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25^th November, 2008

Refutation of EFCC's Baseless claim on Ribadu's properties

Our attention has been drawn to wide media coverage in a number of publications suggesting that Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, as Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), bought and owned houses in Dubai, the United Kingdom, and Nigeria.

According to the publications, the leadership of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) also said, through its publicity office, that it has commenced investigations on Ribadu, based on 'several petitions against Ribadu, which are being investigated at the moment.'

The EFCC also claimed that Mr. Ribadu did not declare his assets as EFCC Chairman before and after leaving office.

In its five-year existence, the EFCC has garnered a lot of local and international esteem on account of its sterling reputation for dogged investigation and efficient prosecution records.  Thus, for this reason, one would expect such an institution to show more fidelity for evidence and facts in other to protect its name, its sense of honour, and the competence of its leadership.

Apparently, these shaping values have little meaning to the current incarnation of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). For the records, however, here are the facts:    

Mr. Ribadu states categorically today, as he did late last year when this same baseless rumour was advertised by these same forces, that:

1.    He DOES NOT own houses in Abuja, Dubai, the U.K or any other part of the world, other than his personal house built in his village in Yola back in the early 1990s;

2.    Mr. Ribadu owns a yet-to-be-developed plot of land in Katampe, an undeveloped district of Abuja, which was acquired in 1998;

3.    Apart from his official salary account, Mr. Ribadu does not operate a bank account anywhere else in the world;

4.    He has dutifully sworn to oaths declaring his assert when he was appointed Chairman, and is in the process now of declaring his assets after the completion of his course at Kuru.  Again, he urges the Commission in all its evident enthusiasm to proceed with the basic tenets of investigation of careful rather than tendentious scrutiny. 

5.    Regarding his official residence which has again being mischievously listed as a house he bought, here are the facts:

When the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), this is the  in line with the policy of the last administration, offered for sale along with other houses in the area, Mr. Ribadu could not muster the funds to purchase the said house.  However, sensitive to the possibility of a conflict of interest arising if he approached banks for a loan, given his position as EFCC Chairman, Ribadu nearly lost the house until his father-in-law, Professor Iya Abubakar, intervened. It was the Professor who bid for the house at a public auction and took a facility from his bankers, Fidelity Bank, to purchase the house, which cost N44m.  As it is, Mr. Ribadu and his family are currently living in the Mambilla Street house, thanks to his father-in-law. All records pertaining to this transaction are available at the FCDA for anyone who wishes to check.

6.    Since the Commission and its sponsors seem driven to conclusions without the care of preambles,   Mr. Ribadu hereby grants express permission to the EFCC or anyone who finds that he has assets other than those he declared before the Code of Conduct Bureau when he assumed office in 2003, to seize them without further reference to him;

Last word:

Mr. Ribadu is naturally saddened that an institution in which he worked earnestly and professionally with many patriotic colleagues seem eager to seek alliance with methods perfected by enemies of the anti-corruption war. He looks forward to a return to sobriety and professionalism at the Commission.  

Signed

Charles Musa Esq., LL.M, B.L, MCI. Arb