₦airaland Forum

,

Mwai Kibaki is responsible for anything that goes wrong in Kenya.

How difficult is it respect the will of the people

ono:
What a source! I just hope it's saharareporters. They are the people that peddle such news. Any contrary view on why this Ribadu guy should go? He has turned EFCC to his private outfit. Again, this is what you get when you promote someone far above what his brain can carry.

Whoever made that comment to leadership Newspaper must be saying while the President has the power to appoint or sack the EFCC chairman, issues with training of staff and appointment of "acting staff" including "acting chairman" when the real chairman proceeds on training is the prerogative of the EFCC board.

I think we should research whether this is the position of the EFCC act before we start laying abuses.

babasin:
who determines what is successful?

The Nigerian People, and majority believes the EFCC is by far the best Anti-graft agency

Ribadu: Presidency Weighs Legal Options
•Lawyers disagree over re-appointment
By Tokunbo Adedoja, Ademola Adeyemo, Philip Ogunmade in Lagos and Funso Muraina in Abuja, 01.02.2008

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As the controversy over the legality of the re-appointment of Mallam Nuhu Ribadu as the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) continues, THISDAY was informed last night that the Presidency was contemplating ways of “addressing the issue”.
THISDAY had reported yesterday that the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Michael Aondoakaa, had raised the issue of the legality of Ribadu’s reappointment by the former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, shortly before the end of his tenure on May 29, 2007.
Aondoakaa, it was reported, had noted that the appointment was not approved by the last Senate as required by Section 2 (3) of the EFCC Act which states: “The Chairman and members of the commission other than the ex-officio members shall be appointed by the President subject to the confirmation of the Senate.”
THISDAY had also reported that there was a petition before the Presidency which alleged that Ribadu’s re-appointment was illegal and that all the cases he endorsed for trial since his controversial second term commenced amounted to a nullity.
A Presidency source confirmed the new development to THISDAY last night, saying the president was “deeply worried” that due process was not followed in the re-appointment of Ribadu and wants to rectify the situation based on the legal advice of the AGF.
“The situation on ground now is that there is no substansive EFCC chairman because of the development,” the source said. “However, because the EFCC has been very robust and determined in its anti-graft war, the president is trying to resolve the issue with the aim of building a proper institution that will last the distance.”
The source noted: “The president has always vowed his full commitment to doing things the proper way, by following the rule of law and due process. In this case, it was not followed. Ribadu’s name was not sent to the Senate for confirmation as stipulated by the law, so his stay is vulnerable to legal action. The president is very worried about this development which has recently been drawn to his attention.
“If you look at it very well, the president sent the name of the chairman of Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Ms Ifueko Omoigui, to the Senate for re-confirmation after the expiration of her tenure. Why should Ribadu’s case be different? Things have to be done properly if our democracy is to be consolidated,” the source added. He insisted that the president’s least worry is the decision of the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mike Okiro, to send Ribadu on a nine-month course at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS).
“The issue of the illegality of Ribadu’s current tenure is the one that the president is really worried about,” he added, but did not volunteer information on the likelihood of the president re-nominating Ribadu for the position. “Since Ribadu is going to NIPSS, I don’t think he will be re-nominated for the EFCC job.”
The source said that if any of the accused persons raised the issue of the legality of Ribadu’s tenure in court, it may lead to the collapse of the entire proceedings against them.
Yesterday, legal experts and commentators continued to react to the observation raised by Aondoakaa over Ribadu’s tenure.
President of the West Africa Bar Association, Mr. Femi Falana, said the AGF was merely expressing his political opinion on the issue and not a legal viewpoint.
Citing Section 2 (3) of the EFCC Act, Falana said Senate confirmation is required only for the first four-year term of the chairman and members of the commission. He argued that Section 3 (1) of the Act which deals with re-appointment does not have any provision for re-confirmation.
Noting that assuming the law even stipulates that there should be a re-confirmation of his re-appointment, Falana said "it is settled in law that confirmation of appointment can be by conduct."
He said: "The present Senate has had cause to endorse the appointment of Ribadu when it rightly intervened in the embarrassing face-off between the AGF and EFCC. After a thorough debate, the Senate passed a resolution calling on President Yar'Adua to bring the face-off to an end."
He added that after his re-appointment, Ribadu also appeared before the two chambers of the National Assembly to defend the EFCC budget pursuant to Section 33 of the EFCC Act. He also noted that just last September, Ribadu presented the commission's annual report to the National Assembly as stipulated by law.
"Therefore, by relating with him in the last six months in the prosecution of the anti-graft war, the confirmation of the Senate cannot be questioned at this stage," he maintained.
Falana said the matter had already been settled by the Court of Appeal in the case of OAU Vs Dr. Kola Onabanjo whose appointment was terminated by the University three months after the three years probation period on the ground that the appointment had not been confirmed.
He said the Appeal Court, presided over by Justice Mustapha Akanbi, held that even though the university law stipulates confirmation in writing, the fact that the university allowed the lecturer to teach students and receive salaries three months after the probation period, his appointment was deemed to have been confirmed.
In his own view, however, Mr Niyi Akintola, SAN, said senate confirmation of Ribadu's re-appointment was necessary. "It may be argued that if it was based on credibility, it won't be necessary. But my opinion is that in the course of running his first term if he did something to tamper with his integrity, the confirmation of the senate is desirable," he argued.
While reacting to the AGF's position, Chief Gani Fawehinmi (SAN) berated the AGF. Speaking in a telephone conversation with THISDAY last night, Fawehinmi said the AGF, by his comment that Ribadu acted illegally as the chairman of EFCC prior to his “study leave”, only revealed his “shallow understanding” of the laws of the land.
Also reacting to the AGF's comment, Chairman of Council of Industrial Lawyers, Mr. Bamidele Aturu, said it was regrettable that the AGF could make such a comment, which in his own words do "not portray Nigeria in good light."
According to Aturu, the argument that Ribadu acted illegally because his re-appointment was not confirmed by the Senate was baseless, saying an appointment once confirmed does not require to be reconfirmed.
He expressed disappointment with the development, arguing that Aondoakaa was not expected to make such a statement, saying that the comment only portrays him as having something against Ribadu or perhaps a deliberate attempt to kill the anti-corruption war.
"All these don't portray Nigeria in good light. If the AGF is making such a statement, we should be asking him why he didn't say this when he just came to the office and when he said that the EFCC, ICPC and Code of Conduct of Bureau would merge. It appears that the government is looking for a way to justify the removal of Ribadu. The Senate does not need to re-confirm the appointment it had earlier confirmed unless there is another EFCC Act,” he said.
Another lawyer, Kehinde Imafidon, said the essence of Senate confirmation is for the country to know about the antecedents of the nominees. He said that was done in 2003 in the case of Ribadu when former President Olusegun Obasanjo reappointed him. The senate, if it had any reason to object to his reappointment, would have raised it, he said.
Mr Emeka Ngige, SAN, said: "I have not really understood the detailed reason for his being sent on course in NIPPS in Jos. But whatever the reason, people would read meaning about government's motives. With or without senate confirmation, how can government remove somebody adjudged by the public to be doing a good job? This is not saying that Ribadu is indispensible, rather the action carries a lot of malice and suspicion of Yar’Adua’s lip service to the fight against corruption. Nigerians have been crying that the chairman of INEC should not be sacked, government has not deemed it fit to heed the call. Instead, it tactically removed Ribadu. I feel the last session of the senate was not stupid not to have raised any objection about Ribadu's re-appointment."


---------Culled for THISDAY Newspaper

3 More Ex-Governors To Be Charged This Week

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• Two serving senators also in EFCC’s cross-hairs

If the recent decision by the inspector-general of police to send the executive chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to a year course was designed to shield certain prominent politicians from prosecution by the EFCC, as it is widely believed, the move may have failed after all.

LEADERSHIP gathered that in its determination to take the crusade against corruption to the next level in 2008, the anti-financial crimes agency has resolved to arraign three more former governors before a Federal High Court this week for alleged money laundering and misapplication of public funds.

The three men, according to our source, include a former governor from the South-South geo-political zone and two serving Senators from the North.

The former governor, for example, is being accused of inflating N24.6 billion contract for building gas turbines as part of his Independent Power Programme and elaborate electricity project that was executed without appropriate legislation by the State House of Assembly in flagrant abuse of constitutional requirements.

The charges also suggest that he was involved in an illegal diversion of Local Government Councils’ fund to the tune of N4.45 billion; that various illegal diversions of funds from the various state government accounts were carried out by the governor and officials of the State, sometimes through one construction company; that the governor was involved in siphoning of government funds through the state Ecological Fund accounts where N176 million was collected by one of his fronts, the accountant of the Government House, and N34 million by another person.

"From now till February when Ribadu is expected to go to NIPSS is a long period; if the move to send him on course was designed to prevent EFCC from prosecuting certain persons, it will fail. As I speak to you, the EFCC has resolved to charge three more ex-governors to court this week for corruption," said an insider.

At present, seven governors are being prosecuted in courts over alleged corrupt practices. Records show that the commission as at last year made 2,500 arrests; 92 convictions recorded; $5 billion worth of assets and cash recovered. The properties recovered included several houses, land, luxury cars, airplane and oil tankers.

While our source confirmed Ribadu’s readiness to go for the course, he said neither the inspector-general of police, Sir Mike Okiro, nor President Yar’Adua is empowered by the EFCC Act to appoint an acting chairman for the commission.

Several names, including Solomon Arase, a commissioner of police at the Police Force Headquarters; Ibrahim Lamorde, director of operations in the EFCC, and others are being speculated as possible successors of Ribadu.

But an insider said it is only the board of EFCC that could appoint the acting chairman.

The source explained, "By the Act, it is only the board of EFCC, being headed by Ribadu himself, that can appoint a person on acting capacity; anything contrary to that is illegal and it will not stand. And I know President Yar’Adua is somebody who believes in due process and rule of law."

The decision by the federal government to send the EFCC boss to NIPSS for a year has in the last few days been generating mixed reactions from Nigerians.

-----Culled from LEADERSHIP Newspaper

BigB1 give Nairalanders why we should be reforming a successful EFCC when there is an unsuccessful ICPC begging for reforms.

Why should EFCC and not ICPC be our priority?

Big B1:
You can cry and whine, but You can never never win a fight against the president.

Nobody if fighting the President, people are only fighting injustice and corruption. But if the President want's to make his name synonmous to corruption, goodluck to him. Nothing is further from the truth.


Presido1 the issue here is EFCC and Ribadu, not electoral reforms. It is not too difficult to argue within context.

And by the way am not too sure what you are moving forward from

Ribadu is still the EFCC Chairman and yet to proceed for the rumoured course in Kuru

We are all Nigerians, we are equal and we must respect the constitution of our nation.

really?? did not know we are equal

I thought those who support Ribadu are ordinary people?

Our constitution did not say stealing the public treasury is legal

Keeping Nigeria together is no longer good enough, we started hearing that since 1970

presido1:
Ohh Mcren have you ever asked yourself if he was installed to better our lots? For your info that wasn't the agenda and him that installed him know too well before he did the installation. He know why he is there and he is doing what he came to do. A Good president can never install a bad president. It take a bad president to install a bad president and that is what happened as we are seeing it today.
Goodnite guys.

I have said it before and I will say it again. Debating with u feels like debating with Chidicris. You say so many things without making any rational point. Why should establishing whether ex-President OBJ was a good or bad leader be anymore of importance to you than the future of this country.

brownbonno:
Bros,

The ''catch up'' sydrome is the problem of Nigeria and Nigerians.Prof Eskor Toyo rightly said that the ''catch up'' phenomenons are faulty and self- frustrating.
Yardua wants to catch up with OBJ when he has not got any meaningful agenda for the nation.He is like a man who went and secure a loan without a plan for the loan.
My candid opinion is for this man to resign,or hand over to an interim government ,lastly the military will take over.

Exactly

This President came to power instead of bettering the lots of Nigerians his problem was operation cage OBJ.

What did we see unncecessary hounding of the bright brains in the last regime. Soludo was destroyed, El-Rufai was blackmailed now Ribadu.

What has his finance minister Shamsuddeen Usman achieved?? Nothing but bullying Soludo and withholding vital documents that would have been necessary for passing 2008 budget by NASS on time.

Even heard the planning minister Sanussi Dagash is planning to go and borrow and tie the money borrowed to future mining and exports of oil reserves. Immagine, all the efforts at debt relief will soon be in vain.

Then enter the Attorney General of Corruption who I do not think I need to bother telling his story.

The only thing this Government is good at is whipping Anti-OBJ sentiments, what a shame. If this job is too big for Yaradua he should kindly step down.

presido1:
You wont understand bro, open your 3rd eye you will see whats going on.

Sorry, your 3rd eye does not see anything and have no clue about anything going on.

You simply belong to the group of people who if you ask them to discuss about Nigerian politics, they will simply criticize everything without figuring out any window of opportunity or what aspects to capitalize on to move forward.

What will change Nigeria to the country of our dreams is capitalizing on window of opportunities and taking on from there, not saying too many things without profering a single solution.


God will not come down from heaven to change Nigeria

presido1:
So will many say about Yaradua and Justice minister. You see our problem still remains that we refused to call a spade a spade. Since Ribadu was removed has OBJ made a statement? How are you sure he is not involved in his removal. My brother these guys know what they are doing and how it is benefiting them. The only victim remains the masses which we are part of, unless you are benefiting from the politics they are playing. Beleive me Yaradua, OBJ, RIBADU and the likes are not doing what ever they are doing because you will benefit as a Nigerian. In politics there is no permenant enemy. What changes hand in Nigerian politics is the personnel, the corrupt policy they play still stands the same. Let us not support or follow fullishly your well being means less to them.

So what is your suggestion, you who dont support anybody foolishly.

I am still a stunch supporter of OBJ

But on President Yar'adua he thought wrong

Accepting OBJ's faults is a characteristic of an objective supporter.

If you don't want to see anything good about Ribadu, goodluck.

I have no regrets for supporting OBJ, and more days I find more reasons never to regret supporting him.

presido1:
Who gave us the Illegitmate president? hahahahah Mcren is seeing the light.
Please don't skip the question bro.

OBJ did

There is always a Nationalistic side of OBJ and a selfish side of him. Initially I thought National interest prevailed in the choice of Yaradua but now I know better. OBJ chose Yaradua for personal interest because he is a weakling. But unfortunately the man is neither serving Nigeria's interest nor OBJ's interest.

The only lesson to be learnt from this is, in future Nigerians should use everything within their arsenal to reject any Presidential Candidate who did not wish to be President. Right now for me no time is too short to have the next Presidential election.

I dont know how u made your classifications

But most of those who are against Ribadu are those who stole Nigeria's money and their relatives and this group of people are in the minority

[size=32pt]HURRAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! MALLAM NUHU RIBADU GUARDIAN MAN OF THE YEAR !!!!!!!!!!![/size]

THIS WHOLE AVALANCHE OF AWARDS IS SIMPLY TURNING INTO AN INDICTMENT ON THE PRESIDENCY. THESE AWARDS ARE COMING AT A TIME THE PRESIDENCY AND AGF ARE DEPLOYING STATE RESOURCES TO BLACKMAIL AND RUBBISH RIBADU.

Micheal Aondoakaa is the biggest foooooooooool in the history of Nigeria,

Heard him talking about Ribadu's second term being illegal cos it was not approved by the Senate. The AGF no longer knows the position of the law. Senate Screenings are only required at the first instance not when re-appointed. This is what it is in the EFCC act.

It is like asking a Minister moved from Information Ministry to Culture and Tourism Ministry to go back to Senate for Screening.


"Mr. Rule of Law" should be told that if there is anyone sitting on an illegal office it is him because he was appointed by an Illegitimate President.

My problem is this type of development we will have to brace up for

Hope its a good one?

Seconded too (the secret to staying longer than Ribadu is taking orders from Ibori, otherwise you go for unsolicited study leave)

BigB1

Your thoery of Ribadu being unpopular is unfounded.

If there was anything like free and fair elections in Nigeria and Ribadu stands against Yaradua, Micheal Aondoaka and Okiro. Ribadu will poll more votes than a synergy of the later three


Not too sure whether to say sorry or congratulations to whoever is Titus Lamorde. The guy will just go on training from nowhere. All because the NPF is trying to cover up its illicit act and cladenstine motive against the EFCC. Nigeria we hail theeeeeeeeee.

[size=24pt]MALLAM NUHU RIBADU, SILVERBIRD MAN OF THE YEAR AND VANGUARD NO. 2[/size]

President Yaradua said we should "brace up for development" in 2008 (whatever that means)

http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=99295

He once promised to declare state of emergency on "Energy", we all know the faith of energy in Nigeria today and by extension what emergency is to him.

By the way I must not forget to congratulate him for implementing his unwritten 8th point agenda which was removing Ribadu at all cost.

[size=32pt]GOD BLESS MALLAM NUHU RIBADU !!!!![/size]

This thread will go on and on and there will be no converts from either side of the divide on this debate. Reason being the issues at stake are more fundamental than just what conforms to the ethics of good and bad.
May be if my dad, my brother, my uncle or cousin looted Nigeria's treasury who knows if I will still hold the views I hold about anti-corruption? When you ask your self this question you will begin to appreciate why people come up with bizare comments about Anti-corruption and Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.

But the point is no matter how much we are able to embezzle from our system, like Kanu Agabi said "we will still be looked at as primitive, corrupt and backward people" except we put our country right.

No where else in the world will you justify truncating someones appointment when they are doing their job right. I pity for Ribadu for what he has got himself into, when as a serving security agent you get into trouble like this with constituted authority. It is so easy to blackmail you (with embezzlement) and send you to jail or whatever (hence the dropping of names like OBJ, Nwude, El-Rufai, Ambition, etc.). But with Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, these guys have been unable to do that rather they want to send him to unsolicited study leave. That is how decent the guy is and he should hold his head up high, however I fear for his life because am not too sure how safe he is anymore in this country.

We heard all sorts of things when President Yar'adua was to contest election, he claimed to be a marxist always fighting the interest of people he calls the Talakawas (The Poor). Well as President we know those whose interest he has fought. Fight against corruption was never compulsory but it is so heartbreaking when after all the hope you realise that the President is just one big liar who says one thing and systemically does the exact opposite.

The last christmas holiday for me is the darkest in the history of our Nation. It was a time when the DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA AND COMMANDER IN CHIEF OF THE ARMED FORCES IN COLLUSION WITH THE INSPECTOR GENERAL OF POLICE decided that protecting the interest of a man behind bars for looting the Delta State treasury was more important than the interest of the Delta people and Nigerians as a whole.

This is not about the invincibility of Ribadu. But the issue is: we have two Anti-Corruption agencies, EFCC is successful, ICPC has not achieved a lot. We now start reforming the successful EFCC including replacing its staff while ICPC that is unsuccessful is there begging for reforms. We will not reform the unsuccessful ICPC neither will we replace its staff. This whole thing defies logic and common sense.

You know what? There is no one as good as Ribadu. If the President honestly believes there are a lot of people better than Ribadu he should get the person to head ICPC and let ICPC perform better than EFCC. Until then any attempted reforms of EFCC and replacing its staff is criminal. And the President should be ashamed of himself for taking part in that.

Saharareporters blew the cover on "merger of EFCC and ICPC", "Ribadu must go to school", "Aondoakaa's letter to British Court". In all these news and many more news they have been spot on.

They are referenced by most Nigerian Newspapers including Thisday, Vanguard and Tribune. If the papers we put our confidence in reference them and we decide not to take them seriously. That can only be our personal opinion.

Abubakar Umar approached to take over EFCC
• Ribadu’s men fight back
By ABDULFATAH OLADEINDE
Monday, December 31, 2007

•Col Abubakar Umar (retd)
Photo: Sun News Publishing

* More Stories on This Section



In its bid to ensure that a credible person takes over the affairs of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), following the recommendation that Mallam Nuhu Ribadu proceeds on a course at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPPS), the Presidency has tipped former Kaduna State military governor, Col Abubakar Umar (retd) to take over the anti-graft agency. However, the police hierarchy had recommended Police Commissioner Olayinka Balogun of Special Fraud Unit, in Lagos for the job.

Daily Sun gathered that the Presidency had approached Col Umar to take over the EFCC in order to deflate the criticism and allay the fear that the anti-corruption war would be watered down after the exit of Ribadu.

It was gathered that Umar was penciled down because of his radical posture and consistency in criticizing ills in the society and in government. It was believed that his introduction would raise the confidence of Nigerians that the Umar Yar’Adua’s government takes the fight against corruption seriously.
Col Umar is a known critic of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, whose eight-year rule he consistently condemned.

While the agents of the Presidency are discussing with Umar, the name of CP Balogun is already on the table of President Yar’Adua. Inspector General of Police Mike Okiro was said to have recommended Balogun when Yar’Adua authorized him to write Ribadu to proceed to NIPPS.

Meanwhile, Ribadu made effort to reach out to President Yar’Adua at the weekend to lobby to retain his job at the EFCC. This effort however failed as Yar’Adua was away to attend a wedding ceremony outside Abuja when he called at the residential villa, Abuja.
In a related development, the battle line appears to have been drawn between top officials of the EFCC and Police authorities in Abuja, following Federal Government’s decision to send Ribadu on a one-year course at NIPSS.

Indications that the war could get messy this week came at the weekend when top shots of the EFCC met and agreed to dig up whatever dirty things they could find on the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mike Okiro. Such information, when got, it was gathered, would be leaked to the press to pay the IG back for his role in Ribadu’s removal.

Daily Sun learnt that the team of investigators, on the Okiro project is led by a top Ribadu loyalist simply identified as Baba Kura, who also attended the meeting.
Senior officers in the Nigeria Police, who spoke with Daily Sun on the condition of anonymity however, said that Ribadu and his men are chasing shadows, stressing that they are scared of being probed.
Asked if there is anything to probe Ribadu for, one of the officers said the EFCC chairman needed to explain where he got the N200 million to buy the Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) house that was used by the retired Inspector General of Police, Mr. Sunday Ehindero.

A top police officer however, told Daily Sun that there was no need for Ribadu to put up a fight against Okiro over the NIPPS course.
He said: “Ribadu joined the force in 1988 and now he’s an Assistant Inspector General of Police, while some of his colleagues who performed better than him at the police college are still chief superintendent of police, that’s four steps below him.

“We need to put the whole issue in proper perspective and shun sentiments. Let this man go and do the mandatory course, and let him write research papers as it is required for officers who are being trained for leadership positions. The police are a disciplined organization. He’s due for a course, let him go for it and stop making trouble.”

At the weekend, there were allegations that Ribadu’s men are moving out some files containing petitions against former President Olusegun Obasanjo to prevent the new EFCC boss from starting an investigation.

If we are honest about anti-corruption, let Dangiwa Umar head ICPC.
He is a reknowned anti-OBJ. If we think there is someone Ribadu will protect let Dangiwa Umar probe the person and vise versa.

I bet 6 months from now the likes of Saraki will know their left from right.

Anything short of that is suspicous, there is no need sacking anybody for doing their job right.

LOL I just heard that title on BBC News 24 (Mr. 10%)

Men someone needs that title in Nigeria

LOL Davidylan

Good for typing it in bold

Was waiting for her his next response to actually say "hope my girlfriend does not catch me" because she has a nairaland ID.

But if she heard I was actually flirting with my fellow man my girlfriend will dump me outrightly with no option of reconcilation.

But how do you explain a man bearing "cute_N_Hot"

No Luv

Mckren has always been Mckren

As much as I will cherish the opportunity to know more about you, I only chose Prime Minister cos the PM sit is the vacant sit in Pakistani politics as Pervez Musharaf is already President.

If you wanna tell me more about you send me an e-mail

Cute_N_Hot

Will you vote a 19yr old to be your Prime Minister?

This is not a case of Prince Bilawal replacing Queen Benazir Bhutto as King

Its a case of 19yr old Bilawal putting himself forward for election in place of his slain mother

Anyway am enjoying your attacks, hope I have not called for one nor have I done enough to convince you.