How Ribadu made enemies for me – Obasanjo

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo

The former president, Obasanjo, says Mr. Ribadu’s fearlessness nearly cost him his life.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has spoken of how efforts by the former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Nuhu Ribadu, to rid Nigeria of corruption, created enemies for him.

Mr. Obasanjo said Mr. Ribadu’s zeal as the pioneer head of the anti-corruption unit was ruthless enough to attract a lot of enemies for him. On one occasion, he said, Mr. Ribadu was poisoned.

Mr. Obasanjo said he doesn’t fear those enemies. “It is rather them that fear me,” he said.

The former president was speaking after a presentation on “Illicit Financial Flow and Governance of Natural Resources” delivered by Mr. Ribadu at the 3rd Tana High Level Forum on Security in Africa in Badir Dar, Ethiopia, on Saturday.

Mr. Obasanjo is the chairperson of the Tana Forum.

Mr. Ribadu led the EFCC between 2003 and 2007. He won acclaim for his effort against corruption as he clamped down on very senior officials of government, including former governors.

His record is widely regarded as the best yet for the commission, although he has also faced allegations of taking on only those opposed to Mr. Obasanjo. He was replaced after Mr. Obasanjo left office.

Speaking at the conference in Ethiopia, Mr. Obasanjo said he made it clear to Mr. Ribadu that there should be no sacred cows in the fight against corruption. Mr. Obasanjo said he was investigated alongside his late wife, Stella.

He spoke about how a serving minister who was his senior in secondary school, was indicted and prosecuted by the EFCC. At that point, he said, “there was no issue of senior again”.

Mr. Obasanjo said the former EFCC chairman was once poisoned and he considered that a very serious “a matter of life and death”.

In his remarks, the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Hailemariam Desalegn, thanked Mr. Ribadu for his presentation, which he said highlighted many good things about Nigeria different from what is portrayed in the media.

In his presentation, Mr. Ribadu offered measures African countries should follow to tackle illicit financial flow and repatriate money already illegally taken out of the African countries.

He said what Africa needs is honest and committed leaders who will set examples with themselves by eschewing corruption and close in avenues of illicit financial flow.

According to him, it is the seriousness demonstrated by the political leadership that will convince other foreign countries to work with them towards recovering looted monies stashed abroad.

President of the Republic of the Sudan, Omar Hassan al-Bashir, President of South Sudan, Dr. Silva Kirr, congratulating former EFCC chairman Mallam Nuhu Ribadu after his presentation at the Tana High Level Forum on Security in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia, the previous day

Boko Haram: Nigerian military satisfied with Borno operations

Chris Olukolade

Military officials visited camps in Borno State.

The Nigerian military is satisfied with the pace of its operations against Boko Haram extremists in Borno State, Director of Defence Information, Chris Olukolade, has said.

Major General Olukolade said security forces have sustained the momentum of their onslaught against the terrorists, notwithstanding the reactions from the insurgents.

Officials of the military high command conducted tours on formations in Maiduguri Saturday, according to the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN.

“The bases we visited are part of the responses to the terrorist offensive and that is an achievement; the military had moved close to where the insurgents are,” Mr. Olukolade said. “It shows that the military had taken over the land.”

The military has been criticized over its handling of the conflict which has allowed Boko Haram operate in remote areas almost unchallenged.

The military has also come in for stinging rebuke after falsely claiming to have rescued more than 200 school girls abducted by militants from a government college in Chibok, Borno State.

The defence spokesman said the morale of the soldiers was high, adding that ”we are expecting to see more successes from the troops”, according to NAN.

The news agency said the officials visited military camps in and around Maiduguri.

The group visited 7 Division Headquarters of the Nigeria Army, 7 Division Garrison, Military check points in and around Maiduguri, amongst others.

Maj.-Gen. Ahmed Mohammed, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 7 Division of the Nigerian Army, who was also on the tour of the formations, told the troops that the Federal Government was happy with their operations.

“That is why we are here to say a big thank you and to convey the appreciation of the whole country,” he said. “I wish to say big thanks for your courage and dedication.”

The journalists were also taken on night patrols by the troops which lasted from 9 p. m. to 12.30 a.m. around Maiduguri and its environ.

(NAN)

Vice President Sambo’s brother killed in car crash

Scene of the crash:

Mr. Sambo has been buried.

Vice President Namadi Sambo’s immediate younger brother, Yusuf Sambo, has died in a car crash in the Nigerian capital, Abuja.

The younger Sambo, a pilot, died in a motor accident along Bill Clinton Drive, Airport Road, Abuja, Sani Umar, a special assistant to the vice president, said in a statement.

Details of the crash were not immediately clear.

Mr. Sambo worked with the defunct Nigerian Airways and later served with the Presidential Air Fleet, before retiring to set up his personal business.

Aged 58, Mr. Sambo is survived by a wife, three daughters, 10 brothers and sisters, and has since been buried at the Apo cemetery, Abuja according to Islamic rites, the statement said.

He was buried in the presence of former military heads of state, Ibrahim Babangida, and Abdulsalami Abubakar, and other sympathisers.

President Goodluck Jonathan has called at the Aguda House residence of the Vice President Sambo in the Presidential Villa, Abuja, to condole him.

The Senate President, David Mark, also condoled with the vice president.

Nyako’s memo, kidnapped girls top discussion at Security Council meeting

“The memo that was written by one of our colleagues, that is Governor Nyako of Adamawa State was discussed and there was a very unanimous condemnation of that memo.”

The enlarged National Security Council meeting unanimously condemned the memo written by the Adamawa State Governor, Murtala Nyako, officials said on Thursday.

The meeting also harped on the need for cooperation between all tiers of government in fighting the security challenges in the country, rather than abandoning all the work to the Federal Government.

The meeting was called by President Goodluck Jonathan following the worsening security situation across Nigeria, particularly in northern states.

The meeting which started at 12 noon ended at about 6:30 p.m.

The Adamawa State governor had written a memo to governors of the 19 northern states, accusing the Goodluck Jonathan administration of using terrorism to cause genocide in the North.

Briefing journalists after the meeting, the Abia State Governor, Theodore Orji; who briefed alongside Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi; Niger State Governor; Babangida Aliyu; Borno Governor, Kashim Shettima; Minister of Defence, Aliyu Gusau; and the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Reuben Abati; said government officials were cautioned against inciting the citizenry with their statements.

“The memo that was written by one of our colleagues, that is Governor Nyako of Adamawa State was discussed and there was a very unanimous condemnation of that memo.

“All officers and people in positions of authority were advised to be cautious of what they say. That what they say should at least enliven every person and make us to know that this country belongs to all of us and not something that will demoralize us, not something that will excite or incite people to go the negative way,” Mr. Orji said.

The Abia governor further said the meeting recognised that security issue is not for the federal government alone but “should be a cooperate issue, handled corporately by the Federal Government, State and Local Government.”

“When there is a synergy, obviously progress will be made,” he said. “The meeting also agreed that at the state level, governors who are chief security officers have to do a lot to help because that is where the security issue is, at the state level. In so doing the state governors should mobilize their radio houses in other to sensitize the people in the state so that they will be aware of this security situation”.

He said the meeting agreed that the Boko Haram menace “is not a religious war, people should not misrepresent it to be because both Muslims and Christians are being killed. It doesn’t discriminate against any person”.

Mr. Aliyu told journalists that Mr. Nyako’s memo was deliberated upon and the meeting agreed that there is “need to be careful before making statements, because terrorists want to know that they are making impact. There is no need to be giving the terrorists the impression that they are succeeding.”

Mr. Fayemi also told journalists that the meeting harped on the need for information sharing between security agencies.

“Data should be shared across the board amongst security agencies. Holistic approach (should be adopted) in curbing terrorist activities including the anti-poverty approaches,” he said.

He noted that the meeting focused on Chibok stating that the security agencies agreed that they will do everything possible to ensure that the abducted girls are rescued from their abductors.

Mr. Fayemi added that the meeting stressed the importance of ensuring capacity building of media organisations so that security sensitivities of those issues are addressed.

In his remarks, the Defence Minister said the meeting discussed the overall security of the country, the operation in the North East, kidnappings and criminal activities that warrant government attention.

He also emphasized that “security is everybody’s responsibility. Everyone (needs) being security conscious.”

He added that the meeting harped on the need for massive public security awareness.

The meeting was attended by the president, heads of security agencies, and state governors.

The meeting was also attended by the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Ayo Oritsejafor; and the head of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs and Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar.

Other attendees at the meeting include the governors of Anambra, Abia, Benue, Zamfara, Ebonyi, Delta, Kwara, Kaduna, Sokoto, Adamawa, Taraba, Ekiti, Kebbi, Akwa Ibom, Bauchi, Borno, Cross River, Ondo, and Edo states. The deputy governors of Plateau, Jigawa, Oyo, Yobe, Imo, Rivers, Kano, Ogun, Yobe, and Nasarawa were also in attendance.

Others include the Inspector General of Police, Marshal General of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Comptroller General of the Nigerian Immigration service, Minister of Police Affairs, Service Chiefs, National Security Adviser, Ministers of Defence, Interior, FCT, Foreign Affairs, Justice, and the Commandant of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps.

The worsening insecurity has led to the killing of scores of people in various states like Zamfara, Taraba, Borno, and others in the last one month. Over 200 female students of a secondary school were also kidnapped in Chibok, Borno last week, and are yet to be found.