Ribadu's Appointment, Right Step in Right Direction, Arewa Group Says, Hails Tinubu

Ribadu's Appointment, Right Step in Right Direction,  Arewa Group Says,  Hails Tinubu

The Arewa New Agenda(ANA) has welcomed the appointment of Malam Nuhu Ribadu as Special Adviser on Security, describing it as the right step taken by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the right direction.

A statement by the Convener of the Group, Sen. Ahmed Abubakar MoAllahyidi, noted that Tinubu has exhibited exemplary leadership and wisdom with his most recent appointments of Special Advisers including that of Nuhu Ribadu. 

With particularly the appointments of Senator George Akume as Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Nuhu Ribadu as SA Security, President Tinubu has signaled his intention to tackle the twin menace of security and corruption, the Group said.

Noting that he excitement following the appointment of the special adviser on security is still re-vibrating around the country, the Group expressed hope that Nigeria will get it right this time around. 

"Prior to his appointment as the Chairman of EFCC in 2003, Ribadu served as key operational officer in the General Investigation and the Force Criminal Investigation Departments of the of the Nigerian Police.

 He was a member of the highly commended Failed Banks Tribunal that sanitized the rottenness in the Nigerian Banking sector of the late eighties," the Group recounted. 

According to them, Ribadu has been widely acknowledged as bringing to his job a deep passion and an exemplary sense of dedication and efficiency. In three years, the EFCC under his leadership built the now most celebrated Crimes Training and Research Institute in the-sub-region. 

These achievements, they said, helped make the EFCC a reference Law Enforcement Agency on the continent; and the bold investigation, prosecution, and conviction of Nigeria’s hitherto untouchable politicians and businessmen earned him the reputation of being a foremost and respected anti-corruption crusader in the world. 

"It is to his record that he rejected a N30 million bribe from one of the country’s major money laundering offenders in 2005, although the most sensational report of his ethical conduct thus far was the 2007 rejection of a $15 million bribe from a former governor from one of Nigeria’s Niger Delta states. 

"In acknowledgement of these modest achievements, he was promoted Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), in March 2007; the African Union put him on its advisory board on anti-corruption matters; and he was lately invited to join the advisory board of the friends of the World Bank/UNODC initiative on stolen-asset-recovery," the said. 

Other notable achievement of Mallam Ribadu according to the Group, include but not limited to the de-listing of Nigeria from the Financial Action Task Force (on Money Laundering) (FATF) List of Non-Cooperative Countries & Territories, admission into the prestigious The Egmont Group and the withdrawal of the US Treasury the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) Advisory on Nigeria.  

"This No 1 crime fighting czar on the continent of Africa; Mallam Nuhu Ribadu it was who led the  conviction, jailing and the return of £150 million il-gotten wealth of the most powerful Police Man on the continent of Africa. 

"This astute and fearless police officer it was who diligently investigated and provided evidence that helped prosecute foreign businesses who turned our country into one in which bribes must be offered while doing business in Nigeria," they said. 

They listed major achievements and recognitions Ribadu has garnered during his service to the Nigerian nationc to  includes World Bank's 2008 Jit Gill Memorial Award for Outstanding Public Service,  the Global Lifetime Achievement Award on anti-corruption campaign from Qatar-based think-tank, Rule of Law and Anti-corruption Centre (ROLACC) and Malaysian Anti-Corruption Award from the Rule of Law and Anti-corruption Centre (ROLACC).

"On Friday December 7 2018, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu won the Sheikh Tamim Bn Hamad al Thani International Anti-Corruption Excellence Award. 

"In May 2010 he made the list of the 20 most influential Nigerians alongside people like Philip Emagwali, Aliko Dangote, Emake Anyoku, Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, Wole Soyinka and others," the Group noted. 

 The Group said it has followed with keen interest how the administration has approached and put forward its intention to provide leadership and discharge the responsibility of governance. "President Tinubu has in two weeks exhibited the ability to tackle key issues in the country by taking some tough decisions. Many commentators have spoken about this new breath of ‘Governance-fresh-air’ it is not out of place for us to revisit some of the popular decisions and actions the President has taken in his less than three weeks of being President," they said.