Security operatives yesterday forced former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Malam Nuhu Ribadu, out of the graduation venue of the Senior Executive Course (SEC) 30 at the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, Plateau State, preventing him from graduating with 64 others who completed the nine-month course. Sunday Trust gathered that after being forced out of the NIPSS graduation venue, Ribadu was detained at his residence in the institute for several hours before the security operatives who bounced him out instructed him to report to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Mike Okiro at the Police Headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday. The incident which created a stir at the ceremony attended by Vice President Goodluck Jonathan and Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Chief Michael Aondookaa, SAN, confirmed earlier speculations that the former EFCC boss might be prevented from completing his NIPPS course after the Police Service Commission (PSC) demoted him from Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) to Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP). Ribadu was among 140 police officers demoted by the PSC because their promotions were allegedly irregular. He had spent six months at NIPSS before his demotion. Sunday Trust gathered last night that indications that Ribadu would be prevented from the graduation ceremony emerged last Friday during lectures and rehearsal for yesterday’s ceremony. The NIPSS authorities were said to have instructed the 65 graduands that all the military and police officers among them should wear their uniforms to the graduation ceremony. Our source, who was Ribadu’s course mate explained that: “When the instruction was given, Ribadu said he was not going to wear his uniform, as he had the AIG rank on it. He said so because the Inspector General of Police was one of the guests of honour expected at the ceremony. This morning, while we were gathered at the venue, Ribadu was with us. I don’t know at what point he left the venue.” Another source who was Ribadu’s close associate when he headed the EFCC, told to Sunday Trust that the former EFCC boss was actually forced out of the graduation ceremony by security operatives. He said, “Malam Ribadu was at the ceremony with about 20 guests, including his immediate family members. As soon as Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan and the AGF Aondookaa entered, some security operatives went to him to say he was not graduating with the others, so he would not be allowed to stay. One of them held Ribadu by the hand and walked him out of the hall. Later, his guests were also asked to leave the hall.” The source confided in Sunday Trust that after detaining Ribadu at his residence in NIPSS for several hours, the security operatives left him with an instruction that he should report to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Mike Okiro on Tuesday. The NIPSS authorities did not give a clear reason for not allowing Malam Ribadu to graduate with the 64 others. Presenting the Graduands to President Umaru Yar’adua who was represented by the Vice President Jonathan yesterday at the Unity Hall of the institution, NIPSS Acting Director of Studies, Dr Adamu Fika, said “out of the 65 graduands I will present, only 63 will be graduating. The remaining two, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu and Mr Briggs Deinbo Allen, will not be presented based on medical grounds and other issues. The two senior officers completed their nearly one year course which started in February and ended yesterday. They passed all their examinations.” When asked to explain why the two would not graduate, a NIPSS official told Sunday Trust that: “Mr Briggs had a surgical operation last week. He is presently being treated for pile in a hospital, but for Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, a political order from above supersedes our decision to award him with certificates. You know this is politics, but all of them passed their papers.” Sunday Trust noted that Ribadu’s name was actually placed as Number 49 on the list of graduands in the programme of events printed for the graduation. Also, Mr Briggs was listed as Number 12. Mallam Nuhu Ribadu was seen inside the Hall uptill about 10am. He sat among the graduands but before the beginning of the ceremony at 10;30am, he had left the hall and did not show uptill the end of the ceremony. When Sunday Trust called the Police Public Relations Officer in Abuja, Mr. Agberebi E. Akpoebi, an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), to explain police’s role in the saga, the police spokesman said he was not aware if Ribadu had been asked to report to IGP Okiro on Tuesday. He added that it was the NIPSS authorities that prevented Ribadu from graduating, absolving the police from any complicity. However, a source close to IGP Okiro said Ribadu was aware that he would not be allowed graduate from NIPSS along with other officers who attended the course, having been told earlier. The source explained it thus: “The Police Service Commission wrote a letter to NIPSS saying that Ribadu should not be considered to have graduated because he was not qualified for the course as a DSP. The course is meant for those who are Commissioners of Police and above. In the letter, the Commission told NIPSS that whenever Ribadu is promoted as Commissioner of Police, he would go to NIPSS to collect his certificate. Ribadu was aware that he was not going to graduate.” Ribadu has since sued the police authorities over his demotion from the rank of AIG to DCP. For resorting to the law court, Sunday Trust learnt that the former EFCC boss could be made to face a police disciplinary committee to answer questions. Meanwhile, speaking at the NIPSS graduation ceremony yesterday, Vice President Jonathan who represented President Umaru Yaradua advised the graduands to be good ambassadors of the institution and initiate changes that will bring the socio-economic and political development to the country. “ Our country needs commitment and sacrifice of all towards the attainment of Vision 20-2020 and the seven-point agenda,” the vice president told the gathering. He reiterated the commitment of government to improve infrastructures and provide good governance with accountability to its citizens. The Acting Director General of the institute Mr James Kolawale Opadiran said “out of the 65 participants of SEC 30 Course, 22 are military and paramilitary officers, six senior police officers, 15 heads of service and permanent secretaries from different states, 13 federal directors, and nine from the private sector and professional associations. I am glad to inform you that they have all proven their worth.” Opadiran said President Yar’adua has approved the increase of the number of participants in the institute from 60 to 100 by the year 2010 due to the increase in the demand for participation in the senior executive course by relevant sectors and professional associations. He advised the government and the National Assembly to increase NIPSS budgetary allocation and expand its infrastructure. Most of the people that spoke to Sunday Trust at the venue expressed disappointment at the way the authorities did not allow the former EFCC to receive the awards he laboured for after he fullfilled all the requirements. President Yar’adua challenged graduates of the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies [NIPSS] to see themselves as agents of positive change. Speaking at the graduation ceremony of the NIPSS Senior Executive Course 30 yesterday in Kuru Jos, Yar’adua told the graduands to place national interest above self interest in the discharge of their duties. The President, whose address was read by Vice President Goodluck Jonathan, said both the private and public sectors would look up to the ‘MNIs’ to proffer solutions to the nation?s socio-economic and political challenges. “As new members of an elite group, you are expected to place national interest above any other interest in a bid to improve the quality of life of Nigerians,” Yar’Adua said. He said government would also expect from them a rich harvest of commitment, loyalty, initiative and innovations. He said the courses they undertook would also make them expand their perspectives of national and global issues. Earlier, Acting Director of NIPSS, Mr James Okpadiran, said the increasing demand for participation in NIPSS by relevant sectors and professional groups constituted one of the indexes for measuring NIPSS relevance. He said the challenge called for expansion in facilities as well as institutional and human capacity. Okpadiran said that the institute had set up various task groups to identify its deficiencies in order to help re-invent, reposition and refocus the institute to achieve its original goals. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 63 out of the 65 participants were awarded the “MNI” Certificate at a colourful ceremony attended by eminent personalities including Gov. Babangida Aliyu of Niger, Gov. Jonah Jang of Plateau and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Bayero Nafada.
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