The untidy handling of Ribadu's posting

THAT the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu is going on a one-year study leave at the elite National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru should, ordinarily not attract the public interest, or suspicion, or condemnation that it has ever since the posting was announced recently by the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Mike Okiro. After all, AIG Ribadu is a career officer who, by the rules explained by his professional boss, qualifies to proceed to Kuru. But that is on the face of it.

Mallam Ribadu is, in his present duty post, not just another senior cop; and, in the peculiar circumstances of our corruption-ridden country, he is not just another public officer heading just another government agency. No. Nuhu Ribadu, as the government's anti-financial and economic crimes point man is, by public perception, Nigeria's No. 1 warrior against corruption in our country. Furthermore, he heads the nation's most challenged, and, we dare say, most active, anti-corruption agency for the simple reason that the financial and economic dimension - and damage - of corruption in this land supersedes by far other effects of this evil.

Against this background, it should be clear to the authorities why the sending of the EFCC Chairman on study leave at this time arouses so much suspicion. The work of the EFCC as a body and Ribadu as a person, have assumed great symbolism in the eyes of Nigerians. The widespread interest in the removal of the pioneering EFCC boss from 'active duty' clearly shows that Nigerians desire a persistent, effective war against corruption. Second, it appears that, backed by political will, an agency of government can deliver on its mandate. The EFCC under Ribadu has proved that this can be done.

Third, corruption in all its manifestations and the nature and methods to confront it, entail great personal risks. Mallam Ribadu and his courageous team have, in truth gored the oxen of many men of power, means and influence. Did they make some mistakes? Certainly, yes. Were they overzealous? Sometimes. But the bottom line: Ribadu and his team achieved results unprecedented in the history of the fight against corruption in this country.

Put differently, Nuhu Ribadu was, by and large, on course. But it is understandable that affected persons would marshal their immense but dubious means against their tormentor. And now, he is out, at least for the time being, and the impression hangs heavy in the air that anti-EFCC/Ribadu forces may be winning. Nigerians, high and low, are worried by this as well as by statements and acts of officials in the recent past that seem to convey the impression that the Yar'Adua government may be slowing down on the war against corruption. Indeed, the way and manner in which the EFCC Chairman Ribadu was re-assigned is untidy and only lends credence to suspicions of a hidden agenda.

Some questions: one, the chairman of the EFCC is appointed and removed by the president in line with Sections 2(3) and 3(2) of the EFCC Act 2004. Regardless of the fact that he remains a career policeman, a statement re-posting this officer who is on a special national assignment should, by this law, and by commonsense, emanate from the Presidency. The news of his first appointment and re-appointment did not come from the police, so why did this information come from the Inspector General of Police and at a press conference? Two, Ribadu was not aware (so he claimed) that he was to proceed on a study leave even as his boss was announcing it to the world. Why so? Three, how come a successor to understudy Ribadu was not named along with the news of his new posting?

Many people, including the Presidency, acknowledge the good job that EFCC under Ribadu is doing. Now, if excesses and/ or mistakes have been committed, or measures wrongly taken, if there are properly channeled complaints against the anti-graft body and/or its chairman, surely there are administrative and more matured ways of handling these.

Besides its poorly contrived procedure, the posting out of Ribadu from the EFCC is ill-timed. We agree, as many have argued, that no one is indispensable and that there may be even some who can lead the EFCC better than Ribadu. But this line of thought remains in the realm of conjecture. It is all well to seek to build de-personalised institutions that can function well regardless of the personalities involved. But institutions, like nations, assume the 'personality', for good or ill, of their leader(s). We certainly have in Ribadu a man that has proven to be uncommonly courageous in the performance of his duties. Under a less courageous, even if competent head, the EFCC may not be as successful.

Indeed, anti-graft laws have been in our statute books and the Police have had departments to enforce them long before now. How many highly placed thieves were tried at all in the pre-EFCC years? The point then is that we need to build our institutions around men of ideas, conviction and courage. Sadly, there are not too many around.

However, the anti-graft war must not abate in the least because of this change of guards at the EFCC. Any one who replaces Ribadu, in an acting capacity, at the commission can only strive to surpass him. This is in that successor's interest, as well as in the interest of Nigeria. And since the President has not sacked the EFCC Chairman, it is to be assumed that immediately after his study leave at NIPSS, he will return to his duty post to complete his tenure of office.

The head of the EFCC must enjoy the confidence of the president to be effective. Even as Mallam Ribadu goes on study leave, Nigeria must stay the course of confronting corruption with maximum political will, and with all the means at its disposal. This is the current sentiment of the Nigerian people, and of our friends around the globe. And it is the right path to tread under the circumstances.