Ribadu Returns

Nuhu Ribadu has been appointed chairman of the newly-constituted Petroleum Revenue Special Task Force. Ribadu won plaudits for his time as combative chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). His return to government service has surprised and pleased political commentators.

Ribadu's return is dramatic. He was opposition party Action Congress of Nigeria's (ACN) presidential candidate in 2011 election, escaped assassination on two occasions and was hounded into exile during the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua administration.

His prominence stems from his 2003 appointment as the pioneer chairman of the EFCC by then president Olusegun Obasanjo. The agency was created to tackle the financial foul play and corruption that was and still is an enormous economic and social problem for the country.

Critics accused Ribadu’s EFCC of being Obasanjo’s tool to harass political dissidents and silence the opposition. Some have said the low conviction rate of ruling party members, some of whom were suspected of embezzlement, was damning. Yet landmark cases including the arrest of Inspector General of Police, Tafa Balogun, and convictions in the world's biggest advance fee fraud case – involving the sum of $242 million from a Brazilian bank – earned Ribadu global acclaim.

Ribadu’s unwavering stance against corruption was the catalyst for his downfall after Obasanjo left office. Eight months into Yar'Adua's tenure, he was removed from his post following an executive order and sent to the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) in Kuru, Jos, Plateau State for a mandatory one-year training course.

Ribadu subsequently fled abroad after two attempts on his life were made by an unknown gunman. He would eventually return to Nigeria to contest the 2011 presidential elections as ACN flag bearer, finishing third after Jonathan (PDP) and Muhammadu Buhari (CPC).

The state-owned Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has been accused of a lack of transparency and embedded corruption. The creation of the Petroleum Revenue Special Task Force is seen as the first step in sanitising this system. Amongst other aims, the 21-member task force has been charged with the determination of how much taxes and royalties the government is entitled to.

Its mandate also includes making oil industry operators agree to and implement payment terms. Former head of service Steve Oronsaye has been appointed as the deputy chairman and the body also includes a former president of the Nigerian Bar Association and representatives of federal agencies.

Ribadu’s acceptance of the role may come as a surprise to many and is in danger of being misconstrued as a rapprochement with his former patron's ruling PDP. In his statement regarding this new job, he explains, “This … is a national call. In answering it, I go back to the template of my own parents who taught me that honest public service is the greatest asset a person can offer his community”.

Appointing Ribadu looks to be shrewd move by the government. Ribadu is a Muslim from Adamawa state in the north of the country. In the current climate of tensions between North and South, Ribadu’s appointment may soothe the Northern grievance of insufficient representation in government. Furthermore, it adds credence to government plans to clean up the oil sector, following the fuel subsidy removal controversy.

Ribadu’s statement in full can be found here.

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