Anti-anticorruption move in Nigeria
Shall we draw conclusions now or wait for more details?The first reference below is to the newest information. The older information follows. Once again, I find my optimism about Nigerian governance tempered by the realities of politics there.
None of the Nigerian newspapers has confirmed the Washington Post report that Ribadu has resigned.
CNPP to Yar'Adua - Removal of Ribadu Will Dent Govt Image
"The national chairman of the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) , Dr Olapade Agoro, has joined other Nigerians to condemn the decision of the federal government to send the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, to the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, Plateau state .
"Dr Agoro said that the widely criticised sending of Ribadu on study was not favourable considering the fact that 'he had only recently fought a great battle by dragging James Ibori and Ayo Fayose to court' over their alleged involvement in corruption while in office as governors.
"'Ribadu should be allowed to finish the job because anything done now against his interest will be seen by the larger society as a slam on the record of Yar'Adua. I believe that sending him on course is a way of keeping him out of circulation', Agoro enthused..."
Top Nigerian Corruption Official Forced Out
"The Nigerian government's most prominent corruption fighter, Nuhu Ribadu, plans to resign Thursday under pressure from top politicians, including President Umaru Yar'Adua, according to a senior official in Ribadu's agency.
"Ribadu's departure has long been rumored after years in which he has targeted some of the most allegedly corrupt officials in one of the world's most corrupt nations. Among his targets have been several former governors prominent in Yar'Adua's ruling party...
"Corruption has dogged Nigeria ever since the massive increase in oil prices and production in the 1970s, with billions of dollars of easy money enriching a relatively small but powerful elite while the rest of the nation consistently ranks among the world's worst in measures of poverty, development and ill health...
"... Yar'Adua's first months in office were marked by conciliatory gestures that convinced some observers that he was determined to bring a more ethical style of politics to Nigeria. The fate of Ribadu in recent months has been viewed as a test case of Yar'Adua's resolve to break with Nigeria's corrupt past. Recent reports have linked Ribadu's faltering political support with the arrest of former Delta State governor James Ibori last month over allegations of corruption and money-laundering..."
Transparency International Condemns FG On Ribadu
"Global coalition against corruption, Transparency International (TI), has condemned the Federal Government's decision to send the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nuhu Ribadu on course, saying it casts aspersions on the country's anti-corruption stand.
"TI said the government should reverse its decision with immediate effect to avoid a dent on the country's already battered image world wide..."
Nigeria corruption tsar sidelined
"The head of Nigeria's anti-corruption unit has reportedly been ordered to go on year-long study leave, in an apparent attempt to sideline him...
"Observers say that if he is removed from his post, it will be a blow to President Umaru Yar'Adua's credibility...
"Nigeria's police chief Mike Okiro called a press conference to say there were no ulterior motives behind the move, and that Mr Ribadu had been ordered to attend a one-year policy and strategic studies course...
"The BBC's Alex Last in Lagos says that despite the official denials, the notion that Mr Ribadu may be removed from office is highly controversial and invites suspicion that the move is designed to hinder the campaign against corruption.
"In the last few months the agency has arrested a number of former state governors, most recently James Ibori from Delta state: a hugely wealthy and powerful politician who was a key figure in President Yar'Adua's election campaign.
"In April, outgoing President Olusegun Obasanjo promoted Mr Ribadu and gave him a new four-year mandate to co-ordinate anti-corruption work.
"His critics, who saw Mr Ribadu as an ally of Mr Obasanjo, said he was being rewarded for silencing the opposition.
"Chris Albin-Lackey, researcher on Nigeria at Human Rights Watch, told Reuters that if Mr Ribadu's suspension goes ahead, 'the day he leaves office will be the day the credibility of Nigeria's 'war on corruption' is entirely destroyed'.
"The campaign group Transparency International, describes Nigeria as one of the most corrupt countries in the world..."
See also:
- Nigeria: Ribadu Removed from Leadership (Abuja)
- Nigeria: At Last, Ribadu Asked to Go On 'Study Leave'
- Okiro Confirms Ribadu's Exit from Vanguard (Lagos)
- Firing of Anti-Corruption Chief Would Boost Abusive Politicians from Human Rights Watch
- Plot to Remove Ribadu Gets Messy from This Day (Lagos)
- What He Will Learn At Kuru from This Day (Lagos)
- IG orders Ribadu to proceed on 1-yr course from The Nigerian Tribune (Lagos)
- Nigeria Reassigns Top Corruption Fighter from the New York Times
- Soyinka, Gani, Others React to EFCC Chairman's Sack from Leadership (Abuja)
- The Coup Against Nuhu Ribadu from The Daily Trust (Abuja)
- Even more on corruption and politics from this blog
- Corruption and Transparency and Politics from this blog
Labels: corruption, Nigeria, politics
posted by Ken Wedding @ 8:44 AM
1 Comments:
From "This Day" (Lagos)
Ribadu in Aso Rock, Meets With President
"Contrary to media reports... that the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, has been barred from entering the presidential villa, the head of the anti-corruption agency was yesterday in Aso Rock for an undisclosed meeting with President Umaru Yar'Adua and other officials at the villa..."
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