Nuhu Ribadu owes me an apology AUGUST 25, 2014 BY TONY OKOROJI Leave a Comment Mallam Nuhu Ribadu | credits: leadership.ng Until now, I have never felt that any vote I had cast in my life had been wasted. I voted for Moshood Abiola in the June 12, 1993, presidential election. Despite all the insanity that followed that watershed event in Nigerian history and the fact that Abiola never assumed office as President of Nigeria, I have remained satisfied that unsatisfactory as things turned out, I made the right call. I have voted for a number of people who did not ultimately win but it had never bothered me because I believe that in the democratic process, some will win and some will lose. This past week was however a very a sad one for me. The news that Nuhu Ribadu, a former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has decided to contest the governorship of Adamawa State under the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, left me in shock. As the week went by, I looked out for a retraction of the story and there was none. Wow! I do not attend political events and have never carried the card of any political party, but I attended an event about four years ago at Protea Hotel in Ikeja, Lagos, at which Ribadu announced his decision to contest the Presidency of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I made a passionate speech at that event calling on one and all to support the Ribadu candidacy. I was not naïve. I understand Nigerian politics enough to know that the cards were stacked against him and the possibility of Ribadu becoming President of Nigeria was slim. I supported him because I believed that he was a man of character and courage and that we make an important statement by endorsing those we believe in whether they will ultimately win or not. I supported Ribadu despite the clear knowledge that the politician you back in Nigeria may determine how many pieces of meat may be found in your wife’s pot of soup. My support of Ribadu was prominently carried on his campaign website throughout that election season. Some years before the event at Protea, I had been invited to the EFCC office in Lagos to respond to some crazy allegations made about my tenure as President of the Performing Muscians Association of Nigeria. The EFCC had just been set up. I met some very bright officers at the EFCC. My impression before then of law enforcement in Nigeria was garagara, crudity and brute force. I was really impressed by the professionalism and thoroughness with which the gentlemen at the EFCC went about their work. The officers at the anti-graft agency left no stone unturned in search of the truth. They went back 10 years to obtain PMAN cash books, records of PMAN accounts in different banks, information filed by PMAN with the Registrar of Trade Unions under my tenure, etc. In the final days of their investigation, they brought me and my accusers into one room with accountants, auditors and former PMAN officials and for an entire day went line by line through practically every financial transaction during my tenure. Nothing escaped their attention. At the end of the day, no one could show how I stole a penny and the EFCC officers shook my hand and asked me to go. What if this was law enforcement based on garagara, crudity and brute force, I may have gone to jail for dedicating myself to the service of my country the best I could. All through that process, I never met Ribadu but I could not but develop substantial respect for the Nigerian who had put together such a world class organisation within such a short period. All through that process, no one at EFCC asked me for a penny. As the Ribadu legend grew, I met him a few times at some public events and praised him for the work he was doing. As the Obasanjo Presidency wound down, I also followed much of the controversy over Ribadu: the allegations that he had become Obasanjo’s attack dog used to chew up the president’s enemies. I followed the Alamieyeseigha saga and the accusations and counter accusations with respect to Governor James Ibori. I also followed the fervent scheming by the PDP high command that led to Ribadu’s removal from the EFCC, his unplanned departure from the Nigerian Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies, his contrived demotion by the police and his flight into exile. I liked Ribadu. When people complained that he was picking and choosing whom he prosecuted, I asked them to show me anyone that Ribadu went after who had not done something against the republic. In human history, no great nation has been built by cowards. Ribadu appeared to me to be no coward. He seemed to share my understanding that no matter how much security we surround ourselves with and how much money we hide in secret accounts, when the time comes for each of us, we will die. Ribadu appeared to appreciate that no matter how massive your estate may be, you can only sleep in one room at a time and no matter how greedy you may be, there is just so much food you can eat at a time without getting constipated. I knew that Ribadu was unlikely to win the elections. He did not have the zillions of naira required to splash among many segments of the society in order to win a presidential election in Nigeria neither did he appear as the kind of guy ready to compromise and do the kind of back and forth horse trading that Nigerian politics is built on. There was no Ribadu rice, no Ribadu recharge cards. That did not stop me from talking to everyone I could to vote for this Nigerian that I believed in. He may not have won but the election results showed that several million Nigerians voted for him. I thought that he would forever be pleased by that achievement. How can this same person pick up the PDP forms to run for the governorship of Adamawa State? I recall telling a friend of mine intent on contesting elections as a Local Government Chairman in my state that I thought that such a position required special skills that my friend may not possess. My friend was upset with me, went ahead to contest and was thoroughly frustrated. At that level, politics is fought over palm wine, isi ewu, okporoko and pepper soup. Do not forget some small Ghana-must-go bags changing hands in the middle of the night. If you don’t speak that language, the election will be done and dusted and you will be wondering when it took place. What if Ribadu fails in the governorship election, will he then contest the Local Government Chairmanship and if he fails that, dog catcher? With everything going on, is it that there is no Nigerian that you trust that will not let you down? Is the Ribadu I stuck out my neck for different from the rest? I cannot pretend to know everything that has taken place. I am waiting for Ribadu to explain to me and the other millions who thought him worthy to be our president why he took this decision that has kept me downcast for days. I may not have a vote in Adamawa but someone please tell Nuhu Ribadu that he owes me an apology. Okoroji is a musician and former President of PMAN
Posted on: Mon, 25 Aug 2014 09:59:25 +0000
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