Economic and Financial Crimes Commission [EFCC] said on Wednesday that the invitation extended to its former chairman, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, was not borne out of vendetta, but a purely administrative request to clear the air on some issues pertaining to his tenure as chairman.

The commission’s Head of Media and Publicity, Femi Babafemi, said at a press conference in Abuja, that the clarification became necessary in view of the interest generated by the issue and to forestall more confusion.

This is coming even as Babafemi announced that the present leadership of the commission had recorded 32 convictions in court, and recovered over N10 billion from fraudsters between June and September, this year.

Babafemi, who read a press statement signed by him, explained that Ribadu had to be summoned after his temporary successor, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde, who had been invited earlier, could not provide useful information to clear certain ambiguities regarding the work of the commission under Ribadu’s leadership.
Full text of the statement reads: “Lately, there have been issues in the media about the former chairman of EFCC, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu. For the avoidance of doubt, we wish to reassure Nigerians and all stakeholders in the anti-graft war that the EFCC leadership under Mrs. Waziri’s interest in Mallam Ribadu is limited to his work as pioneer chairman of our organization.

The invitation extended to him, which is purely an administrative issue, was for him to clear the air on some issues pertaining to his tenure as Chairman. It was never borne out of vendetta or an attempt to ensnare him as is being speculated in some quarters. The new leadership needed access to information that could erase certain ambiguities regarding the work of the Commission during the time of Ribadu. It considered such information crucial to the realization of its own vision of tackling financial crime and corruption in the most expeditious manner.

But given the interest already generated by the issue and to forestall more confusion, it is necessary to state the facts as they affect Ribadu and his invitation by the Commission:

Prosecution of ex-governors
Ribadu had during an appearance before the National Assembly claimed he had prepared case files against 31 former state governors, ready for prosecution as soon as they left office on May 29, 2007. When Mrs. Waziri stepped in as Chairman on June 6, 2008, only eight of those cases were under prosecution. She has on her own completed the investigation of three other ex-governors and charged them to court.
Others are still being investigated because the information available at the time she took over was too scanty to sustain a charge. The commission needed the assistance of its former chairman to shed more light on those case files as claimed that had been completed and ready for prosecution as at then.

Sale of assets
The sale of the assets of some convicted corrupt persons and fraudsters have lately become the subject of controversy with some of them questioning the valuation and manner of disposal of those properties in petitions to the Commission. Some have even dragged the Commission to court. For the Commission to explain the integrity of these sales and defend itself in court, it needed information regarding those transactions.
We need to know who bought what, and at what price.

We need to have access to the relevant documents covering all the transactions. There are legal provisions regarding the disposal of forfeited assets, were those provisions followed in all the transactions? These are the issues. Sadly, there are no records anywhere in the commission that provide answers to these issues.

In the case of Chelsea Hotel, previously owned by former governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Dieprieye Alamieyeseigha, which was handed over to the firm of Diya Fatimilehin & Co to manage, there was no contract spelling out the terms of engagement and the expectations of the parties.

What is more, no account was rendered by the firm in its three years of managing the company. It was only when Mrs. Waziri took over that the company sent in a cheque of N50 million and soon after, they wrote a letter requesting for massive funds to renovate the hotel.

It was in a bid to resolve some of these complications that invitation was extended to Ribadu and the former acting chairman, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde. Lamorde honoured the invitation. Unfortunately, Lamorde’s presence didn’t do much in addressing the issues. The handover note given to him by Ribadu lacked information that could resolve all the outstanding issues.

We hope that our former chairman would come to the understanding that it is in his interest to assist the institution, which he helped to build, by coming forward with any information at his disposal that would clear all doubts regarding these matters.

Finally we wish to state categorically that Ribadu has no cause to be scared of EFCC’s invitation and so the fear of arrest is baseless, unfounded and without merit. Mrs. Waziri and the new leadership of EFCC appreciate his contributions to the agency.

However, the agency has entered a new phase of life. What is uppermost in the mind of the new leadership is allowing its work to speak for itself. We will therefore treat Mallam Nuhu Ribadu with the courtesy deserving of a former Chairman whenever he deems it fit to come forward and help shed light on fundamental issues that arose from his tenure in office.

 
Clear conscience fears no accusations. Such a good servant/leader shld be ready to show up any time needs arise. Ribababa, please try not to spoil your good name if you have any.

everybody wants him to come forward so that they can kill him?

If this man dies God will require his blood from our hand.

chidichris:

Economic and Financial Crimes Commission [EFCC] said on Wednesday that the invitation extended to its former chairman, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, was not borne out of vendetta, but a purely administrative request to clear the air on some issues pertaining to his tenure as chairman.


Waziri and the new leadership of EFCC appreciate his contributions to the agency.

However, the agency has entered a new phase of life. What is uppermost in the mind of the new leadership is allowing its work to speak for itself. We will therefore treat Mallam Nuhu Ribadu with the courtesy deserving of a former Chairman whenever he deems it fit to come forward and help shed light on fundamental issues that arose from his tenure in office.

 
[i][/i] clear conscience fears no accusations. such a good servant/leader shld be ready to show up anytime needs arrise. Ribababa, please try not to spoil ur good name if you have any.
 

O really? And I suppose the constant humiliation being meted to the lawyer, culminating in the shameful denial of his graduation certificate is part of the "courtesy a former chairman deserves" abi? Some people can be so funny sometimes. The initial perception I had of Mrs Waziri as another Dora Akunyili in the making is rapidly being eroded with each passing day. She is a big disappointment.

Ribadu: INTERPOL probes $4.8m controversial houses - the nation 30th nov 2008

if such a good man has refused to honour invitation by the police and the efcc, then he has things he is hiding.

we all saw how good El-rufai was with obj's administration but a scrutiny by the new administration rewarded his actions with a life ban from holding public offices.

when ribadu was in power, it was rummoured that he is a tool and today ribadu is saying efcc is a tool to bring him down so my question now is, how is fooling who?

he is a tool and other tools are after him. those who live by sword are likely to die by sword.

Let me say it again. Only fools will see any story about Ruibadu's so called persecution and make any attempt to read it.
I have told you people that what is happening is a only a planned script being played out to deceive you nigerians, but none of you fools will ever listen. It's already over 10 threads and millions of comeents on Ribadu on this forum. When are you nigerians going to learn.

Have you ever seen any top figure sent to jail by EFCC? Have you forgoten their past cases of Ehindero and 30 governors? What makes you think that Ribadu will ever be sent to jail despite convincing evidence about his houses overseas? Umu ewu, stop posting any thred/comment about ribadu here.

He and the nigerian authorities have already planned what is happening now and are executing it well to fool you people and you didin't disappointing by falling to their well planed script. Waitn until the planned script is played out to finish and come to tell me where Ribadu is. "They didn't let him graguate" my arrssssssss. Only fools will buy to such film script.