Reprieve for Ribadu

Daily Sun gathered authoritatively that a top Presidency official invited the PSC Chairman, Parry Osayande to the Villa to direct to him to work out a modality to reabsorb Ribadu into the force with his AIG rank. It was also gathered that, when Osayande pointed it out to the Presidency the damage the action could do to the service and destruction it could do to the psyche of other officers whose irregular promotions were reversed, the Presidency was said to have insisted that it must be done to avoid a rancorous situation in the polity.

A reliable source close to the Presidency confided in Daily Sun that the insistence of the Presidency to get the adjustment done might not be unconnected with the intensive pressure from both the United States (US) and United Kingdom (UK) in particular, on the Presidency to bring back Ribadu into the system.

The two powerful Western nations were quoted as holding the stance that Ribadu had done well for Nigeria in the war against corruption to their admiration and as such, should be brought back home to contribute more in the anti-graft war.
Acting on the briefs received from the Presidency, Osayande was said to have convened an emergency meeting of his Commission to deliberate on the matter.

The PSC, it was learnt, asked Ribadu to write a formal letter of apology for whatever must have happened and then demand that his dismissal be commuted to retirement while his rank be restored to the former controversial AIG.
A source close to the PSC meeting held on Monday, who spoke with Daily Sun on condition of anonymity said Osayande had a Herculean time convincing his members to do the Presidency’s bidding.

“All the Commission’s members, except Osayande himself, did not support the project as they did not speak well of Ribadu,” the source disclosed, adding that “the members were apprehensive of litigations that others in Ribadu’s shoes might institute.”
The Commission’s members, though admitted that Ribadu truly wrote a letter of apology, they smelt arrogance in the letter as they observed that the letter was more of justifications of Ribadu’s actions in the recent past.

At the end of the deliberations, Daily Sun learnt that the consensus of the members, which was at the instance of Osayande, who they respected so much, was that Ribadu could only be reinstated and be retired immediately with his AIG rank.

Confirming the reinstatement, the Executive Director, Communication, Mrs. Comfort Obi, explained that the Commission, though accepted Ribadu’s appeal by reinstating his rank, had to effect his immediate retirement after considering that his continued stay in the police force could affect the morale of the men in the service.
Ribadu was dismissed from the Force on December 23, 2008, following indictment over acts of insubordination by a panel headed by the current IGP, Onovo, who was then a Deputy Inspector-General of Police, while Mike Okiro was the IG.

Earlier, Ribadu was believed to have gained controversial promotion to the rank of AIG for being a loyal aide to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, but was demoted from the rank to Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) after running into troubled water with the late President Umaru Yar’Adua, who removed him as the boss of EFCC.

Ribadu was then a student at the Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) when his demotion came but he refused to wear police uniform bearing the rank of a DCP during the graduation of the his set in NIPSS and the set’s visit to the late President Yar’Adua as was the customary for graduating students.
Ribadu was transferred to Benin but he refused to report for duty at his new duty post, saying he did not accept his demotion.
The disagreement between him and police authorities led to his trial by a panel constituted by the PSC which found him wanting, indicted him and recommended his dismissal.
Based on this report, the PSC board met and approved the recommendation and ordered his dismissal forthwith.
Ribadu, who went on exile after his dismissal, was later charged before the Code of Conduct Tribunal for non-declaration of assets, but had the charges dropped last week by the government.