10 Aug 2008 |
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The news of AIG Ribadu’s demotion came to me as a shock. My initial response was that it probably was an action that will be reversed in a day or two after much reflection by the government of the day; considering such an action lacked merit and only fuels the conspiracy theories that followed his nomination for NIPSS as well as his subsequent replacement as the chairman of EFCC which have lingered since late December 2007.
I am not aware that the Police Service Commission (PSC) was already established as an independent body with no deference to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria at the time these promotions took place. If indeed it was and it was overlooked, then perhaps the ex-president made a mistake, but it was no crime of Mallam Ribadu. However, if it was not an established body at that time and the President did not exceed his powers, then there is no dust to be raised neither any reason to try and revisit the promotions, most especially when the rewards were for exceptional and exemplary public service that sought to protect the interest of the ordinary Nigerian. The motivation for this demotion by the present board of the PSC as currently constituted is said to be to restore morale in the force and to follow due process. I am not sure if there are any more reasons attributed to the PSC for taking these decisions, but at this moment, I will like to take on these points.
Morale: After much pondering, I still have not figured how the accelerated promotion of Mallam Ribadu dented the morale of the officers and men of the Nigerian Police Force, the only inference I have come up with is that instead it elevated the morale of its officers and men. My reasons: - There is no evidence that Mallam Ribadu benefitted from these promotions for reasons other than those which inspire other men and officers to see that there is indeed good reward for exceptional service. - His efforts as EFCC chair in battling corruption sought to protect the interest of the ordinary Nigerian (Policemen included), so that the benefits due them are not misappropriated, thus reducing their quality of life. - His elevation would be a source of pride to his superiors who trained or had a hand in training him, thus should be satisfied that one they had groomed is fast becoming a success. Much to their credit! The major issues that dent the morale of our police force have nothing to do with rewarding a member of their constituency who has made a great and positive impact on our society, a development I am sure most of them will support. The issues they cry about are - Remuneration that takes current economic conditions into consideration - Quality of their living conditions - Training programs that help them police effectively - Quality healthcare benefits and insurance - Guaranteed pension and gratuity for life after retirement - Quality education for their children - Treatment with dignity and respect during and after their service - Rewards for excellence I think if we can provide the members of our police force the best of these, their morale will always be higher than mountains.
Due Process: The second issue raised was that the accelerated promotions did not follow “due-process”, an interesting and frequently used term since the advent of the new administration. I do agree that there are many actions taken in the past that were not taken in the spirit of fairness and in the interest of general good, many of which the current administration has reversed, which is commendable. However, the question to be posed is “Does Ribadu’s accelerated promotions fit into this category?” In my opinion, it does not, thus the need for reversing it does not arise. As we delve into the “due process” realm, let me revisit two questions I posed earlier. “Did Chief Obasanjo and his executive council have the authority to reward Mallam Ribadu with accelerated promotions in consultation with the police authorities”?, secondly, “Were these rewards done in fairness and were they justified”? To the first question, I assume that the President and his council were conferred with such powers, thus there was nothing legally wrong with his elevation. The second question considers fairness and justice which I consider very important in taking such a decision. In my opinion the rewards were fair and just considering the impact of the man’s work, so I actually fail to the see the point being raised by the PSC which may not have been constituted at the time these decisions were taken. The reasons attributed to the PSC for its decision have not been really convincing but have instead done a great favor to the lingering conspiracy theories that have hung over the treatment of Mallam Ribadu since the last quarter of 2007. It is not breaking news that Mallam Ribadu is despised by the many he prosecuted or sought to prosecute for corruption while he was the EFCC chairman, but as despised as he is by these few, he has a lot of love from the very many that believe he was fighting a good cause. Being despised is nothing to be worried about if those that despise you are enemies of the general good. The only problem is that the few that despise him have since taken up different positions of influence from where they have sought to do Mallam Ribadu some damage. The timing of his nomination for the NIPSS course was no surprise as conspiracy theorists dropped hints in the public space weeks before this nomination was confirmed. I must say that the hand of these theorists were only strengthened by the events that occurred from September to December 2007. Ribadu’s bid to expedite the prosecution of some ex-governors and his subsequent run-ins with the Attorney General of the Federation only helped fuel speculation that a clique with significant influence were plotting his downfall. His redeployment and the gradual removal of the people that worked with him did not help those who proclaimed that there was nothing behind these events. The latest action taken by the PSC to demote the man has only helped to place a seal of validation on the theories and will go a long way to dampen the morale of the common citizen, whilst strengthening the hands of the free few that smile in their sphere of influence.
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I do not know Mallam Ribadu in person but I have heard of his exploits. The general assessment of the man seems to be
that of a public servant who worked tirelessly as the EFCC chair, along with
his colleagues to protect the welfare of Nigeria’s future generation by
fighting the endemic corruption in our society head-on!, so that public
servants would not squander the people’s wealth but invest it in infrastructure
and development programs that will at least provide a better quality of life
for Nigerians, as it should be! His efforts led to national and international
acclaim as well as increased investors’ confidence in Nigeria. He was also
rewarded with rapid promotions by the then President and Commander in Chief of
the Armed Forces, Chief Obasanjo in consultation with the then Inspector General
of police, Mr Ehindero, I would presume, for being such a shining light and
taking into consideration the impact of his work. There is no crime in this!.
In my opinion, such a reward should have been celebrated by his peers and
entire constituency (the police), that one of their own is having such a great
impact on the National and International stage, as well as polishing the
battered image of the police force
within Nigerian society. 
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