New York, January 8, 2008 ---Africans In America News Watch has uncovered information to indicate that the recent shake-up at the nation’s anti-corruption agency resulting in the redeployment of the anti-corruption tsar, given all the circumstances, may be the most laudable idea, but poorly executed.

The redeployment of Mr. Nuhu Ribadu, the Executive Chairman of Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to attend one-year advanced course at the Nigeria Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) has caused a lot of tension for popular but very fragile government of Umaru Yar’Adua.

Most notable among them is the doubt, fear and allegation that the redeployment was a tactical dismissal, induced by very powerful individuals the agency is investigating and aimed at frustrating the nation’s war against corruption.

The Nigerian government explanations that the 1-year compulsory study leave “was not aimed at forestalling the prosecution of high profile corrupt public officers”, but rather, “a routine training programme fashioned out for certain category of public servants, aimed at improving their level of professional proficiency” did not appear to convince many people prompting the authority to send the President’s Spokesman ‘Ogbuefi’ Olusegun Adeniyi on a fire-fighting mission starting with recent interview with Guardian newspaper.

Africans In America News Watch researchers and reporters alike have been following this episode carefully, sifting through the government arguments for the redeployment, the fears and allegations from the ordinary Nigerian people, and have discovered that the posting may actually be the best thing for the new government in order to launch ‘total and unbiased war’ against corruption in a nation widely acclaimed as one of the most nation on earth. The removal becomes more necessary for the ‘government of national unity’ (GNU) which the new Yar’Adua administration needs after the disastrous 8-years rule of Olusegun Obasanjo and very divisive and fraudulent ‘election’.

Needless to state that Mr. Ribadu has done extremely marvelous job, having practically opened the eyes of Nigerians (and the world) to the extent of massive looting of the treasury by Nigerian public officials; he has record arrest of highly placed public office holders and court convictions unprecedented in the history of Nigeria.

The anti-corruption agency under his leadership had arrested many big ‘shots’, including former Police Inspector-General, Mr. Tafa Balogun; Diepreye Alameyieseigha, former governor of Bayelsa State; Chimaroke Nnamani, the former governor of Enugu State; James Ibori, the former governor of Delta State, Orji Uzor Kalu, former governor of Abia State; Saminu Turaki, former governor of Jigawa State;  Jolly Nyame, former governor of Taraba State;  Joshua Dariye, former governor of Plateau State; Ayo Fayose, former governor of Ekiti state,  so many others including lawmakers, cabinet officials, lawyers and businessmen, while a lot more ‘heavier weights’ remain under various levels of investigation.

Needless also to state that his courage, efforts, guts, boldness and unflinching zeal and mission terrify all corrupt public office holders, businessmen and women, Nigerians and foreigners alike, and every person whose business in one way or another involve looting of public treasury.
Africans In America News Watch has information that, in pursuit of the agency’s mission to rid Nigeria of corruption, there may have been some minor inevitable procedural ‘hitches here and there’ that may warrant re-training in order to do flawless job, and that too is normal.

However the most compelling argument for his removal include thus; based on perceived and feared closeness with the past Nigeria leadership and few apparent chasing of mostly opponents of the former president by his agency, it has become necessary for a new face who will not have any cloud of biases to take the war against corruption to the next level; ‘to clean house’, so to say. This and little other finesse may have resonated well with everyone, Nigerians and international partners; and most importantly, the very brave officers of the EFCC, according to our investigation.

Secondly, the fact remains that, in as much as Nigeria is severely under-developed in terms of industrialization; food, nutrition and health; social amenities and infrastructures; decorum and other good things of life, the leaders are highly skilled and sophisticated in terms of methodology of looting the public treasury and hiding the booties.

Therefore, training the commanders and officers leading the war to be abreast of modern methods of chasing and recovery looted funds should not cause any furor, if done in good faith and properly handled.

And if the commanders and officers leading the war actually compromise and betray the trust, the breaches have to be made public and dealt with appropriately. But in the case of Ribadu and Nigeria’s very complex, convoluted and extremely dicey socio-political circumstances, the actions of some key Nigeria public officers who ought to be partners in the war against corruption are highly deplorable.

Corruption comes in many forms. Any public official using his/her position to shield corrupt leaders and frustrate government effort against corruption should be criminally codified if it has not been done; that is the ‘rule of law’.

Most importantly, Africans In America News Watch has observed that, for Yar’Adua government to restore the eroding trust and hope of Nigerians and international partners in its commitment to the war on corruption, it needs to do 3 things urgently;

1. Ensure credible replacement at the anti-corruption agency.
2. Urgent re-training or outright removal of some Nigeria public office holders occupying key sensitive positions in the current government to save the President who appears willing and ready to move the nation in the right direct unnecessary embarrassments.
3. Tender sincere-morale-boosting apologies to the fine brave men and women who put their lives on the line prosecuting the nation’s war against corruption. Those are true Nigeria Heros and ‘Sheros’. They need every support and encouragement.