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A
pattern do exist among Nigerians. They often injure severely their minds. They
do it with impunity like the madman mutilates arts work. It has become
obsessive gambling in their hearts. They inspired themselves further with the
thing that would destroy whatever they believe: Hypocrisy. That is, they are
fraudulent in their thinking. They often profess beliefs and opinions that they
do not hold. They have accepted this as a way of life, yet they deny it as each
day wax. Nigerians love deceiving themselves. This I have noticed.
I am
not convinced that any Nigerian is taking a great part to solving the problems
that would forever enslave them. Things would have definitely got better had
they stopped winking their existence. I do not know how a people could
understand the meaning of their actions through imaginative intellectual play.
Should the cub continue to lick the milk from its mother’s breast?
I
would start with the most recent display of a pattern that would continue to
destroy Nigerians in their quest to becoming a dignified human being. The
removal of Nuhu Ribadu as the chairman of EFCC (Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission). I have chosen this man’s issue as a metaphor. Nuhu Ribadu represents
a paradox: build and destroy. This young man has exerted himself continuously,
vigorously, or obtrusively to gain an end or engage in a crusade for a certain cause
or person.
Though
Nigerians love deceiving themselves, it is very difficult to fool them all the
time, yet you can manipulate their emotions almost all the time. Nigerians
knew from the beginning what Ribadu stands for. They knew he was going to fight
a cause and at the same time serve an emperor. He did both with a tremendous
achievement. There is no way he could have made his name without protecting
someone or some people. Nigerians know this single crack yet they expect Ribadu
to serve without a facial or body blemish.
Could
it have been possible for Ribadu to prosecute Obasanjo’s enemies and at the
same time prosecuting Obasanjo himself or family or associates? Ribadu must
choose one. He chose what he thought was good for him. Could it have been
possible for Ribadu to stay a day longer as the EFCC chairman if his intention
was to go after someone who was going to make him famous? I wonder why Ribadu
himself should be the focus instead of the EFCC itself.
Ribadu
as a paradox of build and destroy must live up to the expectation of his
personality. He must protect anyone that serves as a protection against his own
enemies like drug dealers, 419 kingpins, official armed robbers and what have
you. Could it have been possible for Ribadu to prosecute these Nigerians while
fighting the one that provided him with absolute power to deal with them?
Nigerians love deceiving themselves in the sense that if they were to be in
Ribadu’s shoes, they would have done nothing different.
Instead
of shedding elephant or is it crocodile tears over the removal of Ribadu, I
think what Nigerians should concentrate on is what has become of the EFCC. Has
the office become an institution bigger than Ribadu himself? Has it become an
institution to be trusted and be proud of? The fact that Nigerians have chosen
to make Ribadu the issue over the office itself, is a testimony that nothing is
working yet. As far as I am concerned, it is self-deceit.
I am
especially disappointed in people like Gani Fawehinmi, Wole Soyinka, Femi
Falana for asking Mike Okiro, the Inspector General of Police, to reconsider
his decision. They would do well by fighting the illegitimate administration of
Umaru Yar’Adua. The EFCC should not feel dejected over the removal of its boss,
for hundreds of Ribadu should have been created along the line. Ribadu has
served a cause and, or a person. Ribadu came with Obasanjo, the man he rightly
failed to prosecute.
Now
what if the next EFCC chairman decided to go after Obasanjo and co whom Ribadu
had protected? I don’t expect the one coming to prosecute Yar’Adua but he must
go after Obasanjo and his associates. The removal of Ribadu is an opportunity
to see how far the office has gone. One thing is clear to me though. Whoever is
appointed will definitely serve the interest of Yar’Adua, the man I detest
because of the way he was imposed on us.
Yet
Nigerians in their self-deceit would abruptly expect Ribadu’s successor to even
prosecute Yar’Adua. It doesn’t work like that even though that would be near
perfect. The day the incumbent regime allows itself to be prosecuted in Nigeria
will have been the beginning of our struggle. Ribadu once warned us when he
declared: "When you fight corruption, corruption fights back." The
man was simply talking in parable. That was when Nigerians should have seen the
handwriting on the wall. Not now.
It is
a feat that within a year of his coming as EFCC chairman, the commission was
able to recover some 200 million dollars from suspects of advance fee fraud
known as 419; One billion naira from syndicates in the federal Inland Revenue
Service; and arrested more than 200 suspects, forty of whom were prosecuted,
according to the Vanguard newspaper. Ribadu should not be forgotten for this
single achievement.
On the
other hand, I believe Ribadu has dented his image by lobbying to stay as the
EFCC chairman. If the report that he was trailing Yar’Adua here and there is
correct, then I posit here that the man is not serious at all. Why does he need
to influence Yar’Adua’s legislation in this regard? It portends how much
skeleton he must have kept in his cupboard. There is even a report that he had
removed all evidence to prosecute Obasanjo. What kind of a crusader would do
that, especially when Obasanjo is no more the emperor.
No,
Ribadu shouldn’t have tried to protect Obasanjo after the latter had left the
office. Perhaps the EFCC chairman does not want to betray his allegiance to a
godfather. Talking about Ribadu, perhaps only God can be objective in the
analysis of his actions as the EFCC chairman. Therefore Ribadu must neither be
reviled nor praised excessively which in itself a pass mark. He must not be
made to suffer in vain otherwise his successor might be confused as to what is
expected of him or her. That is why I’d love to sit on the fence which is a
deceit in itself.
I ask,
who is going to truly fight corruption? Who is going to fight corruption
without tilt? Who is she, as Nigerians continue to deceive themselves in the
new year 2008, and even beyond?
2008
copyright mysmallvoice@yahoo.com
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Authors 
Posted by Robot| 02.01.2008 11:13