EFCC after Ribadu

The controversy that heralded the issue of taking Mallam Nuhu Ribadu away from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for a one-year course at the Nigerian Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, has now died down.

But more important is that the President, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, has approved the appointment of an acting chairman for the anti-graft agency in the person of Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde, an Assistant Commissioner of Police. The new man is actually not new to the agency. He was, until his recent elevation, the commission’s director of operations.

By this new appointment, the government has made some profound statements, one of which is that the agency must move on in spite of everything. Another is to show its determination to engage corruption. It is also important that government did not allow the controversy to linger in such a way that it would begin to create general and ultimately national discontent.

The challenge now is squarely on the new leadership of the agency. And what a better place to start than a critical appreciation of the leadership style and profile of its predecessor. In other words, Lamorde must first appraise the failings, and to some degree, successes of Mallam Ribadu. This is very crucial because it will help him to make a good job of his new office. It is even as well that he has been an insider. He is not completely new to or unaware of Ribadu’s shortcomings; those areas of popular discontent with the larger segment of the Nigerian society.

However, to erase all possible doubts and ambiguities, the new man must know that the problems with the Ribadu era were legion. Ribadu displayed naked power and mindless disregard for the rule of law and people’s rights.

He was roundly accused of being a tool in the hands of the erstwhile President Olusegun Obasanjo against his perceived enemies. Unfortunately, Ribadu lived up to that in the most obviously disingenuous manner. Every known person who disagreed or had to disagree with the former president became a target of Ribadu’s EFCC. He also fought a selective war.

Ribadu’s acts were so blatant and cruel that people were beginning to suspect that the agency was set up primarily to fight the president’s private wars – real and imagined. And some other times too, Ribadu was accused of seeing the agency as his personal fiefdom. He was running it as if he was the agency and the agency was him.

This gave rise to the popular refrain that he had personalized the agency. It was that same spirit that was at work while the controversy lasted and people caught it. Ribadu became the issue instead of the agency. And because he had wittingly or unwittingly used the agency to build himself up as a cult-personality, Nigerians who jumped into the fray were crossing swords over him rather than over the agency. But for the intervention of the Federal Government through the appointment of an acting chairman, the system would have been completely poisoned.

Therefore, Lamorde must, of necessity, take his cue from all of this. To make a success of his assignment, he must avoid the routes his predecessor treaded. There is a national consensus that corruption must be engaged because of what it is to the country as well as what it represents to her. Nigerians are in total agreement that corruption is the country’s bane and anything that can be done to wrestle it to the ground would get their unalloyed support.

Therein lies the impetus the new leadership needs. While it is advised that a new image must be given to the commission, we recognize that such image must be a function of the leadership style of the man of the moment at the agency. And the image that we want to see is one of a civilized, fair and just agency. We want to behold an agency that respects the laws of the land just as it does for the people’s rights. We are after an agency that will fight corruption anywhere and everywhere it is found and to fight it without regards to persons, personalities and authorities. We want to see the EFCC that is dispassionate.

Also, to make a success, the self must be de-emphasized. Personalization of the commission will be counter-productive, as we saw in Ribadu’s case. It is a national call to duty and Nigerians expect performance. It is important as well to call the attention of the authorities to the need to give the agency a free hand to do its job.

Its brief has been spelt out and all influence exertions, directly or remotely, must be avoided. This is very important because this is exactly what made the Ribadu leadership what it turned out to be – the one that started well but ended scandalously. Indeed, the new leadership would need the support, cooperation and goodwill of all Nigerians who desire to see corruption brought to its knees.



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It's not even a month yet, the new EFCC seems to be more focused, well intact, and with less controversies. They also continue to exhibit the embracement of professionalism, group concept and have nothing but pure respect for the constitution of Nigeria/ human rights.
It is very refreshing to see that the figurehead one man show is behind Nigeria.

At last, I'm confident to say Nigeria is now ready for a real war against corruption.