09 Jan 2009 |
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Final bell for Ribadu By Levi Obijiofor JUST when you thought that Nuhu Ribadu, the harassed former chairperson of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), had resolved his long-running battle against his employers, there comes the story of Ribadu's dismissal from the police. Only last week, newspapers reported that Ribadu had withdrawn his court case against the police. So, if he did not reach an agreement to discontinue his legal action as a precondition for settling his case, why did he do so? The court case was originally calculated to achieve two principal objectives among others. First, Ribadu wanted to stop the police from sacking him for his decision to sue the police. Second, he also wanted the police to continue to do business with him as an Assistant Inspector-General of Police rather than as Deputy Commissioner of Police. The latter title is a demotion which Ribadu felt could only be quashed by the courts. Without concluding the court case, his demotion remains a major wedge in his relationship with his employers. Ribadu's legal action (now aborted) and his strong public statements about his determination to seek justice in the courts have turned out to be a waste of valuable time and indeed a wild goose chase (apologies for the use of a tired cliche for want of a better expression). His dismissal means he cannot return to his former job. He is neither an Assistant Inspector-General of Police nor a Deputy Commissioner of Police. The police hierarchy does not want to associate with Ribadu as an officer and a gentleman. The humiliation of Ribadu the superstar is now complete. Ribadu has been made to look like a man affected by some kind of plague. Thirteen months ago, he was a popular figure at home and overseas, although members of the club of corrupt state governors perceived him as a dangerous tyrant whose excesses must be checked by the creators of the EFCC. Today, everyone wants to avoid Ribadu. His former boss, Olusegun Obasanjo, has neither the time nor the good heart to cushion Ribadu from his freefall from power. Someone once said that, judging by the way Ribadu carried on his battle in public, he was like a condemned man awaiting execution. The police authorities have now delivered Ribadu's requiem. Ribadu's downfall bears the ring of a classic Greek tragedy. Before he was shunted out of power last December as the EFCC boss, Ribadu enjoyed international and national acclaim for his anti-corruption crusade. Unfortunately, his enrolment at, and graduation from the regular course of the Nigerian Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) has brought neither succour nor extra honour to him. His enemies have ensured that, in and out of the EFCC's top position, Ribadu would continue to polarise the nation. There is something eerie about Ribadu and the month of December. In December 2007, he was removed as boss of the EFCC and, against his personal wishes, he was forced to attend a course at NIPSS. In December 2008, just as everyone was expecting good news in this season of goodwill, Ribadu's archenemies chose to spray him with the bad news of his dismissal from the police. No one knows what would happen to Ribadu in December 2009. Would his fortunes be reversed? Anything is possible in Nigeria. Many people will remember Ribadu for many reasons. Some will remember him as a man who sacrificed his life and the pleasures of life in the struggle against corruption. Those who were hounded, harassed and toppled from office, in particular former state governors who were impeached at the behest of Ribadu's EFCC, will remember the man as Obasanjo's errand boy who used the powers invested in him as the EFCC chief to persecute them because of their critical comments against Obasanjo. Another group of Nigerians who would view Ribadu's downfall as good riddance are some magistrates and high court judges whose orders against the EFCC were openly flouted by Ribadu and his agents. In fact, one of the reasons some people hated Ribadu with a passion was the way he carried himself as a man who was above the law. Ribadu often violated court judgments on his own understanding that he had the powers to do whatever he wanted to bolster his anti-corruption campaign. Within the police force, there are many officers who would be celebrating Ribadu's final plunge into oblivion. This group comprises those officers who enlisted in the police force at the same time as Ribadu but who have had to watch painfully as Ribadu was promoted twice within a year, not necessarily for his outstanding display of uncommon valour but simply because of his close association with a delusional president known as Obasanjo. The police authorities are smart, very smart indeed. They waited patiently for Ribadu to climb down from his horse and to withdraw his vexatious court case before they nailed him. When Ribadu's spokespersons began to speak in soft tones last week about the possibility of Ribadu withdrawing his case against the police, one sensed that something disastrous was about to unfold. For some months, Ribadu treated with absolute contempt the official queries handed to him by the Inspector-General of Police, Mike Okiro. Ribadu created the impression that nothing would change in his frosty relationship with his employers until the police had restored to him his previous rank of Assistant Inspector-General. The police authorities were not prepared to move because of the strong belief that Ribadu's double promotion was wrong and capable of damaging morale among the rest of the officers. Ribadu found himself in a bind. Ribadu's argument remained that he did not promote himself. He reasoned that if the police authorities had an issue with his double promotion, they should resolve it not by demoting him. In his judgment, you cannot correct an error by committing another error or injustice. Police Inspector-General, Mike Okiro, explained in a recent interview published in the Daily Sun newspaper that Ribadu's demotion was a fair way to correct an anomaly - that is, the inequity inherent in the double promotion of Ribadu over and above his peers, including some of Ribadu's seniors. Okiro said he didn't want to see his officers lose confidence in the force. To underline the serious implications of the double promotion of Ribadu on the integrity of the police force, Okiro used himself as an analogy. He said he joined the police force 10 years before Ribadu enlisted but Ribadu's double promotion catapulted the man to the position where he was one step below the Inspector-General, something that Okiro regarded as an aberration in light of the fact that other senior officers were overlooked in the controversial promotion exercise. With his dismissal, the final chapter in the epic story of the life and times of Ribadu has been completed. Some people say his life story is yet to be written. Are there any lessons to be learnt from Ribadu's saga? You bet there are! First lesson is that whatever goes up must come down. This is best articulated in a popular proverb which says that we must be nice to people we meet on our way up the ladder of life because we might need them during our descent. Consider Obasanjo. For eight good years, he wielded so much power in Nigeria and became a tyrant whom only a few people could challenge. Today, Obasanjo is out of office and out of everyone's favour. He is now the subject of many investigations by the National Assembly. Consider also some of the most arrogant and abusive public servants who were unleashed on the nation by Obasanjo. Nasir el Rufai and Femi Fani-Kayode are either hiding from the EFCC or have been charged to court to defend serious allegations of corruption. The second lesson reinforces the difficulty of fighting a law-and-order institution such as the police in Nigeria, especially when the petitioner is an employee of that institution. If you must fight the police as your employer, you must hire a very good lawyer. The third lesson is that an anti-corruption crusader who violates national laws is no better than an outlaw. Corruption is a difficult bull to confront but you cannot wrestle that beast successfully by breaking the law and violating the human rights of just about every suspect. In our law, a suspect is not a convict. JUST when you thought that Nuhu Ribadu, the harassed former chairperson of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), had resolved his long-running battle against his employers, there comes the story of Ribadu's dismissal from the police. Only last week, newspapers reported that Ribadu had withdrawn his court case against the police. So, if he did not reach an agreement to discontinue his legal action as a precondition for settling his case, why did he do so? The court case was originally calculated to achieve two principal objectives among others. First, Ribadu wanted to stop the police from sacking him for his decision to sue the police. Second, he also wanted the police to continue to do business with him as an Assistant Inspector-General of Police rather than as Deputy Commissioner of Police. The latter title is a demotion which Ribadu felt could only be quashed by the courts. Without concluding the court case, his demotion remains a major wedge in his relationship with his employers. Ribadu's legal action (now aborted) and his strong public statements about his determination to seek justice in the courts have turned out to be a waste of valuable time and indeed a wild goose chase (apologies for the use of a tired clich� for want of a better expression). His dismissal means he cannot return to his former job. He is neither an Assistant Inspector-General of Police nor a Deputy Commissioner of Police. The police hierarchy does not want to associate with Ribadu as an officer and a gentleman. The humiliation of Ribadu the superstar is now complete. Ribadu has been made to look like a man affected by some kind of plague. Thirteen months ago, he was a popular figure at home and overseas, although members of the club of corrupt state governors perceived him as a dangerous tyrant whose excesses must be checked by the creators of the EFCC. Today, everyone wants to avoid Ribadu. His former boss, Olusegun Obasanjo, has neither the time nor the good heart to cushion Ribadu from his freefall from power. Someone once said that, judging by the way Ribadu carried on his battle in public, he was like a condemned man awaiting execution. The police authorities have now delivered Ribadu's requiem. Ribadu's downfall bears the ring of a classic Greek tragedy. Before he was shunted out of power last December as the EFCC boss, Ribadu enjoyed international and national acclaim for his anti-corruption crusade. Unfortunately, his enrolment at, and graduation from the regular course of the Nigerian Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) has brought neither succour nor extra honour to him. His enemies have ensured that, in and out of the EFCC's top position, Ribadu would continue to polarise the nation. There is something eerie about Ribadu and the month of December. In December 2007, he was removed as boss of the EFCC and, against his personal wishes, he was forced to attend a course at NIPSS. In December 2008, just as everyone was expecting good news in this season of goodwill, Ribadu's archenemies chose to spray him with the bad news of his dismissal from the police. No one knows what would happen to Ribadu in December 2009. Would his fortunes be reversed? Anything is possible in Nigeria. Many people will remember Ribadu for many reasons. Some will remember him as a man who sacrificed his life and the pleasures of life in the struggle against corruption. Those who were hounded, harassed and toppled from office, in particular former state governors who were impeached at the behest of Ribadu's EFCC, will remember the man as Obasanjo's errand boy who used the powers invested in him as the EFCC chief to persecute them because of their critical comments against Obasanjo. Another group of Nigerians who would view Ribadu's downfall as good riddance are some magistrates and high court judges whose orders against the EFCC were openly flouted by Ribadu and his agents. In fact, one of the reasons some people hated Ribadu with a passion was the way he carried himself as a man who was above the law. Ribadu often violated court judgments on his own understanding that he had the powers to do whatever he wanted to bolster his anti-corruption campaign. Within the police force, there are many officers who would be celebrating Ribadu's final plunge into oblivion. This group comprises those officers who enlisted in the police force at the same time as Ribadu but who have had to watch painfully as Ribadu was promoted twice within a year, not necessarily for his outstanding display of uncommon valour but simply because of his close association with a delusional president known as Obasanjo. The police authorities are smart, very smart indeed. They waited patiently for Ribadu to climb down from his horse and to withdraw his vexatious court case before they nailed him. When Ribadu's spokespersons began to speak in soft tones last week about the possibility of Ribadu withdrawing his case against the police, one sensed that something disastrous was about to unfold. For some months, Ribadu treated with absolute contempt the official queries handed to him by the Inspector-General of Police, Mike Okiro. Ribadu created the impression that nothing would change in his frosty relationship with his employers until the police had restored to him his previous rank of Assistant Inspector-General. The police authorities were not prepared to move because of the strong belief that Ribadu's double promotion was wrong and capable of damaging morale among the rest of the officers. Ribadu found himself in a bind. Ribadu's argument remained that he did not promote himself. He reasoned that if the police authorities had an issue with his double promotion, they should resolve it not by demoting him. In his judgment, you cannot correct an error by committing another error or injustice. Police Inspector-General, Mike Okiro, explained in a recent interview published in the Daily Sun newspaper that Ribadu's demotion was a fair way to correct an anomaly - that is, the inequity inherent in the double promotion of Ribadu over and above his peers, including some of Ribadu's seniors. Okiro said he didn't want to see his officers lose confidence in the force. To underline the serious implications of the double promotion of Ribadu on the integrity of the police force, Okiro used himself as an analogy. He said he joined the police force 10 years before Ribadu enlisted but Ribadu's double promotion catapulted the man to the position where he was one step below the Inspector-General, something that Okiro regarded as an aberration in light of the fact that other senior officers were overlooked in the controversial promotion exercise. With his dismissal, the final chapter in the epic story of the life and times of Ribadu has been completed. Some people say his life story is yet to be written. Are there any lessons to be learnt from Ribadu's saga? You bet there are! First lesson is that whatever goes up must come down. This is best articulated in a popular proverb which says that we must be nice to people we meet on our way up the ladder of life because we might need them during our descent. Consider Obasanjo. For eight good years, he wielded so much power in Nigeria and became a tyrant whom only a few people could challenge. Today, Obasanjo is out of office and out of everyone's favour. He is now the subject of many investigations by the National Assembly. Consider also some of the most arrogant and abusive public servants who were unleashed on the nation by Obasanjo. Nasir el Rufai and Femi Fani-Kayode are either hiding from the EFCC or have been charged to court to defend serious allegations of corruption. The second lesson reinforces the difficulty of fighting a law-and-order institution such as the police in Nigeria, especially when the petitioner is an employee of that institution. If you must fight the police as your employer, you must hire a very good lawyer. The third lesson is that an anti-corruption crusader who violates national laws is no better than an outlaw. Corruption is a difficult bull to confront but you cannot wrestle that beast successfully by breaking the law and violating the human rights of just about every suspect. In our law, a suspect is not a convict.
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