The EFCC Chairman’s Job And The Need For Change

[Admin 2]

‘The world hates change yet it is the only thing that has brought progress.’ — Charles F. Kettering (1876-1958).
‘Progress is impossible without change; and those who cannot change their minds, cannot change anything.’ — George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950).


“Nothing is permanent but change”, so wrote Heraclitus(c.535–475 BC) many years before the birth of Christ. From the pre -Socratics till the present there abound countless sayings and quotable quotes about the importance of change in the human society. For the purpose of this write-up, we will make do with just a few.

In contributing to the raging debate about the 'simple' decision of the Nigerian Police authorities to send the EFCC chairman for some further training, many have written; some in support, others no; some have seen it as a conspiracy, others as good riddance. But one thing that this writer is asking which he thinks many others, Nigerians and non-Nigerians alike, may also be pondering is: ARE NIGERIANS AFRAID OF CHANGE? If the answer is in the affirmative, then one wonders how a country as Nigeria can develop, move forward or even achieve the ‘Vision 2020' without making some drastical changes, in almost all the facets of her live.

On the other hand, if the answer is in the negative, one would have expected that 'simple' decision to be accepted without generating all this fuss. Nigeria must move ahead. We are already late in the march to progress. Changes are required, very many of them. The earlier we Nigerians understand that and come to live with the fact that for us to make progress, we must change, the better. For according to Benjamin Disraeli(1804–1881) ," In a progressive country, change is constant; change is inevitable".

Mallam Nuhu Ribadu is a good man, and has left footprints in the history of Nigeria, in the fight against corruption. But he is just one out of the over 140 million people that have the Nigerian citizenship. There are many other intelligent Nigerians who can do that job and even better. I do not believe that without him, the war on corruption cannot continue. That will be a great insult to the many Nigerian brains scattered all over the world who want to contribute to making our dear country great.

In the opinion of this writer, Mallam Ribadu should thank his superiors and Nigerians for the rare opportunity given him to serve his fatherland, and should never come back to that position. He should go do the course, and after that do something else. Some other Nigerian should take over from him and be given the chance and support Ribadu got , to serve the nation. The idea of his returning to the EFCC should be totally jettisoned. The EFCC is an important institution that cannot be tied to one man.

Nigerians should remember the following : " To improve is to change. To be perfect is to change often", — Winston Churchill (1874–1965). “Change does not change tradition, it strengthens it. Change is a challenge and an opportunity, not a threat”,— Prince Philip (1921– ). "The art of progress is to preserve order amid change and to preserve change amid order", — Alfred North Whitehead (1861–1947).


Ephraim Iyke OKERE

ASERI - Alta Scuola di Economia e Relazioni Internazionali

Postgraduate School of Economics and International Relations

Catholic University of the Sacred Heart - Milan

Via San Vittore, 18 - 20123 Milan - Italy .

ndaaik@hotmail.com

[afam]

In the opinion of this writer, Mallam Ribadu should thank his superiors and Nigerians for the rare opportunity given him to serve his fatherland, and should never come back to that position.

And why shouldn't he come back if he was sent on a course that would last for 9 months?

We talk about change (and I believe in change) but we must remember that sometimes individuals determine to a large extent how organizations progress.

The writer may have also forgotten that the timing of the decision to send him to Kuru was also an issue considering the fact that high profile governors (including people no one imagined could be touched) were actually arrested and facing prosecution.