Ribadu in the crossfire of govt. deceit

SUNDAY ODIBASHI

The fight against corruption in Nigeria is isomorphic to fight against drug barons in Colombia, Italy or battle to tame arms deal in the United States of America, Russia and others. The common denominator is that such government would be fighting against a bourgeois group or merchant mafia that dominates the ruling elite. Metaphorically, the national assignment of the Petroleum Revenue Special Task Force exposes Mallam Nuhu Ribadu to the hazards of conflicts with the contradicting subjective interests of the ruling and governing elites in Nigeria and the international community. The drama that manifested since the submission of the Task Force Report to President Goodluck Jonathan appears to orchestrate that Ribadu might have been conned into the hazardous adventure of fighting venal operators and managers in Nigeria’s oil industry which involve international personalities and officers of the Nigerian Government. Ironically, reflexes from the Presidency tend to portray that government appears not to be willing for genuine change in the sector.

Steve Orasanya, former Head of Service of the Federation, demonstrated what many stakeholders in the Nigerian project have described as internal conspiracy against Ribadu when the Report was being presented to President Jonathan last week. Some stakeholders had thought that Orasanya’s conduct was mere spillover of impunity that is widely believed to be associated with public office holders in the country. Stakeholders became curious on the issue when the Presidency identified with Orasanya that the Report was inconclusive and incredible. The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Publicity, Doyin Okupe, has been steering the ship of controversy in this direction. While some stakeholders in the polity construe the controversy as manifestation of deceit by the government, some others were of the view that the attack on Ribadu orchestrates that the oil mafia are limited to investors in the oil sector but largely include state actors. They contended that the corollary is that Ribadu has been beguiled into hydra-headed battle involving the oil merchant mafia and the government, representing domestic and international interests of the capitalist economy.

Speaking to National Daily, Comrade Abiodun Aremu, Secretary-General of the Joint Action Front (JAF), said that the entire process is a disaster. He articulated that from the beginning, the setting up of the Task Force has been a game to distract attention from the corruption that is ravaging the oil sector.

Aremu expressed some reservations that Ribadu is ambitious for national appointment and allowed himself to be used in the charade. He contended that “having contested for President, Ribadu ought to have known the policy thrust of the government before considering his relationship with such government.”

The JAF scribe declared that the raging controversy is a demonstration of the crises of privatization policy of the Federal Government to pauperize the poor and increase the wealth of the rich. “Privatization is a neo-liberal reform policy to impoverish the Nigerian poor and make more money for the rich,” he contended. Apparently, the political economy springing out from the entire process of privatization in Nigeria is such that the entire process has failed to improve the country’s economy in all ramifications but has created more wealth for foreign interests and their Nigerian collaborators. 

Aremu lamented that “the Federal Government needed to use a credible person to cover up the deceit; then involved Ribadu to make the process credible and acceptable to Nigerians.”  He reiterated that the Committee was mainly to divert attention of Nigerians and was not expected to submit credible Report. “They see Ribadu as having populist recognition in the country and drew him into the façade of fighting corruption in the oil sector,” he stated.

The JAF Secretary emphasized that the Report nailed Ribadu and was a plan to deceive Nigerians that the government wanted to fight corruption in the oil sector. “Ribadu allowed himself to be used and has become a victim in circle of the game of corruption,” Aremu declared.

Moreover, Dr. Fredrick Fasehun, Leader of the Odu’a Peoples Congress (OPC), told National Daily that it was premature for the Presidency to have condemned Ribadu when a White Paper on the Report has not been issued by the Federal Government. “It behooves on government to release a White Paper. After that, it can comment on the completion or inconclusiveness of the job,” Fasehun stated.

The OPC leader further observed that the Presidential Aides are not helping President Jonathan. He was of the view that President Jonathan should have a second thought on those he appointed to assist him in administering the country before they ruin him.

It would be recalled that disquiet comments from some Presidential Aides generated monumental concerns in the National Assembly a fortnight ago. The leadership of the Senate was observed to have demonstrated maturity in handling the issue to avoid disharmony in Executive/Legislature relations. Senators concluded with the resolution that President Jonathan should caution his aides. Apparently, the Ribadu encounter may be a continuation of the estranged culture of governance. The travail of the former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) did not surprise many stakeholders in the country per se because of the caliber of personalities involved in the perceived syndicate crime.

To the consternation of many stakeholders, while the Presidency is pre-occupied with condemnation of the Report, President Jonathan has commenced partial implementation of the Report and has thus ordered the rehabilitation of the refineries in the country.
NationalDaily