Opinion
If Only Our Leaders Will Listen
Many theories have been propounded on Nigeria and how to liberate her from the shackles of poverty, underdevelopment, a la insecurity, some theories ring true, others fall flat.
What is not in contention is the fact that the Nigerian citizens, except the privileged few who constantly feast on our commonwealth, are burdened with the fear of poverty and insecurity. Successive governments’ responses to this fear have particularly spread the fog of hopelessness beyond measure. Most of the responses offer no more than effete palliatives.
Last week, former American President, Bill Clinton offered us some ideas on how to up the ante of Nigeria’s prosperity and as well move the country away from insecurity and other forms of underdevelopment.
Speaking at ThisDay Newspapers Awards in Abeokuta, Ogun State, last Tuesday, Clinton said Nigeria’s myriad of problems could be tackled through poverty eradication, education, equitable distribution of wealth and job creation for the nation’s teeming unemployed graduates.
Unequivocal as ever, the former American President did not fail to chastise Nigerian leaders for what he described as their failure to efficiently manage and maximize the country’s oil and human resources for the benefit of all citizens. Nigeria, he argued, would do better if her resources were efficiently managed by her leaders. He, therefore, advised the Nigerian power elite to give economic opportunity to Nigerians lagging behind, pointing out that too much inequality was capable of limiting growth and opportunities among the citizens of a country.
“You have to somehow bring economic opportunities to the people who don’t have it”, he said.
Clinton’s remarks about Nigeria was an eloquent testimony to public outcry about the insensitivity of Nigerian leaders to the plight of the common man.
I wouldn’t know where and where not Clinton visited in Nigeria that gave him a good picture of what ordinary Nigerians are passing through. But I am sure he must have had an overdose of concern to enable him fathom the level of iniquities in Nigeria. I wonder what would have been his reactions if he had visited some of our homes, hospitals, schools and market places.
The response of Minister of Finance and Nigeria’s Coordinating Minister of the economy, Mrs Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala to Clinton’s remarks was just a mere face-saving. If not, why is Nigeria that prides itself a member of the Organisation of Petroleum-Exporting Countries (OPEC) being hounded down by poverty and decayed infrastructure?
How many Nigerian graduates have been employed in the last four years, and how many are left wandering about the streets in search of jobs that are not available? Why are companies including Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) rejecting many graduates with first class and second class upper degrees? Why do most Nigerians prefer private schools and hospitals to government owned ones? Why has there been epileptic power supply in many parts of the country? Why are there sharp increases in prices of fuel products and food items? Questions, endless questions.
Until Okonjo-Iweala provides answers to these questions, her defence of Clinton’s criticisms are just mere balderdash.
There is no contention that Nigeria’s present history is being written around its few oil fields. Oil revenues account for 80 per cent of Nigeria’s budget. The question is, what have we done with our oil wealth all these years? And what plan do we have when the oil is gone as is being speculated?
These are questions that should trouble the conscience of every Nigerian including our political elite.
Researches have shown that oil wells dry up after 50 years. This is already happening around the world, from Russia to Saudi Arabia and from Iraq to Kuwait and Venezuela. Nigeria is not an exception. If you are in doubt, where is Nigeria’s first oil well in Oloibiri? It only exists on postcard.
In other words, Nigeria has approximately a 50 year supply of oil if no new one is found. Already, we have discovered virtually all the oil wells that can be discovered on Nigerian soil, what happens if in the next 50 years Nigeria does not discover new oil wells?
These are tough questions though, Nigeria without oil must make a transition to a knowledge based economy. This brings us to one of the therapies suggested by Clinton, which is education.
Education is the key to economic prosperity. A society without the right education is as good as dead. If citizens are well educated, they would be economically empowered and hence have less inclination towards violence. It is therefore imperative for us to plough back a good percentage of our oil wealth to education. Whoever neglects the education of his youth loses the future and is dead for life. We can only ignore this elementary truth at our own peril.
In addition to prioritise education is the need to go back to the wealth of trees, palm produce, cocoa, cassava and other sundry cash products that will replace oil and give us both local and foreign reserves. Agriculture can be used to mop up the nation’s teeming unemployed youths, and by effect stamp out the evil signature of Boko Haram and other security threats.
Meanwhile, the political elite should do away with ‘a divide the pie’ approach towards tackling poverty. As Clinton rightly noted, it is a losing strategy.
In Nigeria, as in many other countries, prosperity and development are heavily concentrated in and around urban centres to the detriment of the local populace. This has counter-productive effects. Until we bridge the gulf of economic powers between the rich and the luckless Nigerians, poverty will continue to trump developments. The effects of this on our social fabrics are as fatal as the Boko Haram insurgency.
But will our leaders listen?
Boye Salau
Opinion
Restoring Order, Delivering Good Governance
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
Opinion
Checking Herdsmen Rampage
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.
Opinion
Is Nigeria Democratic Nation?
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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