CITIZENS COMPASS – The slight difference between the present Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Olanipekun Olukoyede and the pioneer head of the commission, Nuhu Ribadu, is that the former was never a cop.
Both are brilliant lawyers who have given their expertise to fighting corruption in Nigeria. However, they have fought corruption at different times, between the era of analogue and now the digital.
Ribadu’s nomination and his eventual approval by the National Assembly met a strong wall from the police circle, even at a time his boss Tafa Balogun was the Inspector General of Police.
He scaled the hurdle, prosecuted his boss and made him cough out about €150m, from all that he had looted. It was unprecedented but then it came with a drama when all the newsprint posted the picture of Balogun being dragged on the ground.
It was a scene exclusive to the media house unlike now that the image would have gone viral on social media platforms. In those times, Ribadu did his best but wouldn’t have survived the fake news in today’s social media.
Tafa created a sympathy scene to nail Ribadu’s manner of operation just as it’s happening now that a former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, was trying to create a drama when he visited the EFCC office and waited to be manhandled by the operatives of the commission.
If Olukoyede had ordered Bello’s arrest at the time, a scene would have been created. Even though he didn’t, Bello’s picture standing at the gate of the EFCC still generated some traction.
Olukoyede had learnt from history and being a lawyer, he had not only learnt civility but also the antics of some politicians who are throwing banana peels around for him to slip.
Of course, Ribadu’s records at the EFCC are enormous for anybody to beat, there are indications that the Olukoyede, with the way he’s going and providing a new template to deal with corrupt people in Nigeria without necessarily dragging them on the floor.
However, his civility is being abused and to many of his detractors, it’s a weakness on the part of the lawyer in the race against public fund looters.
Despite all the noise to kick out Ribadu, the then president Olusegun Obasanjo stuck to his guns when he reappointed him in 2007 to compensate him for a job well done.
Nevertheless, there was a political gangup that later removed Ribadu. He was dismissed from the police. He quit with his shoulder raised high and went on exile to study more.
Before we make noise for Olukoyede’s removal and perhaps send him on exile, I think there is a need to look deeper into the lives of those calling for his sack and see how clean they are and why they are making the calls to discredit the formation of EFCC .
And again we need to take a look at the career path of Olukoyede, his integrity and the method he has exploited to bring corrupt people to book.
Having worked at the chambers of the former Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo and also nominated as the Secretary to EFCC before now, Olukoyede had learnt the ropes and open himself up for proper public scrutiny, which for me have made him an exceptional gift to the nation’s foremost anti graft commission.
However, his uncompromising personality has become a big issue for them in the corrupt market, just as it was during Ribadu’s era. A governor once offered Ribadu $15m and a house abroad but he rejected it.
Of course, Ribadu collected the money, dropped it at the Central Bank of Nigeria and used the evidence against the governor in court.
Today as Olukoyede is moving former Governor of the Central Bank, Godwin Emefiele in and out of the court over allegation of misappropriation, there have been many moves to subdue the EFCC boss, perhaps to compromise and let the hook out of the former CBN boss.
There have also been various moves to lobby him by a particular governor to drop the cases against him. Instead of succumbing to their antics, he humbly invited the governor to come over to his office instead of throwing a bait.
Olukoyede is a lawyer and also a pastor who to a larger extent has proved to be the real deal against corruption at this time in our country.
Although many will argue that not all pastors are honest and not all lawyers have integrity but then we should also ask if there is anybody, including those that are being prosecuted that had been able to point out at one property being owned by Olukoyede as they did to his predecessors.
Again, before we send him on exile, I think we should look at the trajectory of Ribadu whose home coming from exile made him a toast of the public.
His public rating went up and he joined PDP to contest for governorship in Adamawa and later with ACN as presidential candidate.
Currently Ribabu is the National Security Adviser in the cabinet of President Bola Tinubu and I foresee Olukoyede rising from here to become a force in the political landscape of this country based on his integrity and efficiency.
Meanwhile, he still has a lot to offer at the EFCC.
Interestingly, both Ribadu and Olukoyede were honoured with prestigious awards at the Nigeria Excellence Awards in Public Service organised by The Best Strategic PR, TBS, in collaboration with the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF a few months ago.
Olukoyede, the only giant in the anti- corruption corridor honoured with the Anti- Graft Accountability Award, clinched the Award for his ” scorecard and exceptional delivery in public service”.
The Award was presented to him by the Vice- President, Kashim Shettima at the State House Conference Centre.
Maryam Mohammed, Managing Partner and Founder, Nigeria Excellence Awards in Public Service, says Olukoyede was honoured for ” significantly improving public service delivery, courageously undertaking risks to drive positive change, advocating for a more democratic society, championing social equity, effectively reforming governmental institutions, achieving substantial cost savings in government operations and developing a cadre of influential government leaders”.
The EFCC’s boss was also honoured with the ” Man of Valour” Award by the Global Peace Movement International. I want to believe that the noise in some quarters will never move President Bola Tinubu to think of replacing Olukoyede.
His records, just like that of Ribadu and his method that holds no barriers between the privileged and the non-privileged in the society, is a classical example of a leader who has his eyes on the ball.
Kunle Aremu is a seasoned journalist and regular columnist.
