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Nuhu Ribadu
has since become a cult, some say
divisive, figure in Nigeria’s
anti-corruption war. Since he led the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
and hounded governors and other
political leaders into jail. Ribadu, a
retired Assistant Inspector - General of
Police, has been praised by many
Nigerians as daring, the kind of figure
the country needs to drive its
regeneration project. Yet, the former
EFCC chairman has his fair share of
enemies and despisers, who say he was
just an impostor, economical with the
truth and a voluble crime fighter. Since
he returned to Nigeria after charges of
corruption against him were
sensationally dropped by President
Jonathan’s government, there have been
speculations that Ribadu would take up a
job with the administration. He is also
expected to enter politics and possibly
run for office.
In this interview with
Chuks Onwudinjo,
Ribadu addresses these speculations and
what he thinks of the Nigerian state.
One thing that leaps at you is the
transformation of the man. The straight
talk on issues and persons now appear
tempered; perhaps, a more reflective
Nuhu Ribadu.
Excerpts:
What do you do now?
I’m in Washington DC as a staff of the
Center for Global Development. Right now
that’s where I am. But I am also
gradually getting back home, to the path
of the process that I think is so
important to all of us, as Nigerians; to
help in the improvement.... and
participate in the change that I think
is necessary in our country. So, I’m
just trying to get from one operation to
another.
There are speculations that you are
going to go into politics.
Yes
Would you throw more light on that?
I am going to go into politics
Your name is being bandied as running
mate to President Goodluck Jonathan in
2011.
I don’t know that one. It’s not true.
If he chooses you, will you go with him?
Let it come first, I have not been
chosen.
There were also earlier talks of you
becoming a Special Adviser on
anti-corruption to President Goodluck
Jonathan.
That’s not true.
What is your take on the anti-corruption
war right now? Do you think it is as
vigorous as it was during your tenure?
You know, I decided long time ago not to
comment on the person who has taken over
from me. It will not be wise. It will
not look nice to really give an opinion
of someone that just took over from me.
I have decided to just keep quiet, I
give others the opportunity and the
chance for them to really assess it. I
think that is the wise thing to do.
How involved are you currently, with the
war against corruption?
Not in Nigeria. Maybe at the
international level. Yes.
There were allegations that when she (Farida
Waziri) took over, that you refused to
hand over some files to her?
Well, you said allegations. A Chairman
of EFCC never handles files. You do not
hold files. There was nothing like that.
I don’t think it was even said, truly.
She will never say anything like that.
EFCC Chairman has nothing to do with
files.
In your lecture you spoke about the rule
of Law.
Yes
Would you say you followed the rule of
law while you were the EFCC Chairman?
Absolutely! Properly.
But some people accused you of
kidnapping legislators and making them
do your bidding…
That’s not true. Which legislators? Do
you have one name of any legislator?
When you do work like the one we did, a
very difficult work, they’ll always
accuse you of one thing or the other,
with nothing to support their
accusations. It’s not true. It never
happened.
There was this talk that you stopped
former governor of Rivers State, Peter
Odili from becoming Vice-President to
Late President Musa Yar’Adua because of
allegations of high level of corruption
against him?
I have no comment on that. (laughs)
Are you going to work with this
administration?
I don’t know yet. Honestly, that’s the
truth. I have not been offered anything!
Have you spoken with the President?
I have spoken to him severally, but
offer is different from speaking.
Did Obasanjo, at any point, perceive you
as a threat to him due to your growing
popularity
Obasanjo was my boss. I want to keep
quiet about it.
What is your current relationship with
people like James Ibori?
We are very good friends. I am no more a
policeman, I am no more with the EFCC.
Atiku Abubakar?
He is my brother. We are from the same
village.
How do you think we can achieve unity
despite our cultural and ethnic
diversity?
I think it’s a resolve by everybody. I
think it’s time that the youth have to
learn from history and appreciate the
fact that there is a way you can do the
right thing. And go in that direction.
We have a country that is already in
existence and nothing will happen to
this country, so we better realize the
fact that we are wasting our time,
wasting the resources that we have and
at the end of the day, we will not
achieve anything by this disagreement.
We better come together and start doing
the right thing for it to work. Like
what other countries have done and I
gave examples with what Tanzania did or
we could mess it up and end up with a
Somalia that failed.
That diversity could be an asset; we
have seen what diversity has done for
countries like Brazil, like India. They
are more divided and more in number in
terms of tribes and religion...but they
came together and used their number and
population to progress. My hope is that,
we would start doing that. We should
start developing love for one another.
We should start believing that we can
depend on one another. We should start
looking at ourselves as our brother’s
keepers. We should start feeling
comfortable with one another. We are one
and the same. It is God’s choice that we
find ourselves in this one place.
Nothing can change that. It is already
part of our fate; it is part of
how God wants us to be.
We must realize that we cannot do
anything about this geographical
location we call Nigeria anymore. Even
if we try to knock it, destroy it, mess
it up...it will continue to remain. It
will continue to be one, but we will
mess it up and not see growth and
development.
We can resolve to say we will move on
right now for a new Nigeria that all of
us will be proud of. Let’s start being
fair to one another. Let’s start
promoting justice, patriotism and I
believe through that we’ll have
security. And if you have security,
you’ll have peace. How are we going to
do it? Let’s start getting the right
leadership that can lead us in that
direction. This is the challenge for all
of us.
Some of the people arrested during your
reign as boss of EFCC could be said to
belong to this category you call Youths?
Do you think we can still entrust
leadership in the hands of young people?
Yes. Very much.
You agree most of the people you
arrested are young people?
No! That is not true! Even the youth,
those people arrested are products of
these distortions. They were not given
the right leadership. Nigerians are good
people by nature, including the young
ones.
If they do not get what, individually,
they deserve; if their own God given
talents are not being put into good use,
chances are they will deviate and they
will go through the wrong way. Youth
requires direction, requires guidance.
We failed at a particular point in our
development process. We did not allow
them to harness and actualize their own
God given talents.
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