EFCC As A Political Weapon






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			THE EFCC IS A POLITICAL ARM OF THE PRESIDENCY By Againstbabangida.com Nuhu Ribadu, the head of the EFCC, may be sincere about his crusade. However, the administration that gave him the task is not. The EFCC is fast becoming a witch-hunt organization, ever since it quietly dropped probing Babangida on the orders of the Presidency, thereby letting off the greatest of all corrupt officials. When Nuhu Ribadu received his marching orders, he took took the job too seriously. He assumed his appointment as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) boss gave him the powers to bring any corrupt Nigerian to book, no matter how highly placed. He set off in a remarkable fashion. In a press interview in South Africa, Ribadu vowed to stop the presidential ambition of former military dictator, Ibrahim Babangida, warning that the General, widely known to have stolen more public funds than any other official, was under his radar. Nigerians were overjoyed at the report, thinking the time of redemption and restoration had come for the beloved country. But the joy was short lived. As soon as he returned to Nigeria, Ribadu got a written query from the presidency, in addition to a summon to Aso Rock the following day where he received further instructions. Bottom line: the war on corruption has its untouchables. The Daily Independent reported at the time: "The Presidency was said to have been angered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) boss' statement in South Africa where he said that the commission was frantically investigating Babangida (rtd). He was quoted as saying that though the commission was yet to pin anything down on the former military ruler, he would never be allowed to contest the 2007 presidential elections." Since then, not a single word had been heard about the commission probing Babangida. Contrarily, the agency's focus has been largely directed at current opponents of the administration, even when it is apparent that people around President Olusegun Obasanjo are as equally corrupt as the Alamis and Dariyes of this dispensation. The EFCC recently veered off-course in two fundamental instances. First, it dared to arrest some politicians in Plateau State, a move that was completely outside of its statutory jurisdiction. Secondly, it worked actively with Bayelsa State legislators to force the governor out of power, another legal boo-boo. While the EFCC is exercising powers not granted it by law, the judiciary and legislature are far too weak to flex any muscles. The executive branch is so powerful that even the other arms of government are fearful of being targeted by the Obasanjo administration. It is believed that the EFCC has collected information on virtually all state governors, legislators and other officials, with the intention of using such at a time of the Presidency's need. For instance, the information with which the impeached Bayelsa State governor, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, was deposed had been gathered by the commission before 2003, but it did not use it for reasons not disclosed. Obasanjo's opponents and critics of the EFCC have pointed to many missed opportunities for the EFCC, which continues to exhibit great zeal at investigating the administration's opponents, but lethargy at those in the administration's good books accused of committing the same crimes. Elendureports.com claimed the President used various corrupt means to fund the ruling PDP. According to it, President Obasanjo gave his party at least fifty million naira every month until recently. The President was said to have used a former Senate President as the conduit for the illegal transfers, who in turn would send the money through his younger brother's bank. Other politicians would have been probed for the same action. There have been other allegations that the President had collected bribes from political beneficiaries to build his Bell University and his presidential library in Ogun State. In fact, Gani Fawehinmi, the activist lawyer, has sued the President for collecting money from those benefiting from his political largesse. In another instance, the Abia State Governor, Orji Kalu, issued a list of allegations of corruption against the President, to which there has not been a genuine response by the EFCC. Contrarily, Kalu, who has a presidential ambition of his own, is the target of the EFCC. The Presidency is currently embroiled in a disgraceful case involving the Plateau State Governor, Joshua Dariye, who asked to be refunded his 100 million naira donation to the South-West PDP on the orders of President Obasanjo. Governor Dariye, who is being probed by the EFCC for corruption, was apparently encouraged to be corrupt by the Presidency. Yet, the EFCC has never probed the Presidency's angle in Dariye's on-going investigation. The most apparent testimony to EFCC's prejudiced zeal is it's quick U-Turn on Babangida. The Financial Times of London reported that the World Bank gave a list of the most corrupt Nigerians to the Presidency to help it recover Nigeria's stolen wealth. While the Federal Government has never denied the presence of the document, the anti-corruption body has preserved the most corrupt retired generals from its investigations, while hounding those known to be withstanding President Obasanjo's third term ambition. Apart from Babangida, the likes of Augustus Aikhomu, Jerry Useni, Mike Akhigbe and Joshua Dogonyaro, who are believed to have stolen a lot of money at various times in the past are ever free to enjoy their loot. But none of them is yet a declared opponent of the President's third term ambition. Fingers have been pointed to the President's circle of family and friends, to which there has not be a single official response from Aso Rock. To seal the accusation of insincerity, the only pubic official to be tried by the EFCC, former Inspector General of Police, Mr. Tafa Balogun, received a slap on the hand when he was leniently given a six-month jail term for stealing 17 billion naira. Until the big names, especially retired generals currently shielded by the umbrella of the Presidency, are tried by the EFCC, it will continue to be seen as a bunch of zealous investigators teleguided by the Presidency to achieve a political purpose.