My Beauty Best Teacher

In Project Syndicate Ike Okonta on divisions within Nigeria's ruling party and the opportunity it may present for the opposition:

...The PDP, in power since military rule ended in 1999, is widely disliked. Corruption is widespread, and PDP politicians have been unable to deliver the prosperity and improved social services that Nigerians looked forward to following the return of democracy. Indeed, the PDP has been able to retain power only by rigging successive elections, most spectacularly in 2007, when the outgoing Obasanjo foisted Yar’Adua on the party hierarchy.
The poorly resourced opposition could benefit if the expected northern backlash divides the PDP. Nuhu Ribadu, the respected former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, has announced his intention to contest the presidency as the candidate of one of the opposition parties.
A Muslim northerner, Ribadu enjoys the support of youth and democrats nationwide. The latter are regaining confidence in the political process, following the recent appointment of a no-nonsense academic as head of the election commission. Muhammadu Buhari, whom Babangida replaced as military head of state in 1985, is also expected to run, as the nominee of the Congress of Progressive Change.

ABC reports on the presidential candidacy announcement of Nuhu Ribadu:
"There is a need for a party that is national," Ribadu said. "There is a need for a party that will give Nigerians a chance for democracy to work, an alternative to what we have today."...[continue reading]

'Integrity in Politics' from a "..Public panel discussion presented by the "Managing for Integrity"' featuring Nuhu Ribadu and others:

Nuhu Ribadu and others at a 'Symposium on Investigative Reporting on bribery and corruption',  in Bombastic Element:

A high profile panel aptly titled "Corruption Hunters," answered questions about international corruption and the role of the media during the 3rd Annual Logan Symposium on Investigative Reporting back in April.

Nuhu Ribadu's testimony to the US Congress:

Next year, Nigeria will be half a century old. In 1960, the year I was born, my country attained Independence from Britain. The promise of independence was boundless and the famous Nigerian energy was all too evident. We were sure we would make it. Home to about 140 million of the West African region’s 220 million inhabitants, Nigeria’s demography alone elects it as a regional power.
Today, after one civil war, seven military regimes, and three botched attempts at building real democracy, there is one connecting factor in the failure of all attempts to govern Nigeria: corruption...[continue reading]

Nuhu Ribadu on PBS discusses being bribed and more:

via African Loft
For related information visit Nuhu Ribadu Trust

"Corruption kicked me out of Nigeria"-Nuhu Ribadu
The Movement of Movements the rise of 'Social Entrepreneurship'-The Yale Globalist
Politics versus the law in South Africa-The Economist
"Africa needs younger leaders"-Kofi Annan
"Yar'Adua administration is corrupt"-Nigerian Bar Association. Really?-via Turenchi
The Congo, too big to fail?

Reuben Abati interviews Nuhu Ribadu, in a response to a question on corruption he asserts that:

...corruption is the biggest problem we have in Africa. It is so central to the problems we have. But to fight corruption, the biggest man in government, the President or the Prime Minister must be honest about it. That is where it starts. Americans talk about Obama. We need change in Nigeria more than America does. What I discovered is that we have a challenge to give power to ordinary Nigerians, to ordinary people, to take it from the politicians. And we don’t have time. Change is important...[continue reading]

Femi Ajayi writes about the need to strengthen institutions and deemphasize personalities:

I believe one of the lessons from Nuhu Ribadu's saga would be for Nigeria and Nigerians to start building INSTITUTIONS rather than INDIVIDUALS or PERSONALITIES. Nigeria and Nigerians should start building institutions rather than personalities. Nigeria discouraged Obasanjo in making himself an Institution, so also it should be done in all segments of Nigeria public service. We should end the popularity showcase.
Nuhu Ribadu has done creditably well, nonetheless no one is indispensable. Nigerian mindset needs to be changed from hero worshipping to the substance of Nigerian Institutions. Nigerians are still suffering from the mishmash imposed on them by the Military to get excited and emotional on issues. Please don't blame Nigerians on this. Nigerians have been traumatized for over 30 years of Military rule that ruled with Decrees.

David Blair writes "...Nigeria's rulers have already pocketed the equivalent of six Marshall Plans. After that mass theft, two thirds of the country's 130 million people - one in seven of the total African population...Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, set up three years ago, said that £220 billion was "squandered" between independence from Britain in 1960 and the return of civilian rule in 1999...The stolen fortune tallies almost exactly with the £220 billion of western aid given to Africa between 1960 and 1997. That amounted to six times the American help given to post-war Europe under the Marshall Plan..."