The news that Mallam Nuhu Ribadu has decided to take up the Chairmanship of the newly-constituted Petroleum Revenue Special Task Force (PRSTF) may have come as a surprise to some. It may have even astounded some, and angered some more, especially from within the ACN. To all of those, Ribadu has become a political disappointment and a moral turncoat. However, to some, Ribadu has done exactly as he had always intended to: to be part of the ‘ruining’ elite. That he so successfully hoodwinked so many, including savvy and veteran politicians, political observers and commentators, is a testament to his uncanny ability to present himself as the political messiah and mask the impudent opportunist that he really is.
I’m not questioning his democratic right to associate himself, legally, with any person or group of persons whom he so wishes; far from it. I’m, however, unapologetically questioning his moral right, as a public figure of some repute, to disregard, out of hand, the public outcry that he knew his choice was going to cause. My moral indignation at the Mallam actually goes beyond his decision to eat and drink with the devil. I had so much time and respect for him as the EFCC czar for his courage and steely determination to confront economic and financial illegalities. So blinded was I in my respect for him that I treated with outright contempt the charges that he was merely Obasanjo’s political tool to harass, embarrass and punish his political opponents. In my eyes, this Mallam could do no wrong. He, to me, was a pillar of probity; the kind of person our country so badly needed in these crazy and uncertain times.
From his perspective, he is merely answering the call of national duty; patriotism is his reason for accepting the position. What balderdash! What sophistry! He most obviously does not understand that “…… a reformer has to sail not with the current. Very often he has to go against it even though it may cost him his life.”
What this Mallam hopes to achieve in this position is another factor to consider. For starters, he’ll be reporting directly to a dishonourable and discredited Minister of Petroleum Affairs, Allison-Madueke. A minister whose list of allegations against her is longer than River Nile; a minister who would have been easy prey for the Mallam at the peak of his powers at the EFCC. Lest the facts be muddled, it is an unwholesome and a condescending appointment to take on. As Chairman of the PRSTF, does the Mallam expect to have a substantial influence in policy formulation and decision-making? If he does think so, then he is even denser than previously suspected. He is a lone sheep among a vicious pack of wolves and his voice will be drowned out. Nothing good will come out of it and it will end in tears. That’s as certain as night follows day. Mallam Nuhu Ribadu has lost credibility; damaged his reputation, and irreparably depleted the little political capital he had with Nigerians.
Where he now goes from here is his problem. Which serious political and social reformer now wants to be associated with him? Would the ACN have him back in their fold having defied their call for him to reason? Would he now have the guts to criticise a government with which he is inextricably linked? Your guess is as good as mine. The PDP beckons, but he would do well to remember that “...it is beneath human dignity to love one’s individuality and become a mere cog in the machine.”
I’m not questioning his democratic right to associate himself, legally, with any person or group of persons whom he so wishes; far from it. I’m, however, unapologetically questioning his moral right, as a public figure of some repute, to disregard, out of hand, the public outcry that he knew his choice was going to cause. My moral indignation at the Mallam actually goes beyond his decision to eat and drink with the devil. I had so much time and respect for him as the EFCC czar for his courage and steely determination to confront economic and financial illegalities. So blinded was I in my respect for him that I treated with outright contempt the charges that he was merely Obasanjo’s political tool to harass, embarrass and punish his political opponents. In my eyes, this Mallam could do no wrong. He, to me, was a pillar of probity; the kind of person our country so badly needed in these crazy and uncertain times.
From his perspective, he is merely answering the call of national duty; patriotism is his reason for accepting the position. What balderdash! What sophistry! He most obviously does not understand that “…… a reformer has to sail not with the current. Very often he has to go against it even though it may cost him his life.”
What this Mallam hopes to achieve in this position is another factor to consider. For starters, he’ll be reporting directly to a dishonourable and discredited Minister of Petroleum Affairs, Allison-Madueke. A minister whose list of allegations against her is longer than River Nile; a minister who would have been easy prey for the Mallam at the peak of his powers at the EFCC. Lest the facts be muddled, it is an unwholesome and a condescending appointment to take on. As Chairman of the PRSTF, does the Mallam expect to have a substantial influence in policy formulation and decision-making? If he does think so, then he is even denser than previously suspected. He is a lone sheep among a vicious pack of wolves and his voice will be drowned out. Nothing good will come out of it and it will end in tears. That’s as certain as night follows day. Mallam Nuhu Ribadu has lost credibility; damaged his reputation, and irreparably depleted the little political capital he had with Nigerians.
Where he now goes from here is his problem. Which serious political and social reformer now wants to be associated with him? Would the ACN have him back in their fold having defied their call for him to reason? Would he now have the guts to criticise a government with which he is inextricably linked? Your guess is as good as mine. The PDP beckons, but he would do well to remember that “...it is beneath human dignity to love one’s individuality and become a mere cog in the machine.”
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