Posers For Ribadu
« on: March 05, 2011, 06:29 PM »


Presidential poll: Posers for Ribadu
By SIYAN ADEOLA
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Politics as usual makes strange bedfellows. The Action
Congress of Nigeria (CAN), has at least demonstrated its
lack of depth by fielding Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, the former
Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
(EFCC), as its presidential candidate. Few people would
have imagined they would ever see the day when Ribadu
and Czar of ACN would ever walk the same side of the
political divide. But desperate and drowning individuals
always need company.
Just four years ago, it was not always so. To the
proprietor of the ACN and his associates, Ribadu was once
regarded as public enemy number one. In due course it will
become apparent why and how the Action Congress and
Ribadu are trying desperately, attempting to rewrite
history. For now the most urgent task is to present the
unwritten stories of Ribadu’s summersaults and deliberate
concealments of extremely important matters involving
public interest.
Because most Nigerians are very forgetful and because the
Jonathan/Sambo administration has been magnanimous,
Ribadu is walking about Nigeria today declaiming about
corruption even when he still has the problem of
accountability and transparency hanging on his neck at the
EFCC which he left without being courteous enough to
summit a handing over note till today, in a flagrant
disregarded for the ethos of public service everywhere in
the world. Nigeria will recollect the valiant, but futile,
effort of the current EFCC Chairman, Mrs. Farida Waziri, to
get Ribadu to come and render the account of his
stewardship. He left some unresolved riddles which started
to unfold in 2007 and remain with us till today.
Perhaps in his bid for re-appointment to a second term,
the government of Olusegun Obasanjo led us to believe that
the EFCC under Ribadu recovered $5 billion. The People ’s
Democratic Party (PDP), was so delighted with the
“ achievement”, it made that achievement part of its
campaign in 2007. But, soon after the sleight of hand,
Ribadu went on record, after the elections, to announce
that only N53 billion was recovered.
Given an exchange rate of N130/$1 in 2007, $5 billion
would have meant N650 billion. The discrepancy between
N650 billion and N57billion remains N579billion. Till today,
Ribadu had never taught it fit to tell Nigerians how much
was actually collected. That was bad enough.
Worse still was what the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN),
told Nigerians. Fortunately, Professor Charles Soludo is still
alive. He was then the Governor of the CBN, he revealed a
truth which should have stunned Nigerians, if we were not
totally immune to shocks, that the apex bank had not
received a kobo of either $5billion or N53billion. That should
have prompted the National Assembly to institute an inquiry
into where the loot was/is kept. The law prescribes that
all moneys collected on behalf of the Federal Government of
Nigeria must be paid to the CBN.
The most important questions then and now remain the
same. Where was/ is the money kept? If in banks, other
than CBN, on what terms? Lack of accountability and
transparency is itself the beginning and the end of
corruption. Any man with real as opposed to “media”,
integrity, should have answered in 2007 the question
raised, but then, Ribadu was an untouchable in 2007 and
the frenzy of election allowed him to get away with what
was probably a major dereliction of duty – if not an
indictable offence.
Everybody should also recollect Ribadu’s roles in the Chief
Bode George saga. First, Ribadu announced, with the usual
fanfare that the EFCC had filed multiple charges against
George. Later, Ribadu, with less publicity, quietly withdrew
the charges. When challenged by the media, the former
EFCC chairman asked anyone who had any evidence against
George to come forward with it. What then did he take to
court in the first instance? The story developed another
twist when the new EFCC chairperson re-opened the case
and obtained a conviction.
Ribadu, from far away United States, sent a statement to
news media in Nigeria claiming credit for the result. Haba!
Can anyone tell us where the integrity in this is?
On March 26, 2009, Ribadu, in a hand-written witness
statement submitted to the London Metropolitan Police
accused Bola Tinubu of diverting the proceeds of the sale
of V-Mobile shares belonging to Lagos State. Tinubu was
forced to take out advertorials in several newspapers to
defend himself. Clearly, somebody was lying. Did Bola Tinubu
Fiddle with Lagos state money by diverting funds from
shares sales or did Ribadu submit a false deposition? Either
way, something stinks.
Again, can anyone point to anything honourable in
all these?
Yet, these are not exceptions to the rule. On the contrary,
they represent a fair rendition of what the Ribadu years at
the EFCC were all about. The real Ribadu and media Ribadu
was a mirage foisted on the public. These are irrefutable
facts which demonstrate that “Mr. Integrity Ribadu” is
probably the greatest myth ever created in this country.
But, let us end by reminding our people of one incident
forgotten so soon. The Federal Government in 2007
allowed appointed officials occupying government houses
to buy them. The former EFCC chairman, like others, applied
to buy his own official residence.
There is nothing wrong or questionable in that. Questions,
however, arose, when it was discovered that the building
carried a price tag several times what Ribadu has earned
as a police officer. The last we heard before Ribadu
absconded abroad, was that a relative gave him a “loan” to
buy the property. On the surface, that would appear to be
an adequate answer. But, it again raised questions not
answered till today.
A man who wants to be handed the Nigeria treasury should
at least answer those questions.

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2011/mar/01/national-01-03-2011-023.htm

oya, Ribadu, provide the answers sharp sharp

One of the most dubious Newspapers in Nigeria is the Sun.

If Ribadu had stolen a kobo while he was EFCC chairman, I'm pretty sure our dirty politicians would capitalized on that. The guy is clean, no skeleton in his cupboard at all. Accusations everyday with no evidence to substantiate their claims, the sun no dey try at all.

Very interesting propaganda, atleast if not anything it should excite the GEJ camp. Please let the EFCC, the national assembly and the office of the attorney general of the federation begin urgent investigations into this matter. Remember the efforts Aondoaka, farida, ibori,saraki etc made just to send Ribadu to prison but got nothing only trump up charges that he did not declare his assets, the man is as clean as you can get in this clime he is different. We know the Jonathans, how corrupt they are, husband and wife . If this allegations are real why is the Government not taking it up seriously why are they not investigating? why are we seeing it just online and in some selected newspapers? is govt helpless? let them begin his prosecution?. bloody desperate liars!! very interesting propaganda anyway for a desperate party like d PDP anything will do just to win.

Please an allegation of this magnitude should be backed up with facts, why haven't the law enforcement agencies began investigation and possibly prosecute the indicted persons? This is baseless propaganda, and amounts to nothing. Mr soludo should please state clearly to whom he reported these irregularities to, and why he kept quiet about it during his time as the CBN governor. The PDP have nothing to offer, and only want to drag Mr. Ribadu's name in the mud, he's credibility is impeccable & undisputed, and this is a case of the PDP trying lamely to distract Nigerians from our focus (which is to disgrace them in the april polls). Enough of this propaganda!