NUHU RIBADU: Advocate Of Inclusive Government As NSA

It was a day after President Bola Tinubu was inaugurated and he was one of the eminent personalities having their usual rendezvous at the Abuja residence of a popular billionaire businessman when someone broached the subject of how the president could form the new government.

Of course, as expected, discussion gravitated towards who should and who shouldn’t be in the new government on account of the role they played during the election. Then someone talked down the South East as undeserving of Tinubu’s attention and Nuhu Ribadu was stung by the suggestion and went philosophical in his counter arguments.

The retired police chief argued that no country could achieve greatness if a critical section of its population feels isolated and agitated as we have in Nigeria. He said peace and progress would elude such a country. He expressed the belief that a government that desires peace must negotiate with aggrieved sections and be fair in the distribution of political offices to give every section and faith a genuine sense of belonging. It is the only way to deepen democracy and make progress.He ended by saying he would not be proud to be part of a government that is not inclusive.

Not a few of those present were impressed by how he rationalized his inclusive government philosophy, and many of us, knowing his relationship with President Bola Tinubu, concluded he would be a great asset to the Tinubu administration if he is given a role.

But barely a week after that engaging occasion, Ribadu was announced as a special adviser on security to the president! And a few days ago, he was named as the National Security Adviser to the president. What a round peg in a round hole that is!

His appointment has understandably moved not a few eyebrows. Nigeria is a country accustomed to having retired military officers appointed as NSA, although there have been a few retired police officers appointed too. Ironically, police officers who had served as NSA such as Gambo Jimeta and Ismaila Gwarzo served military regimes. But civilian administrations since 1999 have appointed retired military officers.

This is perhaps due to the erroneous belief that security is the exclusive preserve of the military, police and other law enforcement agencies. This is not true. While it is true that the security challenges confronting Nigeria are largely insurgencies that would require military engagement, the Nigerian Military is adequately well equipped with the manpower to handle the challenges. What is required is an executive coordination centre which the office of the NSA provides.

Section 4 of the National Security Agencies Act, 1986, empowered the President, as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, to appoint a Coordinator on National Security while Section 4(3) of the Act defines the roles of the Coordinator on National Security to include advising the President on matters concerning the intelligence activities of the (created) agencies; making recommendations in relation to the activities of the agencies to the President as contingencies may warrant.. and doing such other things in connection with the foregoing provisions of this section, as the President may determine.

As noted by many commentators, the schedule of the NSA straddles different but relevant professional capabilities such as military, law enforcement, intelligence services, international relations, financial controls and developmental spheres.

As Uche F. Uche noted in an article published in the Guardian of 04 June 2023, the application of conflict resolution mechanisms in dealing with conflicts and crisis threatening Nigeria’s national security is also of priority, because use of force alone cannot produce the results needed. This is why the NSA should be familiar with such mechanisms, to include capacity in crisis management and alternative dispute resolution.

In the United Kingdom, all the six persons who have been appointed the NSA since 2010 have been career diplomats or civil servants. The current NSA , Sir Timothy Earle Barrow, is a civil servant who became a diplomat and served as the British Ambassador to the European Union before his current appointment as NSA.

In the United States which our democracy is modeled after, many of the people appointed had no military training. Condoleezza Rice was a university scholar when President George Bush appointed her NSA from 2001–05. The man that took over the office after her tenure is Stephen John Hadley, a lawyer and civil servant. Jacob Jeremiah Sullivan, who’s the current NSA, was also a civil servant before his appointment.

So, in the modern world, the role of the NSA is changing. Governments are looking for intelligent men and women whose resume shows capabilities in peacebuilding, intelligence gathering and analysis, developmental issues and in the case of Nigeria, an advocate of inclusiveness.

Former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, said in 2015 while addressing the Security Council, that “Post-conflict societies must prioritize social, economic and political inclusion if they are to have any hope of rebuilding trust between communities” to underline need for inclusivity in governance of conflict states.

Also in a paper presented by John Mukum Mbaku, on the imperative of inclusive governance, he suggested that “The type of governance structure that each African country should strive for over the next decade is one that should address peaceful coexistence and economic development, inequality, the effects of climate change, health pandemics, and enhanced regional cooperation, as well as ensure the full and effective participation in both the economic and political systems of groups that have historically been marginalized. Each country must reflect upon its own governance challenges and engage in robust national dialogue on institutional reforms to enable an effective and inclusive governance system.”

He cited examples of African countries Cameroon, the DRC, and South Sudan as countries plagued by violence due to absence of enabling environment for peaceful coexistence which inclusivity creates. He said, “Peace and security, which are a sine qua non for entrepreneurial activities and the creation of wealth, are unlikely to return to these countries without the provision of participatory and inclusive governance structures.”

This is the hope that Ribadu offers our country as NSA. I see him as a paradigm shift in our security architecture; a new template for the management of Nigeria’s national security. It is certainly not a hype to say Ribadu fits the bill of a modern day NSA. Ribadu was an intelligence police operative who retired as Assistant Inspector General of Police. He came into limelight as a star prosecutor at the Oputa Panel which was created to investigate human rights abuses during the military era. He also served as Chairman of the Petroleum Special Revenue Task Force (PRSTF) before he became the pioneer Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) where his achievements earned him global recognition and awards.

Ribadu joined the global class of security personnel trained on driving developmental and peacebuilding ideas when he became a visiting fellow at the Center for Global Development, a TED Fellow, and a Senior Fellow in St. Antony’s College, University of Oxford, UK.

As a former presidential candidate of a major political party–the Action Congress of Nigeria– Ribadu certainly knows this country better than most of his contemporaries.

But more importantly, Nigeria is at a point in her history when she needs men and women who believe in the country and see the importance of every section, tribe and religion to the overall wellbeing of the country. Men or women who can bring everyone together. This is where Ribadu excels. The international community is also going to be very comfortable with someone like Ribadu who’s not unknown to the global security architecture. That is an asset for the country.

A 2021 United Nations report on the importance of inclusive governance noted that “Governance is inclusive when it effectively serves and engages all people; takes into account gender and other facets of personal identity; and when institutions, policies, processes, and services are accessible, accountable and responsive to all members of society. Fostering governance that is inclusive is essential to advancing democratic values, including peaceful pluralism and respect for diversity.”

It also acknowledged that “Building peace is about much more than ending war.,” an assertion that prioritizes inclusiveness as a solution to internal agitations and upheavals as we have in the country.

Ribadu is an advocate of inclusion, making sure that the marginalized members of society are not only told they are included but also feel like they are. If Nigeria’s security challenges are to be holistically tackled with energy and passion, no one brings that to the job like Ribadu.

As the pioneer EFCC chairman, he turned the agency into the most feared law enforcement organization in the country. He acted like a man born for the job. Arguably, no one had demonstrated his passion for anti-corruption since he left the office. He became the standard by which his successors were judged.

As Nigeria’s NSA, I have no doubt that he would bring the same passion to the job and exceed everyone’s expectations. Congratulations Mr. Inclusiveness.

– Ume is the founder of Unubiko Foundation, Abuja.

Disclaimer: This article is entirely the opinion of the writer and does not represent the views of The Whistler.