Opinion
Celebrating Int’l Women’s Day
Women round the world today mark this year’s International Women’s Day (IWD), an annual event used to celebrate women’s achievement throughout history and across nation.
It is an event looked forward to by women groups, non-governmental organizations, gender activists, governments, organizations, as it affords them the opportunity to reflect on progress made to call for change and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women who have played an extra ordinary role in the history of their countries and communities.
The series of advances that have improved the lives of women, particularly in the development world in the recent past must have given rise to the African Development Bank’s theme of this year’s celebration which is “The Gender Agenda: gaining momentum”. Over time and distance, the equal rights of women have progressed. Women have made remarkable achievements economically, politically and socially.
In Nigeria for instance, women’s political awareness has been on the increase, leading to more women participating in politics and seeking elective positions both at the federal, state and local government levels.
The 35 per cent affirmative action sought for by the first lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, has further led to activists participation of more women in politics and governance both at the federal, state and local government levels. These are all indications that women should pat themselves on the back and say they have done well.
However, the battle for equality, justice, violence against women is still far from won. Today’s event should therefore, be an occasion to think about what can be done to further promote the interest of women both globally and locally in line with the United Nations. Theme for this year “A promise is a promise: Time for Action to end violence against women”.
All over the world, women continue to be victims of violence, with rape and domestic violence listed as significant causes of disability and death among women worldwide. Traditional and religious beliefs that hinder the progress of women, especially in Nigeria are still being practiced. Cases of rape and violation of both young and old are already no news in Nigeria with no punishment being meted out to the perpetrators of such crimes. A woman once narrated at a public function how she was being sexually abused and battered regularly by her husband but could do nothing about it because her family, her husband’s family and even the police, saw nothing wrong in what the man was doing.
“What really beat my imagination was how the police quickly dismissed my case and told me to go home and settle with my husband when my neighbour took me to the police station after my husband almost beat me to death”, she said.
Unfortunately, unlike this woman, many Nigerian women both educated and uneducated seem not to know their rights and do not even know when those rights are trampled upon. A situation where a woman who is being badly treated by her husband is forced to remain in marriage because “the dignity of a woman is her husband” is very worrisome. Both economically and politically, women are still no where compared to their male counterpart.
One, therefore, truly thinks that events like today’s should be used to educate women on their rights. As the Rivers State Commissioner for Information, Mrs Ibim Seminitari, suggested when the state chapter of Nigerian Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) paid her a courtesy call last Wednesday, women journalists, female lawyers, and other female professionals should use the International Women’s Day to launch raft of campaign tackling everything from domestic violence, rape and sensitization of women, particularly those in the rural areas on programmes and projects established for them by the state government and how they can benefit from them.
It is not enough to organise workshops, seminars, lectures, road walks and invite the best brains in the country to talk. There should be more action. It is even worse sitting down and lamenting the poor fortunes of women. We need action. After today’s event, what next? The various women groups, NGOs, Ministries of Women Affairs (federal and states) should take further steps to ensure that whatever plan of actions reached this period is implemented. NGOs and professional bodies like NAWOJ should be supported by relevant government ministries, agencies and parastatals to carry out sensitization and advocacy programmes to the rural women as expected.
This is not a period to blame government for our woes and expect government to solve all the problems. Government alone can not do it.
Therefore, women groups, female lawmakers and politicians NGOs, families, churches, town unions, village assembles and voluntary organisations should get involved in the struggle to make the world a better place for women. Let them fight against retrogressive cultures, traditions and beliefs militating against women.
There is need for economic and political empowerment of women and eradication of poverty in the country.
The gender agenda can actually gain more momentum if men and women will complement each other since they are equal in dignity.
Calista Ezeaku
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.
-
News3 days ago
2027: I Stand With Southern Presidency -Ortom
-
Politics3 days ago
Lagos LG Polls: Police Restrict Movement, Tightens Security
-
News3 days ago
Senate Replaces Natasha As Committee Chairman
-
Opinion3 days ago
Checking Herdsmen Rampage
-
Niger Delta3 days ago
HYPREP Trains Lab Technicians To Standardise Water Quality In Ogoniland
-
Sports3 days ago
Coach Eager To Transform El Kanemi Warriors
-
News3 days ago
Tinubu, Govs Forum Congratulate Okpebholo On S’Court Victory …As Obaseki Expresses Disappointment
-
Rivers3 days ago
NDDC: Staff Walk Ten Kilometers To Commemorate 25th Anniversary