THE RETURN OF NUHU RIBADU

Paul Nwabuikwu pays tribute to Nuhu Ribadu, National Security Adviser

The announcement of Nuhu Ribadu as the new National Security Adviser is one of the more significant appointments of the Tinubu era. The reasons are obvious. Ribadu was the pioneer Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission who not only headed the organization but defined it in his own image to the extent that the organization, in effect, became the man. His high-profile investigation and prosecution of politicians and other prominent persons indicted for corruption earned him massive public adulation. The reformist second term administration of Olusegun Obasanjo was full of stars, some of whom have remained in the limelight long after that government ended in 2007. In their midst, Ribadu shone. He was a rock star, loved and lauded for his courage and devotion to ridding the country of financial crimes.

Tafa Balogun, the larger-than-life late Inspector-General of Police, a charismatic and powerful man in his own right, was the largest scalp of EFCC bagged under Ribadu’s watch. But there were of course many others. At the height of Ribadu’s fame, the mere mention of his name sowed fear in the hearts of criminals. His physical presence had even stronger impact.

One incident remains stuck in my memory. It happened sometime in the middle 2000s, when I was managing communications for the Federal Ministry of Finance during the historic reforms. Two audacious fraudsters had come to the ministry with a “message” from former military president Ibrahim Babangida. IBB, they claimed, had run short of cash and had sent them to pick up a few millions on his behalf from the finance minister and head of the Economic Team, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. It was an astonishing request, one that perhaps gave an insight into how government business used to be conducted in the days when the vaults of the Central Bank were freely accessible to whichever soldier happened to be at the helm.

A phone call quickly confirmed that Babangida did not send anyone to Finance to collect money on his behalf. To cut a long story short, the two fraudsters in kaftans were asked to stay in the conference room after they were assured that the millions were being counted for onward transmission to Minna. And so they relaxed there, reclining comfortably in their seats, sipping some water and soft drinks the air conditioner humming quietly, perhaps counting the loot in the minds… then Ribadu walked in. I’ll never forget the mix of confusion, shock, fear and sheer helplessness on their faces when they realized that the game was up. I couldn’t help feeling a little sorry for them.

Prior to his taking office as EFCC chairman, there were other tales of his exploits as a policeman including one of how he slapped a young robber with a gun who accosted him in the course of an operation. But it was of course not just one glorious tale of heroism. There were risks. There were threats from many powerful directions. But he remained unmoved.

Despite his tough public image, Ribadu was a very different person in the Economic Team. This was especially evident during trips abroad with the team when I had the chance to observe him and other members at close quarters. In a group of practical and simple technocrats, his humility and accessibility still stood him out. Like the late President Yar’Adua, one got the impression that Ribadu has very little regard for the flatulent lifestyle of Nigeria’s big men and women.

That’s why it was quite a surprise to learn that he is actually quite an ajebutter by birth. His father, Umaru Ribadu, was Nigeria’s first post-independence Minister of Defence, one of the pillars of the Northern People’s Congress, the rulling party of the First Republic. Because of his simple ways and passion for fighting anti-elite malfeasance, one had thought that Ribadu was more likely a son of Aminu Kano! But he’s of course not the first child of privilege to commit Marxists “class suicide”. Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, scion of the famous upper middle class Kuti clan and, less dramatically, former President Umaru Yar’Adua whose father was also a First Republic minister and whose brother Shehu Musa Yar’Adua was number two in the Obasanjo military administration, were also notable iconoclasts who didn’t care much for the loud and corrupt ways which Nigeria’s largely unproductive elites are infamous for.

Public reaction to the appointment of Ribadu, a retired senior police officer and lawyer, as National Security Adviser has been generally positive. Despite his post EFCC involvement in politics, memories for his performance as EFCC chairman, the high watermark in the annals of the institution, are still robust in the public mind. But some have also questioned his qualification for the job based on the precedent that previous NSAs were either senior military officers or senior intelligence officers. Discussing the issue, a friend of mine was decidedly unimpressed by the questions. “How well did the others perform?”, he asked. “Has our security situation improved exponentially?” he added rhetorically.

These are not idle questions. Terrorism, once confined to the north east and parts of north west is mutating into a pan Nigerian challenge, choking parts of the middle belt and reaching into the south west. “Unknown gunmen” of various stripes – from fake agitators for regional autonomy to outright criminals have become a significant problem in the south east. Militancy – on land and on sea – continues to do damage to lives, livelihood and environment in the south-south. Kidnapping for ransom, like garri and Afrobeats, have become hallmarks of nationhood to the point that many cases no longer make the headlines.

Whatever the answers to these questions may be, there’s no doubt that country can benefit from new ideas and approaches to the serious security challenges we face. The good news is that the NSA does not need a Hercules to do the heavy lifting required to improve the nation’s security status alone. The office requires organic cooperation and consultation with the institutions that have the boots on the ground: the military, the police and other paramilitary organizations. It’s a portfolio that requires an understanding of the big picture issues as well as the processes that must be changed or tweaked in order to achieve significant improvement at the inflection points of national security. The NSA portfolio also requires boldness and a focus on priorities without allowing the ego get in the way – qualities that Ribadu certainly brings to the table.

Nwabuikwu is a member of THISDAY Editorial Board