For the first time since the controversy surrounding the redeployment of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Chairman, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu to NIPSS, the government of the United States has expressed its concern over the matter publicly, Empowered Newswire reports.
Empowered Newswire, a US-based Nigerian news agency, obtained a copy of a report of the American government on Money Laundering and Financial Crimes across the world released at the weekend.
It stated that Ribadu�s removal would undermine the perception of Nigeria�s commitment to fighting corruption and the needed independence of the efforts to quell financial crimes in the country.
The report, which rarely mentioned individuals by name, actually mentioned Ribadu repeatedly specifically connecting his redeployment by the Inspector-General of Police to NIPSS for the rest of the year, to the ongoing trials of seven former governors.
The report praised EFCC and Ribadu but came down heavily on the Nigerian Police which it stated was also empowered to investigate financial crimes but is �is incapable of handling financial crimes because of alleged corruption and poor institutional capacity.�
According to the report: �EFCC�s success in investigating and prosecuting financial crime, especially high-level corruption, has brought it both the support of the international community and the ire of corrupt officials.�
The US government added that in December 2007, �the Government of Nigeria reassigned the EFCC Chairman, the country�s highest ranking and most publicly visible anti-corruption official, Nuhu Ribadu, to a year-long training course.
�This reassignment coincides with the high-profile trials of several officials, including seven former governors.�
As far as the US government was concerned, the report made it clear the EFCC Chairman is �the face� of the anti-corruption efforts in Nigeria.
The US said Ribadu is the one known spearheading Nigerian Anti-Money Laundering and financial crimes efforts and �his removal could undermine the perception of the GON�s commitment to fighting corruption.
�The reassignment of Ribadu may also impact the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit�s autonomy and its ability to act independently.�
Nonetheless, the US government recognised that the EFCC investigations became political last year in the midst of an election year.
Said the report: �In 2006, the EFCC received a surge of petitions and leads provided by whistleblowers. Reportedly, many of these alleged abuses of office involved politically exposed persons and/or their collaborators.