Danjuma backs Ribadu
Joseph Jibueze | The Nation
Friday, October 30 2010

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*Ribadu

"I recommend Nuhu Ribadu to you. He will fight corruption to a standstill. People must be held accountable. If not, they will get away with murder literally" – Danjuma
The taciturn general broke his silence last night on next year’s general elections and his kind of man to lead the country.

Former Defence Minister Gen. Theophilus Danjuma (rtd.) endorsed the presidential aspiration of former boss of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.

Gen. Danjuma described the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) presidential aspirant as the only one among the numerous aspirants for the top job capable of fighting corruption which he identified as the nation’s main problem.

“Corruption has assumed an oceanic proportion in Nigeria”, he said, warning that it might consume the nation if left unchecked.

Danjuma, who is the chair of the Presidential Advisory Council (PAC) spoke yesterday at a Business lecture series organised by the Lagos Country Club. The topic of his lecture is “The Nigeria of my dream”.

He said: ’The impunity with which perpetrators get away with corruption is a cause for concern.

“I recommend Nuhu Ribadu to us. He will fight corruption to a standstill. People must be held accountable. If not, they will get away with murder literally.

“If there is no restitution after persecution, we are sweeping the probe under the carpet because there is corruption of oceanic proportion in Nigeria.’’

The former Chief of Army Staff identified lack of transformational leadership as the greatest challenge facing this country.

Declaring that all that is needed to take Nigeria to the Promised Land is the emergence of a leader determined to set things right, Danjuma expressed regret that Nigeria had been unlucky with the kind of leaders it has had since independence.

He said: “One right man at the top can make all the difference in the life of a nation. Our country has so far been unlucky.’’ (Auspy, Quoting Obama: "Africa needs strong institutions, not strong men"

He lamented the nation’s economic backwardness despite the abundance of natural and human resources.

Danjuma wondered why Nigeria does not refine oil, a situation that has affected her economic fortunes negatively.

He said, ‘’we have added no value to the crude oil we sell to the world in crude form’’.

He said Nigeria would not develop economically without self reliance.

Danjuma bemoaned the inability of Nigerians to hold their leaders accountable.

‘’The average Nigerian is docile. (Auspy: Ouch!) They are very forgiving of those in authority. People don’t ask questions. Maybe it is because of poverty,’’ he stated.

He flayed criticisms of the 1999 constitution, saying it was not fair to reject the constitution simply because it was produced by the military.

He said the military created states which legally exist today.

‘’We cannot accept democratic rule while rejecting the fundamental laws upon which it is founded,’’ he argued.

He however said the constitution “requires radical reconstruction’’.

On insecurity, the former Chief of Army Staff said ‘the machinery of law enforcement is weak. Failure to punish crimes is responsible for the escalation of violent crimes in Nigeria.’’

He gave an insight into the regime of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, saying he failed.

He said: ‘’I strongly believed that Obasanjo was going to deliver but he failed.

“For instance, people who came to serve two terms decided to change their minds and go for a third term.‘’

Danjuma said the Obasanjo he knew in the Army was not the same person that came out of prison and became President.

‘’I was in the cabinet and I saw a totally different man. On so many occasions when memos were bought, we would be called upon to rubberstamp them because he had already given anticipatory approval.’’

He described the presidential system of government especially the legislature as very expensive and the least productive.

Danjuma however lauded the judiciary and the media for being virile in saving the nation’s democracy.

One thing nobody can take away from this old man is his frankness. He says it the way he see it.

danjuma giving advice on corruption, na true

Erm oga Danjuma, how about returning that $500millon Abi na $1Billion oil block you got for nothing? SMH

https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-400110.0.html#msg5538524

i was at this lecture yesterday, and this headline it just sensationalism by the tinubu rag. the general was referring to a question regarding corruption and how best to prevent it. it was in this context that the ribadu comment was made.

i am one of the few nigerians who did not see how ribadu fought the so-called war on corruption under obasanjo.
we had the siemens scandal, harlibutton scandal, wilbros scandal all under obasanjo and ribadu. cecilia ibru and bode george were all role models and innocent ppl until the exit of ribadu. andy uba and chris uba were great men and saints alongside adedibu under ribadu. the abormination of pushing out a seating gov was committed under the corruption fighting agents.
the iyabo obasanjos, mrs etteh and a host of other criminals recieved no punishments and they remains senators under ribadu.
the act of hit and run exhibited by ribadu when he was charged to court by the nigerian police can not be over-emphasied but for the other obasanjo boy(jonathan) he was made a nigerian again.
information has it that ribadu is obasanjo's plan b might jonathan fail under pdp.
we know, obasanjo is the father of corruption and ribadu is one of his closest allies.
nigerians are not far from the truth.

this senile old man is at it again. talking with both sides of his mouth.

birds of the same feather!!!! lets see how it unfolds. Na today

Ribadu has an oil block that was gotten in a corrupt way