Time to tell the truth


No number of photo opportunities between President Goodluck Jonathan and militant leaders from the Niger Delta can persuade Nigerians that the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) had no hand in the killings that occurred in Abuja on Independence Day. It does not really matter if Dokubo Asari and his fellow militants shake the president’s hand thousands of times for the cameras. The limited information available to Nigerians, including the claim of responsibility for the bombings, points to MEND as the perpetrators.

Prior to the tragic events in Abuja, MEND was the only organisation in the country that had resorted to bombings in this way, including in Warri a few months ago at an amnesty conference organized by Vanguard newspape[/b]r. A few hours before explosions rocked the venue, they issued an advance warning to the public and accepted responsibility once the bombs had gone off. [b]This was the same scenario that played itself out in Abuja Oct. 1, with one important difference – our security services bungled badly, and 16 people paid with their lives for that negligence.

Mr. Jonathan only made things worse with his hasty and ill-advised decision to exonerate MEND for the crime committed in Abuja. The perception of the president was too quick on the draw has not been helped by the accusation made by Henry Okah, a reputed arms dealer and prominent MEND leader, who claims an aide of the president wanted him to blame northern politicians for the carnage. The deep distrust that already exists between the different regions in this country was further fuelled by Okah’s claims.

Taken together, the statements by both Mr. Jonathan and Mr. Okah have provoked northern political leaders into trenchant, at times unrestrained, lambasting of the president. Some have called for his resignation. Others have gone so far as to threaten him with impeachment.

The president’s defenders have argued, weakly, that he didn’t do anything wrong. His aides and political associates have made vague claims that, by virtue of his position, the president surely was privy to information that led him to preemptively proclaim MEND not guilty of the cold-blooded murder of innocents.

And this is the crux of the matter. If the president does indeed have this sort of information, he has a responsibility to share it with the rest of us.

We are disappointed, to say the least, that the president inserted himself so publicly into a criminal incident before law enforcement authorities even had a chance to conduct investigations. It is not the president’s place to pronounce on the guilt or innocence of anyone. That is why we have police, the State Security Service, and a plethora of other agencies charged with preventing crime and enforcing the law. All that we require of our president, in the immediate aftermath of such traumatic events as the bloody bombings in Abuja on Oct. 1, are words of comfort to the survivors and their families, reassurance for an anxious public, and a promise to ensure that law enforcement agencies brought perpetrators to book.

While the president needlessly opened himself to the increasingly shrill accusations from his political opponents, among others, we are dismayed that his most severe critics also are sounding more like opportunists who have given little thought to the dangers inherent in the heating up of the political environment. Our fragile country can ill afford the tensions that have risen so dramatically in recent days.

The president must act quickly to lower the temperature. If he has any information that would support his initial assertion, then he has an obligation to share it with us. But if, as we suspect, his initial reaction arose more out of panic than any desire to mislead, then he should address Nigerians forthrightly about the general insecurity in the land, from sectarian convulsions in Jos to widespread kidnappings in eastern Nigeria to Boko Haram killings in the northeast to the violent upheaval in the Niger Delta. He must put the recent bombings in context for us all and outline the urgent steps he plans on taking right away to protect life and limb.

Only this kind of honesty will begin to restore some of the confidence that has been lost.

We are disappointed, to say the least, that the president inserted himself so publicly into a criminal incident before law enforcement authorities even had a chance to conduct investigations. It is not the president’s place to pronounce on the guilt or innocence of anyone. That is why we have police, the State Security Service, and a plethora of other agencies charged with preventing crime and enforcing the law. All that we require of our president, in the immediate aftermath of such traumatic events as the bloody bombings in Abuja on Oct. 1, are words of comfort to the survivors and their families, reassurance for an anxious public, and a promise to ensure that law enforcement agencies brought perpetrators to book.

netotse:

i cant fault the article, GEJ and his handlers have been going from one faux pas to the other. . .they should just calm down and make factual statements, i think there are too many people being touted as speaking for GEJ, imo the guy needs to rein in the praise singers before they do irreparable damage to his profile.

@oyb
you should head over to NVS and read the ribadu interviews. . .your guy no try at all, he gets an A for passion though. . .

_{P.S. you really need to come to my neck of the woods to hear gist about the guy sef. . .in fact a lot of your fav people have ties to this area sef}

egift:

If he cannot call press conference (not that yeye Facebook) and apologise to Nigerians for those lies, his stand on MEND and for wasting our bilions, he can as well forget the elections.

Chadrack:

@violent ,

So who are you thinking of giving your votes? This is the same mistake that our elders did in the past. We judge in a moment of anger and what happens, the next day we regret! Pls sit down again and consider why you had the mind of giving him your votes before. Is this one mistake bigger than that reason. May the lord help you to decide.

Chadrack:

@violent ,

[b]So who are you thinking of giving your votes? [/b]This is the same mistake that our elders did in the past. We judge in a moment of anger and what happens, the next day we regret! Pls sit down again and consider why you had the mind of giving him your votes before. Is this one mistake bigger than that reason. May the lord help you to decide.

netotse:

@oyb
you should head over to NVS and read the ribadu interviews. . .your guy no try at all, he gets an A for passion though. . .

_{P.S. you really need to come to my neck of the woods to hear gist about the guy sef. . .in fact a lot of your fav people have ties to this area sef}

violent:

for now, my vote is hanging, i have lost my confidence in Jonathan although he seem the preferred choice given the list of other aspirants.

I'm definitely not voting IBB, Saraki, Asari Dokubo, Henry Okah, Atiku or Dele Momdu!

netotse:

i cant fault the article, GEJ and his handlers have been going from one faux pas to the other. . .they should just calm down and make factual statements, i think there are too many people being touted as speaking for GEJ, imo the guy needs to rein in the praise singers before they do irreparable damage to his profile.

@oyb
you should head over to NVS and read the ribadu interviews. . .your guy no try at all, he gets an A for passion though. . .

_{P.S. you really need to come to my neck of the woods to hear gist about the guy sef. . .in fact a lot of your fav people have ties to this area sef}

Kobojunkie:

Preferred? Even though a Vote for Jonathan still means a Vote for IBB, Saraki and the others you have on your list there? Gosh!!! What is with this "I am for Change even though I am voting Against Change" Trend?

jabbok:

Your mama born you well sis. Same group in d same rotten PDP.

[size=15pt]Goodluck Ebele Jonathan Azikiwe[/size] [size=15pt]| Awolowo Belewa[/size] soon to be appended = [size=15pt]Inconsistency incorporated![/size]

Gbawe:

Netotse, I read the interview and I think your conclusion , along with those of some on NVS, is wrong . The Interview may not be brilliant , because it is impromptu, but it will actually endear Ribadu to Nigerians because the former EFCC boss spoke honestly , passionately and intelligently on many issues . I have always found NVS to be a sanctimonious forum full of pompous charlatans , with an overblown and deluded appraisal of their own intellect  . Many on NVS are actually dense because their thinking is clouded by a clamour for unrealistic idealism. Nairaland is actually a better and more honest mix of Nigerians. This is why I post here and nowhere else. Ribadu may not be an economic guru like Utomi but an economic guru is not what Nigeria needs right now. Nigeria needs a leader who has the good qualities of  OBJ plus the sincerity and the integrity to eschew cynical self-enrichment that our former President did not have.

Ribadu is the only sane choice and those who are undecided should hear me out impartially.

Ribadu is an OBJ with sincerity. We all know that OBJ is brave, singleminded, detribalised, determined , energetic(rumoured to work almost 24 hours) and capable of inspiring others. OBJ is no economist but he showed good leadership when he meritocratically assembled technocrats and supported them to deliver results for Nigeria. Where OBJ falls short is his corrupt nature and desire for personal aggrandizement.  The NIPP, TRANSCORP, sale of refineries are a few example of good initiative hijacked by the greed and lack of enduring integrity of OBJ. Iyabo Obasanjo got NIPP contracts when she knows Nada about power generation!!!!

Now, let us imagine what Ribadu brings to the table that is pertinent to Nigeria of today. Ribadu will be everything OBJ is but without the greed , corruption and primitive lust for self-enrichment. This is a man who took $15 million bribe to the CBN as evidence of graft   We all know that , like OBJ, Ribadu is tough, resolute, energetic and highly driven. Ribadu will encourage the best technocratic hands to transform Nigeria and , unlike OBJ, he will not hijack their initiative to enrich himself and his cronies as OBJ did many, many times. I know , for example, that the NIPP scheme would have been a success under Ribadu. Someone (and I might actually join up to do it) should tell those shortsighted observers on NVS that Nigeria , right now, simply needs a President who is brave, has integrity, will fight corruption vigorously and enable many  highly talented technocrats to deliver for Nigeria.

Let the noisemakers at NVF also make sure to tell us when other presidential candidates refuse to grant them an interview . The stonewalling and lack of interviews I am predicting NVS will experience with other candidates , with a realistic chance of becoming President , will only highlight how Ribadu , even if he makes mistakes, is always available to dialogue with Nigerians as a mark of an individual who wants to serve genuinely. Can this be said of IBB, GEJ, Atiku et al? Ribadu will make mistakes but will emerge from them stronger. Dreamers can back the likes of Utomi , who can design impressive economic growth spreadsheets, but those who are really aware of what Nigeria need will understand that we want an OBJ who is sincere . We want an OBJ who , through sheer strenght of character, can support other good leaders and their good initiatives without then turning around to use said initiative as a 'get rich quick' scheme. Ribadu is far out there as the best choice candidate who has OBJ's good qualities without our former President's flaws.

netotse:

@gbawe
so, just because some people dont like NR they are now dense, pompous and idealistic?

.Just say you didn't get along with the crowd over there.

P.S. impromptu? who told you so? so you think you can just call ribadu up and talk with him for an hour just like that? them interviews (buhari and ribadu, next dele momodu, heck there's even a podcast with one of GEJs SAs) have been planned since.

_{oh and yeah, the crowd on NVS are much older than the NL crowd, so not getting along with them is natural}

Gekko:


Well Said!

Cant believe folks would pass up on a man who has dedicated half of his life to public service, trained lawyer, law enforcer, built efcc from scratch, pounded his chest and stood up against corruption.  Since his departure from efcc he has completed fellowships at oxford and harvard, how can you possibly weigh all of this against a simple-minded tool like GEJ.

If you wish to continue to knit-pick at Ribadus flaws, i leave you with this qoute from Theodore Roosevelt:

"It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat.

VIABILITY OF CAMPAIGN

Again, real quickly, how would you convince Nigerians that you’re a viable serious candidate?

Nuhu Ribadu: What, the point about viability or not is that when you are a candidate you come out and say this is what I’ve done, this is what I’ve done, this is what I intend to do, people should look and see what I’ve done in this country and see whether indeed I’m good enough to do again or probably even do better. I have worked, and I told you I have served my country for 25 years, and those things that I have done are visible, are evident and now that I have come out to say I am a free person and I'm joining politics and I have refused to join the party that that I believe is the problem in Nigeria today – the PDP. I’ve decided to go to the opposition which is the most important,  the second party in Nigeria. A party that has the semblance of a national outfit.

I’m trying desperately to bring all the progressives together, I’m talking to all good parties, I’m talking to all the good people, I’m trying to even turn the people who are in PDP who are good enough, come back and let’s see if we can come together and save our own country. I am leading this and I am doing it, and already I have started seeing results.

There’s no any other way you could prove that you are a serious person better than that. Today I’m in the lead, I’m in the forefront of building unity within the progressives to address the problem that is PDP and federal government and the 30 states that they’re in control today in our own country. I’m extremely extremely serious person - whatever I do in life I do it seriously and that has been my whole life.

ARE YOU FRONTING FOR OR A SPOILER FOR JONATHAN?

You obviously appeal to a very energetic constituency just like Mallam Buhari, those who want a non-tainted presidency. However, there is the allegation that you are a spoiler for Jonathan. How would you convince Nigerians that you are a viable serious candidate and how would your campaign be funded?

Nuhu Ribadu: You know one thing that’s surprising me is about this President Jonathan rumors. This is a government that has retired me for no reason, I’ve not done anything, I’ve given 25yrs of my own life into public service, and they retired me. What Jonathan did was just to make it from dismissal to retirement. And I am yet to be told what I’ve done for me to be retired from public service. And some people will still come round and say that I’m doing this for Jonathan? For God’s sake what reason? What reason? Why?

How can you punish somebody and again take advantage of it. No its so unfair, I mean I feel real sad when people talk like this. But above all, I worked all my life to improve my own people, my own country. I can never . Nuhu Ribadu will be the last one to be used, more so, somebody who have been treated unfairly.

So the PDP government had never been part of it. They’ve been extremely unfair to Nigerians and unfair to me. I did to the best of my ability what I thought was the right thing and they went after me, they punished me, they humiliated me, they took me out of public service, they retired me, and I’ve not got one penny up to this moment. And people are talking about me being used? I think that is very unfair to me.

To be fair to a lot of your supporters, lots of them are very young, very idealistic and you have to admit that it would have come to them as somewhat of a shock and a letdown if you have said, as you were reported to have said in the presence of Mr. Tinubu, that you don’t worry about the moralities of people who,

Nuhu Ribadu: Let me tell you, don’t even go there, for God’s sake, the fact that I’m not going to work to make Mr. Tinubu my President , rather it is the AC as a party that is working to make me a President. Tinubu is not AC for God’s sake, and that is not even the issue, what about Fashola, is Fashola not doing very well? Is he not in the ACN? What about Governor Oshiomole, are they not also Nigerians who are doing very well? They are probably the two best Governors in Nigeria today. They are part of the ACN. Tinubu or no Tinubu, they are performing, why is it that Nuhu Ribadu will not be in the same platform to make a difference for our country? Why is it that simply because I’ve joined.

If you are talking about what is happening today in our country? Have you seen what is happening in the PDP? Have you seen the people who are in PDP? You want me to go there? Or you want me to go into a sectional ethnic party? Am not going to do that, I’m a true Nigerian, I’m a Nigerian that see Nigeria as one constituency, I will not go to a party that is, the foundation of which is just corruption. I am going to a party that has shown that you can do good governance. I’ve seen it in Fashola, I’ve seen it in what Adams tried to do for the country. And that is the reason why I’m going there. I am not going to Tinubu or any other individual, rather it is because of the example of good governance that I have seen, and I think that is good enough for me as a reason to be there.

netotse:

archaic mindset? notice i refrained from positing they were smarter than the NL crowd because such generalizations are counter-productive.

both NVS and NL are very different, they cater to different sets of people and as such the ideas there differ, can you for a second try to imagine why your beloved NR would let himself be interviewed by NVS if they were as terrible as you make them out to be?

guy we're not here to discuss the different forums but still your generalizations are wayyyy of the mark

Faeb:

I saw the interview and laughed my head off. I like Ribadu, but he just isn't ready, not at all! So many things wrong, he still had to explain and re-explain for the umpteenth time, his unfortunate quip about 5000 policemen stopping violent crime in a nation of 150 million. It was frankly embarrassing. I was going to post it here, but thought it would be too much.

NVS:  Could you clarify a statement that you recently made; you said something about using 5,000 policemen to solve our security problems, what was that all about?

Nuhu Ribadu: I didn’t say so, this is the tragedy about individuals and the media, I never said a thing like this. What I said was with 5,000 policemen you can stop violent crime. You see, I’m a policeman, I know internal working of the police force. You see, in the police we have what they call anti robbery squad, we have the departments, different, different departments, today that units is not up to two to three thousnd people  and that is wrong, we need to get qualified quality people, a number maybe like 5,000 and with 5,000 people well trained on issues to do with violent crime you can stop it, that is the point I was making.

I did not say that Nigeria needs 5,000 policemen, this is the sad story, I tried to even compare it, I said how many thousands of policemen today are guarding VIPs and how many are there in the anti-robbery squad. This is the point I was trying to make.

50,000 of our policemen today go to guard duty, 50,000 minimum go to duty for VIPs, It is a waste. If you have a solid quality trained policemen, 5,000 of them on the issues to do with violent crime like armed robbery, kidnapping, and things like that you would stop those violent crime that is causing so much havoc for our people. That’s the point I was trying to make, I cannot say that 5,000 policemen is enough to do policing in Nigeria, No.