on the image of Nigeria.  A good number of these are the members of the civil society that benefited from the Civil Society-EFCC partnership under Nuhu Ribadu.

EFCC under Nuhu Ribadu, started a programme tagged FIX NIGERIA INITIATIVE. Under this quasi-NGO, a great number of timber and calibre of the civil society community were drafted in to assist EFCC to spread the message and get an attitudinal change among Nigerians. Under this programme, the likes of Adams Oshiomhole, Femi Falana et al appeared on Fix-Nigeria sponsored adverts on NTA and added their quota to the war. When EFCC under Ribadu was accused of witch hunting Obasanjo’s enemies, the ready answer was “let him run after them, when another EFCC boss comes on board, let him run after Obasanjo’s cronies” So why the hullabaloo all about?

Mrs. Waziri, should look into this Fix-Nigeria Initiative, she will see enough to keep the civil society off her back. A good number of pro-Ribadu Civil society groups benefitted questionably from this Fix-Nigeria Initiative. To further scar them, Mrs. Waziri should conduct a probe into the structure, activities and source of funding of these Civil society groups.  In a counter insurgence move, the Civil Society should make available the claimed bail bond for George Akume believed to be signed by Mrs. Waziri.

My headache with Ribadu was that he personalised the war and with the active aid of the media saw himself as the only good incorruptible Nigerian and failed to clone other incorruptible Nigerians to take over should he fall as he has fallen. It is this glorification and refual to build human structure that is behind his travails. Those he ran after are leaving no stone unturned to show that Ribadu has a foot of clay and can of fresh worms.

The owner of Russell Centre Zone 4 Abuja, Chief Nwude had the guts to accuse Ribadu of not selling his properties equitably. In deed the lion has been crippled and the antelope has come to collect overdue debt.

Apart from this criminal confrontation, a “black sheep” in the Civil Society community who was not favourably engaged by Ribadu, wrote a petition to the new EFCC boss, asking how the properties of exconvict, ex-governor of Bayelsa, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha were disposed.  

For those crying over Ribadu, my candid advice is to start engaging Mrs. Waziri before she smears Nigeria’s image with indelible ink of unseriousness over zero tolerance of corruption. According to Zik, broken bottle has no mekwaterism. The Civil society should mobilise Nigerians to seek alternative remedy to the trial of those perceived corrupt ex-governors, as it is obvious that the Rule of Law concept can be a flexible tool to perpetuate corruption. But charity they say begins at home. The civil society should look inward, after it’s their kit and kin that is defending Kenny Martins, who have been indicted over his activities in Police Equipment Fund.

In all these Civil society’s cry, which group has risen in defence of the fears raised by the star witness in the lingering trial of Kenny Martins?

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