Ribadu and The petroleum task force

Several meanings are enumerated
as reasons for the offer of an
appointment to Mr. Nuhu Ribadu, a
retired police officer and past
Chairman of the Nigerian Economic
Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)
to chair of a newly created
Petroleum Task Force. He says it is
an opportunity to serve his
fatherland in mode of his father’s
distinguished service. That is
somewhat noble. Others say that he
is being set up by the present
administration; and he is on his
own. These forms of reaction depict
how unserious we are as a people

Merits of his qualifications; access to
superb assets to succeed in the
appointment; and quality of his
character seem non-essential to
those agonised by his acceptance of
the appointment. To them, there is
always a sub-text to decisions of
those in authority – even when we
had gone on a strike to make
demands which are now granted.
Interestingly, besides the hysteria of
Grub Street, reaction of erstwhile
handlers at the Action Congress
Party of Nigeria (ACN) necessitating
a Press Statement is so infantile and
quite frankly, a disgrace. Often,
statements from that political party
beg the question, if they are
collective responses of its
leadership. Where its General
Secretary ought to announce
positions of the party, what comes
across are personal whims of its
Publicity Secretary, which is
approved by the party’s leader
for Mr. Ribadu, highlights of his
career include a footnote of a
disastrous presidential ambition. He
dined on a harvest of goodwill
where he had not sowed. A faulty
strength of character and ACN, a
mainstream political party, made
him forget basic tenets of politics
which require ideology and herding
with others of like minds.in May
2011, he became an independent
member of United Nations
Assistance Mission in Afghanistan
Anti-Corruption Monitoring and
Evaluation Committee (UNAMA MEC).What is unknown of Mr. Ribadu;
though, preferably to ride above
schadenfreude of missteps of his
last call, much of which are already
acknowledged, begs for more
questions as to what can be
expected this time.A Leopard never changes its spots.
However, before considerations of a
future expectation, what dish has
the past chairman of the EFCC
served or less appropriately, what
shall he be served? The level of corruption in the oil
industry and complex technicalities
create ambivalence whether he is
the right man for the job. What if he
fails? That is unlikely with the
steady hands of Mr. Steve
Oransanye. What if he is ridiculed?
So what? What if this government is
not serious about tackling
corruption? Contributions from the
Task Force shall not be diminished.
His willingness to serve our country
suffices for me. This is a decision
from the heart and not a blind
ambition. It follows an eminent
ideology and for that reason, he has
my voteHis willingness to serve our country
suffices for me. This is a decision
from the heart and not a blind
ambition. It follows an eminent
ideology and for that reason, he has
my vote.
BANJO ODUTOLA
The writer is a solicitor of the
Supreme Court, England and Wales
and a Lawyer at a Firm of Solicitors
in London, England.
Twitter: @banjoodutola