NIPSS Graduation
Security Stops Ribadu
Gani Condemns Action
From Isa Abdulsalami, Jos
SECURITY operatives yesterday dragged the former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Nuhu Ribadu, from the graduation ceremonies at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru.
Ribadu, who had successfully completed his course at the NIPSS, was at the Unity Hall of the institute where he and other colleagues were seated, waiting to be conferred with the Members of the National Institute (mni) when the operatives pounced on him.
He was dragged out of the hall and taken to an unknown destination within the premises of the institute.
The institute's authorities said he could not participate at the ceremony on health ground but Ribadu, who returned to Abuja yesterday, has debunked this claim.
He told journalists on phone from later: "They (security operatives) forced me out of the hall with 40 members of my family and friends, who have come to rejoice with me.
"I don't know why it has to be that way since I was not made aware of the plan on ground not for me to graduate. I was forced out; I don't know why it has to be like that.
"You (journalists) cannot come even if I said you should come. They (the security men) would not allow you in. They forced me out of the graduation hall and took me to a hidden location within the premises."
Meanwhile, Lagos lawyer and rights crusader, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, has described as "most disheartening, absolute bizarre and unprecedentedly barbaric" the prevention of Mallam Ribadu from graduating yesterday at NIPSS, Kuru.
He said Ribadu's travails through the Yar'Adua administration shows that government has the tendencies of fascism and its profession for the rule of law "is smokescreen and hypocrisy of the worst order."
If Ribadu had not been prevented from graduating, Ribadu would have graduated with his rank of Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), as was written on the graduation list.
The police authorities had demoted him to a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) on the ground that he did not merit the rank. His problem started when he rejected the demotion, and went to court to challenge in that decision.
He has also gone to the court to stop the EFCC from arresting him and court last granted him leave to enforce his fundamental rights but that he could be invited by the EFCC to clear any grey area concerning his conduct.
Ribadu came into the hall spotting a light ash babanriga, a black cap and slippers.
The convention is that officers must wear their uniform with relevant ranks on such occasion.
If Ribadu had worn his uniform with the rank of a DCP, it would have indicated that he had accepted his demotion. And if he had donned the rank of AIG, that would signal insubordination and disobedience of lawful order.
Sixty-five participants concluded the Senior Executive Course (SEC) 30 and their names were conspicuously written in alphabetical order on the graduation list distributed to invited guests.
Ribadu's name was number 49 on the list of the graduates. He was present at the distinguished yearly lecture of the Institute on Friday, which was delivered by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni of Uganda, which drew a large audience.
Immediately the national anthem was sung and prayers offered before the ceremony, the Acting Director-General of NIPSS, Mr. James Kolawole Opadiran, presented his welcome address.
Then, the master of ceremonies invited Dr. Adamu Fika, Acting Director of Studies at NIPSS, to present the graduands to the Acting Director-General, who, in turn, would present them to Vice President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan for the award of the mni certificates.
But as Fika moved to the podium, he quickly and briefly announced that out of the initial 65 participants slated for the day's graduation, only 63 would be presented because two of them were sick and could not attend the ceremony.
"Mr. Allen Deinbo Briggs and Mr. Nuhu Ribadu have been exempted from participating in this graduation ceremony on health grounds."
For the first time since the inception of the institute, the 63 participants, who were graduated yesterday, could not be inducted into the prestigious Hall of Fame of the institute, as members of NIPSS.
The graduands would normally be inducted first in the presence of the special guest, who was the Vice President. After the graduation ceremony and presentation of certificates to the graduands, the National Anthem would be sung and the Vice President would head for Airport to go to Abuja.
The forceful dragging of Ribadu out of the graduation hall has confirmed the allegation that the police authorities in Abuja and the EFCC were not only out to arrest him, but to stop his graduation as a member of the National Institute.
Briggs, who was also exempted from graduation yesterday, was accused of allegedly stealing a digital camera belonging to one of the course participants while on study tour in China.
Ribadu had entered the hall as early as 9am and had some snap shots with some course participants in the hall before the Vice President's arrival.
But before the Vice President was ushered inside the hall, Ribadu, who was spotting a light ash babanriga, a black cap and slippers, was escorted outside the main hall by some hefty looking security operatives in mufti.
At about 11am, when Dr. Fika was called upon to present the graduands of the Senior Executive Course 30 to the Visiting President, represented by Vice President Jonathan, he announced that the Vice President inaugurated 65 participants in February 2008.
But that "out of this number, two were not going to be part of the graduation for reasons ranging from ill-health and others." The announcement caused a little stir among the audience and the participants as they murmured.
For Briggs, a Senior Fellow with the National Institute, he was said to have been nominated to the set 30 Course by the then director general, Professor Akin Akindoyeni.
His nomination reportedly sparked off controversy going back to his record of service. In the past 23 years, he has been working in NIPSS.
What happened to him in China was widely reported by the media. The controversy that attended his story consumed the former acting director general of the institute, Dr. Yakubu Sankey not long ago.
"Sankey was forcefully asked to go on suspension by the office of the Vice President, who oversees the affairs of NIPSS. His dogged stance on having Briggs suspended from the course met with a brick wall from the Presidency," a source said.
The source added: "The intrigues and power play that attended this year's graduation ceremony in NIPSS had been one that had generated controversy the past 30 years of its existence as an institute that serves as a high level centre for reflection, research and dialogue.
"As a top government policy making body, this year's participants were drafted by the Presidency to work out a comprehensive programme for the country in line with President Yar'Adua's seven-point agenda."
The failure yesterday to induct the graduating participants followed a break in protocol by the moderator, who had refused to allow the induction to take place first before the National Anthem, which culminated in the departure of the Vice President.
Participants were drilled in areas such as policy and strategy, domestic environment, regional studies, defence and security to international relations and science and technology for 10-month course duration.
Some of the graduated participants described Ribadu as very brilliant, who concluded his course work and project within time, saying his predicament was very unfortunate.
If he had not been prevented from graduating, Ribadu would have graduated with his rank of Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), as was written on the graduation list.
The police authorities had demoted him to a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) on the ground that he did not merit the rank. His problem started when he rejected the demotion, and went to court to challenge in that decision.
He has also gone to the court to stop the EFCC from arresting him and court last granted him leave to enforce his fundamental rights but that he could be invited by the EFCC to clear any grey area concerning his conduct.
