Nigeria, March 1 -- The dilemma of leadership in a system where compromise is the currency of the day is that integrity becomes a burden. Those who refuse to bend to the whims of corrupt power players or stand on their principles find themselves the target of campaigns to undermine them. This has been the test before the National Security Adviser, Malam Nuhu Ribadu, in the past few weeks. Yet, once again, his record of service has proven to be his greatest shield. This is the price to pay for being a man in the arena, only that he's not there to fight his detractors. His job is one that doesn't even afford him the luxury of shifting his gaze away from his target - those who undermine Nigeria's security.

These distractions are, at best, a...