Readings 20-02-2012: A Katumba, N Ribadu, Napoleon

• The Congolese Kingmaker is dead. The Economist's blog Baobab features an article regarding the sudden death of Augustin Katumba, a trusted advisor to Congolese President Joseph Kabila who was widely perceived as the "brain" behind the presidency.

• The return of Nuhu Ribadu, the pioneer Executive Chairman of Nigeria's Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), who has been recently appointed Chair of the Task force for petroleum revenue. According to African Arguments, this move signals a will for Nigerian president to fight corruption not only in the oil sector but elsewhere. According to Jeremy Weate, the petro state - largely under the presidential and state governors discretion -  is the "engine-room of corruption" that prevents any form of good governance by killing any good will at its roots.

"the underlying cause of corruption  is the structure of Nigeria’s quintessential “petro” state.  There are a number of characteristics of the petro-state we can point to.  Firstly, it features a broken social contract in the form of a rupture in the relationship between taxation and accountability. Royalties and taxes paid by international oil companies are direct contributions to the federal coffers, by-passing the citizenry. As the government has no need to rely on internally generated revenue, it has no incentive to engage with accountability actors such as civil society organisations.  It is therefore close to impossible to apply accountability pressure into the system of governance. In Nigeria ministers never resign."

• "Que peut-il ? Tout. Qu’a-t-il fait ? Rien." Bear is Cool quotes Victor Hugo's description of "Napoleon, le petit". Any resemblance?