Opinion
Bureaucracy And Niger Delta Development
President Goodluck Jonathan would want to leave an enduring legacy by the time he finishes his tenure in 2015. To do this, however, he has to rely on his ministers, aides and a whole gamut of workers in the civil service. Unfortunately, we have a civil service system that is anything but efficient and result-oriented. So, it would not surprise anyone if the president’s transformational agenda is scuttled before it sets sail.
Perhaps, the president anticipates this, and has, therefore, launched a pre-emptive strike. He charged his new ministers to gird their loins for an all-out war against corruption, describing it as a monster that must be confronted and defeated. Surely, that is the way to go, and the president should insist on this tough stance, otherwise he may find his lofty plans and programmes encumbered by a sloppy, sluggish and corruption-ridden bureaucracy. This is not to say that bureaucracy in itself is bad and should be jettisoned. On the contrary, efforts should be made to instill the positive aspects of bureaucracy in our system.
In their book ‘Reinventing Government’, Osborne David and Gaebler Ted said: “It is hard to imagine today, but a hundred years ago, bureaucracy meant something positive. It connoted a rational, efficient method of organization – something to take the place of the arbitrary exercise of power by authoritarian regimes. Bureaucracy brought the same logic to government work that the assembly line brought to the factory. With the hierarchical authority and functional specialization, they made possible the efficient undertaking of large complex tasks”.
Even now, one can still point at some countries where bureaucracy has been put to good use. Here, the good fortunes of some East Asian countries, where bureaucracy played a positive role in the rapid growth of their economies, stand out. Indeed, it could be said that bureaucracy was a key ingredient of their economic .miracle. Many economic experts agree that the four Asian Tigers – Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan – owe their success not only to good visioning but to efficient and well-oiled bureaucracy.
Sadly though, this dramatic turnaround in Asia could not be replicated in many African countries, including Nigeria. Unlike the situation in East Asia, what takes centre-stage in our country is the negative aspect, which highlights the weakness of bureaucracy and this explains the poor development performance of many countries on the continent.
Issues of bureaucratic governance are seen as crucial determinants of the degree to which a country makes social and economic progress or fails to do so. This set of issues has been of concern since the advent of centralized administration, but they have taken on particular significance since the work of Max Weber some hundred years ago. In recent years, there has been increasing evidence that bureaucratic performance is important for development performance.
These days, there have been massive pressures across the world for governments to become leaner, more efficient and bring services closer to the people. In many developing countries, in particular- often as part of structural adjustment programs, there have been pressures to reduce the role of the state in relation to the market and cut the size of the civil service.
The Presidential Advisory Committee (PAC), set up by the President Jonathan and headed by General Theophilus Danjuma (rtd), to audit all Federal Government projects, said in its report that the size of government bureaucracy was unwieldy. The committee decried the high cost of governance and advised the government to prune down the ministries, departments and agencies, for more effective governance. According to the committee, the Federal Government spends about N200 billion annually on the official emoluments of civil servants.
Danjuma said that cutting down on the cost of bureaucracy would free the funds for government to provide needed infrastructure. The committee noted that government has spent N15.6 trillion on public servants alone since 1999
The 2011 budget follows the same pattern as more than N3.2 trillion of the N4.2 trillion estimates was allocated to recurrent expenditure, statutory transfers – which include payments to institutions such as the judiciary – and debt servicing. So, the government is going to spend nearly 75 per cent of the 2011 budget on recurrent expenditure. This leaves less than N1 trillion for capital expenditure. In other words, the country is spending far more on government than on critically needed infrastructure.
If President Jonathan wants to perform in the next four years, he must cut down on the cost of governance and restructure the civil service which runs the government’s bureaucracy. Any critical observer would acknowledge that bureaucracy is being used by civil servants to serve their selfish interests and line their pockets. For us in this country, bureaucracy is more of a drawback than a facilitator as envisaged by Max Weber and other great thinkers.
It is rather unfortunate that, like most other aspects of Nigeria’s national life, the bureaucracy has degenerated over the years. During the First Republic, the civil servants that were inherited from our colonial masters served creditably as veritable agents of socio-economic transformation. That is no longer the case. The notorious Nigerian factor has diluted the bureaucracy to a miserable point where it is now a burden rather than an asset to this country.
No doubt, we have a bloated bureaucracy that is more or less counter-productive. Although it provides employment; most of the people employed are unproductive and idle. The Jonathan administration must check this unsustainable trend and employ people where there are genuine jobs to be done. The case of the Imo State government, where an out-going administration employed 10,000 workers without any job description, paints a sad picture of the rot in the public service across the country.
This point was underlined recently by the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Mr. Chibuzor Ugwoha. He said: “We know that the commission itself was created to respond to the developmental challenges in the Niger Delta. The idea was to fast track development. And we all know in this country that the bane of our development is bureaucracy. You can never attain high level of development with bureaucracy.”
“You can follow due process and get things done without unnecessary bureaucracy that ensures that before a file comes from one point to another it takes months. No country in the world can develop with that kind of bureaucracy. That is why those who created NDDC called it an interventionist agency. It means that it is supposed to function as a task force. Every task force does not follow bureaucracy. But they will follow due process as stipulated by law,” Ugwoha said
Perhaps, one can say that the NDDC has done relatively better than other agencies of government because it has managed to break loose from the bureaucratic manacles which hinder progress and development. Other stakeholders in the Niger Delta such as the state and local governments must also wean themselves of excessive bureaucracy to be able to deliver good governance to the long-neglected people of Nigeria’s oil basin.
Agbu, a seasoned journalist, lives in Port Harcourt.
Ifeatu Agbu
The political atmosphere in Rivers State has been anything but calm in 2025. Yet, a rare moment of unity was witnessed on Saturday, June 28, when Governor Siminalayi Fubara and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike, appeared side by side at the funeral of Elder Temple Omezurike Onuoha, Wike’s late uncle. What could have passed for a routine condolence visit evolved into a significant political statement—a symbolic show of reconciliation in a state bruised by deep political strife.
The funeral, attended by dignitaries from across the nation, was more than a moment of shared grief. It became the public reflection of a private peace accord reached earlier at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. There, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu brought together Governor Fubara, Minister Wike, the suspended Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martin Amaewhule, and other lawmakers to chart a new path forward.
For Rivers people, that truce is a beacon of hope. But they are not content with photo opportunities and promises. What they demand now is the immediate lifting of the state of emergency declared in March 2025, and the unconditional reinstatement of Governor Fubara, Deputy Governor Dr. Ngozi Odu, and all suspended lawmakers. They insist on the restoration of their democratic mandate.
President Tinubu’s decision to suspend the entire structure of Rivers State’s elected leadership and appoint a sole administrator was a drastic response to a deepening political crisis. While it may have prevented a complete breakdown in governance, it also robbed the people of their voice. That silence must now end.
The administrator, retired naval chief Ibok-Ette Ibas, has managed a caretaker role. But Rivers State cannot thrive under unelected stewardship. Democracy must return—not partially, not symbolically, but fully. President Tinubu has to ensure that the people’s will, expressed through the ballot, is restored in word and deed.
Governor Fubara, who will complete his six-month suspension by September, was elected to serve the people of Rivers, not to be sidelined by political intrigues. His return should not be ceremonial. It should come with the full powers and authority vested in him by the constitution and the mandate of Rivers citizens.
The people’s frustration is understandable. At the heart of the political crisis was a power tussle between loyalists of Fubara and those of Wike. Institutions, particularly the State House of Assembly, became battlegrounds. Attempts were made to impeach Fubara. The situation deteriorated into a full-blown crisis, and governance was nearly brought to its knees.
But the tide must now turn. With the Senate’s approval of a record ?1.485 trillion budget for Rivers State for 2025, a new opportunity has emerged. This budget is not just a fiscal document—it is a blueprint for transformation, allocating ?1.077 trillion for capital projects alone. Yet, without the governor’s reinstatement, its execution remains in doubt.
It is Governor Fubara, and only him, who possesses the people’s mandate to execute this ambitious budget. It is time for him to return to duty with vigor, responsibility, and a renewed sense of urgency. The people expect delivery—on roads, hospitals, schools, and job creation.
Rivers civil servants, recovering from neglect and under appreciation, should also continue to be a top priority. Fubara should continue to ensure timely payment of salaries, address pension issues, and create a more effective, motivated public workforce. This is how governance becomes real in people’s lives.
The “Rivers First” mantra with which Fubara campaigned is now being tested. That slogan should become policy. It must inform every appointment, every contract, every budget decision, and every reform. It must reflect the needs and aspirations of the ordinary Rivers person—not political patrons or vested interests.
Beyond infrastructure and administration, political healing is essential. Governor Fubara and Minister Wike must go beyond temporary peace. They should actively unite their camps and followers to form one strong political family. The future of Rivers cannot be built on division.
Political appointments, both at the Federal and State levels, must reflect a spirit of fairness, tolerance, and inclusivity. The days of political vendettas and exclusive lists must end. Every ethnic group, every gender, and every generation must feel included in the new Rivers project.
Rivers is too diverse to be governed by one faction. Lasting peace can only be built on concessions, maturity, and equity. The people are watching to see if the peace deal will lead to deeper understanding or simply paper over cracks in an already fragile political arrangement.
Wike, now a national figure as Minister of the FCT, has a responsibility to rise above the local fray and support the development of Rivers State. His influence should bring federal attention and investment to the state, not political interference or division.
Likewise, Fubara should lead with restraint, humility, and a focus on service delivery. His return should not be marked by revenge or political purges but by inclusive leadership that welcomes even former adversaries into the process of rebuilding the state.
“The people are no longer interested in power struggles. They want light in their streets, drugs in their hospitals, teachers in their classrooms, and jobs for their children. The politics of ego and entitlement have to give way to governance with purpose.
The appearance of both leaders at the funeral was a glimpse of what unity could look like. That moment should now evolve into a movement-one that prioritizes Rivers State over every personal ambition. Let it be the beginning of true reconciliation and progress.
As September draws near, the Federal government should act decisively to end the state of emergency and reinstate all suspended officials. Rivers State must return to constitutional order and normal democratic processes. This is the minimum requirement of good governance.
The crisis in Rivers has dragged on for too long. The truce is a step forward, but much more is needed. Reinstating Governor Fubara, implementing the ?1.485 trillion budget, and uniting political factions are now the urgent tasks ahead. Rivers people have suffered enough. It is time to restore leadership, rebuild trust, and finally put Rivers first.
By: Amieyeofori Ibim
Amieyeofori Ibim is former Editor of The Tide Newspapers, political analyst and public affairs commentator
Do the Fulani herdsmen have an expansionists agenda, like their progenitor, Uthman Dan Fodio? Why are they everywhere even the remotest part of other areas in Nigeria harassing, maiming, raping and killing the owners of the land?”
In a swift reaction, The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) decried and strongly condemned the invasion by suspected Fulani herdsmen.
In his denunciation, MOSOP President Fegalo Nsuke described the incident as very unfortunate and deeply troubling, warning against a recurrence of the violence experienced in Benue State. “The killing of yesterday is bad and very unfortunate. We are getting preliminary information about how the herders gained access to the farmland, and it appears some hoodlums may be collecting money and granting access illegally.”
He called on the Hausa community in Rivers State to intervene swiftly to prevent further attacks.
“We want the Hausa community in Rivers State to take urgent action to ensure these issues are resolved”.
But will such appeal and requests end the violent disposition of the Fulani herdsmen? It is not saying something new that the escalating threat and breach of peace across the country by the Fulani herdsmen or those suspected to be Fulani herdsmen, leaves much to be desired in a country that is bedevilled by multi-dimensional challenges and hydra-headed problems.
Some upland Local Government Areas of Rivers State, such as Etche, Omuma, Emohua, Ikwerre, Oyigbo, Abua, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni, have severally recounted their ordeals, as herdsmen invaded farmlands, destroyed crops, raped female farmers and killed protestant residents.
Again the wanton destruction of lives and properties which no doubt has overwhelmed the Nigerian Police, makes the clamour for State Police, indispensable. The National Assembly should consider the amendment of the Constitution to allow States to have their Statutory policing agencies.
As insurgency has risen to an all time high in the country were killings has now grown to be a normal daily activity in some part of the nation it may not be safe to say that Nigeria still practices democracy.
Several massacres coming from the Boko Haram and the herdsmen amongst all other insurgencies which have led to the destruction of homes and killing, burning of communities especially in the northern part of the country. All these put together are result of the ethnic battles that are fought between the tribes of Nigeria and this can be witnessed in Benue State where herders and farmers have been in constant clashes for ages. They have experienced nothing but casualties and unrest.
In the month of June 13-14, the Yelwata attack at the Guma Local Government Area by suspected gunmen or herdsmen who stormed the houses of innocent IDPs (Internally Displaced Persons) claiming the lives of families, both adults and children estimated to be 200 victims. They were all burnt alive by these unknown gunmen.
This has been recorded as one of the deadliest insurgencies that had happened in recent years. Some security personnel that were trying to fight the unknown gunmen also lost their lives.
Prior to the Yelewata attack, two days before the happening, similar conflict took place in Makurdi on June 11, 2025. 25 people were killed in the State. Even in Plateau State and the Southern Kaduna an attack also took place in the month of June.
All other states that make up the Middle Belt have been experiencing the farmers/herders clash for years now and it has persisted up till recent times, claiming lives of families and children, homes and lands, escalating in 2025 with coordinated assaults.
Various authorities and other villagers who fled for safety also blamed the herdsmen in the State for the attack that happened in Yelwata community.
Ehebha God’stime is an Intern with The Tide.
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