EFCC Has Done Fairly Well, Going Through Hell –- Ribadu

Nuhu Ribadu, pioneer chairman of the Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission (EFCC), says the commission has done “fairly
well” in its fight against corruption.

He, however, added that for the war to be successful, law
enforcement agencies like the Independent Corrupt Practices and
Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the police must “wake
up from their slumber”, as the EFCC is going through hell to
prosecute offenders.

Ribadu was speaking at an anti-corruption town hall meeting
tagged ‘A spanner in the wheel of corruption’ organised by the
Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Foundation in Abuja, on Monday.

He decried the high rate of corruption in the country, pointing
out that Nigeria has the number of corruption cases in the world
which is “probably bigger” than cases in all African countries put
together.

“The EFCC alone has over 3,800 ongoing corruption cases in the
courts, not to talk of other cases,” he said.

“They (EFCC) have done fairly well. You need to see what these
people go through to get one case to court. It is hell. Because
some people will do everything possible to make sure you don’t drag
them to court. They do not even sleep.

“Let the ICPC wake up from this their slumber and start doing
something too; same with government ministries. There are lots of
government agencies that are not doing anything to support the
fight against corruption.

“The Nigeria police force should also wake up and do what the
EFCC is doing; same with the law enforcement agencies and the
judiciary. Why are we not getting the convictions in the corruption
cases? They have a role to play as well.”

The former EFCC chairman, however, said the corruption situation
in the country “is not always negative”, as the country has been
able to record some strides in the anti-graft war.

“Nigeria is the only country that has successfully recovered
stolen money taken abroad,” he said. “Other countries in Africa and
other places have tried but they never succeeded.”

Also speaking, Waziri Adio, executive secretary of the Nigeria
Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), said for the
problem of corruption to be addressed, there is the need for
Nigeria to first tackle institutional corruption.

“Wherever monopoly exists, and where there is institutional
discretion and without measures of accountability, the institutions
will definitely be abused.

“We need to look at issues of sanctions, systems and society. We
focus too much on sanctions, but as important as they are, they
won’t upturn the table.

“We need to put a formidable system in place. If you have a
society where corruption is normalised, no matter the system and
sanction, people will abuse it,” he said.

Nuhu Ribadu, pioneer chairman of the Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission (EFCC), says the commission has done “fairly
well” in its fight against corruption.

He, however, added that for the war to be successful, law
enforcement agencies like the Independent Corrupt Practices and
Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the police must “wake
up from their slumber”, as the EFCC is going through hell to
prosecute offenders.

Ribadu was speaking at an anti-corruption town hall meeting
tagged ‘A spanner in the wheel of corruption’ organised by the
Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Foundation in Abuja, on Monday.

He decried the high rate of corruption in the country, pointing
out that Nigeria has the number of corruption cases in the world
which is “probably bigger” than cases in all African countries put
together.

“The EFCC alone has over 3,800 ongoing corruption cases in the
courts, not to talk of other cases,” he said.

“They (EFCC) have done fairly well. You need to see what these
people go through to get one case to court. It is hell. Because
some people will do everything possible to make sure you don’t drag
them to court. They do not even sleep.

“Let the ICPC wake up from this their slumber and start doing
something too; same with government ministries. There are lots of
government agencies that are not doing anything to support the
fight against corruption.

“The Nigeria police force should also wake up and do what the
EFCC is doing; same with the law enforcement agencies and the
judiciary. Why are we not getting the convictions in the corruption
cases? They have a role to play as well.”

The former EFCC chairman, however, said the corruption situation
in the country “is not always negative”, as the country has been
able to record some strides in the anti-graft war.

“Nigeria is the only country that has successfully recovered
stolen money taken abroad,” he said. “Other countries in Africa and
other places have tried but they never succeeded.”

Also speaking, Waziri Adio, executive secretary of the Nigeria
Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), said for the
problem of corruption to be addressed, there is the need for
Nigeria to first tackle institutional corruption.

“Wherever monopoly exists, and where there is institutional
discretion and without measures of accountability, the institutions
will definitely be abused.

“We need to look at issues of sanctions, systems and society. We
focus too much on sanctions, but as important as they are, they
won’t upturn the table.

“We need to put a formidable system in place. If you have a
society where corruption is normalised, no matter the system and
sanction, people will abuse it,” he said.