News

Resign Now, Your Govt Choking Nigerians, Cleric Blasts Buhari

Published

8 years ago

August 24, 2018

The Spiritual Director, Holy Ghost Adoration Ministry, Uke, Anambra State, Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Obimma, popularly known as Ebubemonso has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to resign.
The cleric explained that his position was based on Buhari’s alleged inability to take charge of happenings in the country, stressing that the president has disappointed Nigerians while government was choking millions.
Ebubemonso, who spoke as part of activities marking his 7th year Priestly ordination at his Umudioka residence, also demanded unreserved apology from the Federal Government to Ndigbo, particularly members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
He accused Buhari’s government of proscribing the group and branding the members terrorists, “whereas terror groups like the Fulani herdsmen and Boko Haram killing people are handled with kid gloves.”
His speech read: “As you can see, there is crisis in the country. President Muhammadu Buhari is not in control of this country. People are dying on daily basis and I am not happy with it at all.
“There is indeed crisis in the country. I pray that our good Lord will salvage this country, Nigeria. There is crisis, even though those in authority are denying that there is political unrest in the country. I thank God, that God is answering our prayers. I believe that very soon, all these frictions, fracas and crisis will come to an end, because there is God.
“Well, my message for Muhammadu Buhari is let him resign since he cannot control the country. I said let him resign honourably because as you can see, he is not in control of the country, not only that, he is a sectional leader, a tribalistic leader.
“So, my stand is let him resign, as you can see his strength could no longer carry him. I am envisaging a situation where he will not be alive to complete the second term, if he comes out to campaign again. Let him resign honourably and find people who have the strength and capacity of managing the nation to carry on the baton. Nigeria is a big country and needs experts who have perfected in the political field to take control of the affairs of the nation. President Buhari is not that man.
On the controversies over the INEC’s 2019 election budget, he said: “the issue of INEC, the Senate and the Presidency, there are so many interests; they are saying so many things that we don’t know what to believe. I can’t say for sure but what I have to say is that you can see the inclination of political interests in the entire episode.
“Mark my words, APC groups are warming up to rig the election, as you can see the evidences are there. If by vote counting, APC can never win any election. If it is by counting of votes, there is no way this government will return because it is a government that is built on selfishness, nepotism, injustice. Government that is killing people, people are not happy with this government, so they knew that they under performed. What of those promises that Muhammadu Buhari made to the Nation before the election, none was accomplished, that, for me is a government of deception, running a government with deceit, it is very bad.”
He added that “after the promises Buhari gave Nigerians before he was elected, nothing has changed. As you can see, many of our youths are unemployed, many a times when I pass or walk around the universities on mission, I see our young men, you know undergraduates, battalions of them, I ask myself what plans has the federal government have but as you can see, they don’t have any plan for them, that is why you will see somebody after being a graduate, the person will engage in one business or the other for him to survive.
“The hope of every average young man in other countries, their efforts in entering the university, studying very hard and struggling to survive, trying to get degrees is for them to get a good job, but in our country Nigeria nothing is sure. You are a graduate, you have a wonderful certificate and that certificate is barren, certificate without satisfaction and government has no plan. It’s a pity.
“You know it has been my greatest worry. Go over there at the university and you will see people, you will see men and women, you will see our young undergraduates, sons and daughters, you know they are studying, but I am telling you that government has no plans for them, especially this government of President Buhari. Nigeria has never experience such a government, let Buhari stand up and tell us his achievements so far, let him say what he has achieved so far.
“This government has really under-performed, really they came with the ideology of change but they didn’t change anything, so we are praying for another change, this one is real change that will upturn Buhari’s change that choked us. He came to power on false change promises which many believed; even a prophet of God prayed for him because everybody wanted change that will lead to a prosperous nation but here we are from frying pan to fire. Buhari is a huge disappointment to Nigeria.”
The Priest did not spare the apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, who he said were not speaking out.
He said, “Well, for me, Ohanaeze Ndigbo should know that Igbos are being marginalized and their voices are not felt, the voices of Ohanaeze Ndigbo is not felt. You know they are representing Igbos, let them come out and stand for Igbos and let the world and Igbos know they are standing for them, they can’t be answering Ohanaeze Ndigbo for nothing.
“I am not trying to say that they have not been making efforts but their efforts are not enough. Now IPOB came up as a result of poor governance and they are agitating that the Federal Government is marginalizing them. Igbos have been undergoing marginalization, that was the crusade of Nnamdi Kanu and Nnamdi Kanu was suppressed and intimidated, but I want to tell the Federal Republic of Nigeria that you can never kill an ideology.
“Let there be a strong dialogue between Ohaneze Ndigbo and IPOB to have one voice for Ndigbo. I advise the IPOB to go for peace even in their agitations, let there be love. I stand here to tell the country that their agitations are right. The agitations about the sovereign state of Biafra, about intimidation and suppression, they are right, so, let the Federal Government look into it.
“If really Igbos are being marginalized, let them do something, we can’t be answering one Nigeria for mouth, just mere camouflage, one Nigeria on a table of sabotage. When you stifle what is meant for general consumption, that is economic sabotage, when you strangle what you supposed to give to brothers, that is wickedness.,
“Let the Federal Government look into these agitations; it won’t end by shooting them, killing them on daily basis. Buhari should register an apology to Ndigbo for that kind of thing, how can innocent people who are agitating be proscribed? They are freedom fighters and Buhari proscribed them, branded them as terrorists whereas Boko Haram are killing people and nobody has ever proscribed them or branded them as terrorists. Fulani herdsmen are killing people on daily basis and nobody has ever proscribed and branded them terrorists. But agitating youths in the South-East, my dear brothers were branded terrorists by their country Nigeria. Is this not outright inti

News

Odu Urges Collaboration Among Stakeholders To Improve Health Service Delivery In Rivers

Published

2 days ago

April 10, 2026

The Tide

Rivers State Deputy Governor, Prof. Ngozi Odu, has called for renewed commitment, transparency, and collaboration among stakeholders in the health sector in the State.

The deputy governor particularly urged synergy between the Rivers State Contributory Health Protection Programme (RIVCHPP) and the Primary Health Care Management Board towards improved healthcare delivery in the State.

?Prof. Odu made this call during the 2026 First Quarter Review Meeting of the Task Force on Primary Health Care at the Government House, Port Harcourt, on Wednesday.

?She stressed the importance of honesty and urged all parties to be truthful and open in addressing challenges within the system.

?According to her, transparency remains critical to identifying and resolving underlying issues affecting healthcare delivery, noting that “if we are not truthful, we will not cure the disease, but merely cover it up.”

The deputy governor recounted a personal experience at a Primary Health Center where a patient, despite being duly registered under the RIVCIPP scheme with completed biometric capture, was still asked to make payment for services.

According to her, intervention by relevant authorities later confirmed the patient’s eligibility, exposing a communication gap between the scheme and healthcare providers.

Odu warned that such incidents could discourage community members from enrolling in the scheme, thereby undermining its objectives.

“When this happens, we are disenfranchising our people. The message that goes back to the community is that even when you register, you are still made to pay,” she stressed.

?While commending the leadership and staff of the Primary Health Care Management Board, Ministry of Health, Development Partners as well as other supporting units, for their efforts, ty deputy governor stressed that performance should not lead to complacency.

She urged stakeholders to continuously strive for improvement, raise standards, and leave lasting positive impacts within the system.

News

You Can Now Print Your Exam Slips, JAMB Tells 2026 UTME Candidates

Published

2 days ago

April 10, 2026

The Tide

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced the opening of examination slip printing for candidates registered for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

JAMB made the announcement yesterday, urging candidates to visit its website to download their slips ahead of the examination.

“Examination Slip Printing is now available. The slip contains details of the venue, date and time of your examination and gives you access to the examination hall,” the board said.

Candidates are to visit jamb.gov.ng and click on “2026 Slip Printing” to print their slips.

The development comes after JAMB dismissed a viral press release falsely claiming the examination had been postponed.

The board described the notice as “malicious and fake” and urged candidates to disregard it.

The 2026 UTME is scheduled to hold from Thursday, April 16, to Saturday, April 25, 2026.

The examination follows a mock test conducted on Saturday, March 28, which recorded technical difficulties at some Computer-Based Test centres.

Of the 224,597 candidates who registered for the mock, 152,586 sat for the test across 989 CBT centres nationwide.

JAMB said over 20 centres were delisted for technical inadequacies.

The board also warned candidates against fraudsters on WhatsApp claiming to facilitate score inflation, describing such claims as “false and criminal”, and threatening cancellation of registration or withholding of results for any candidate found involved.

Over two million candidates, according to JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, registered for this year’s UTME.

News

RSU Unveils Five-Year Strategic Dev Plan …Calls For Collective Commitment To Institutional Excellence

Published

2 days ago

April 10, 2026

The Tide

In a decisive step towards redefining its future, the Rivers State University, Port Harcourt, has formally unveiled its Third Five-Year (2026-2030) Strategic Development Plan.

The development plan is a comprehensive roadmap designed to strengthen the university’s position as a leading institution in Nigeria and beyond.

The unveiling took place during a high-level engagement with the Governing Council, Principal Officers and the university congregation, at the Convocation Arena, recently.

Delivering his remarks at the unveiling ceremony, the Pro-Chancellor of the university and Chairman of Council, Hon. Okey Wali, SAN, charged all members of the university community to align their activities with the strategic direction of the institution, emphasizing that the success of the plan depends on collective commitment.

He noted that the plan is not merely a document, but a working framework that requires discipline, accountability and unity of purpose.

According to the Pro-Chancellor, only through coordinated efforts from all stakeholders can the university fully realize its vision.

“I hereby invite the Visitor to the University, donor agencies, friends and well-wishers, and all stakeholders to support and fund the implementation of this strategic plan. We are confident that this plan will take RSU to greater heights in the comity of higher institutions,” he said.

The Vice-Chancellor of the University, Prof. Isaac Zeb-Obipi, described the Strategic Development Plan as a document that would enhance the university’s corporate strengths, mitigate current weaknesses, leverage its corporate opportunities and address perceived existential threats.

“This Five-Year Strategic Plan sets out RSU’s goals, strategic objectives, expected outcomes and impact, including intervention strategies,” he said.

On his part, the Chairman of the Strategic Development Planning Committee, Prof. Emeritus Joseph A. Ajienka, noted that the 2026-2030 Strategic Development Plan represents a bold reaffirmation of the university’s founding ideals of excellence, creativity, innovation and inclusivity, aimed at positioning the institution to respond effectively to contemporary challenges in higher education.

Prof. Ajienka, who is also a member of the Governing Council, disclosed that the plan was developed through an extensive and inclusive consultative process, which he said reflects contributions from Faculties, Departments, Satellite Campuses and Administrative Units.

At its core, the plan seeks to advance the university’s vision of becoming a “unique and uncommon” institution that is structurally and philosophically oriented towards solving practical societal problems and ranking among the top ten universities in Nigeria.

The strategic framework identifies six key challenges confronting the university, including funding constraints, infrastructure deficits, limited research collaboration, and service delivery inefficiencies.

A statement by the university’s Acting Director, Corporate Affairs, Victor G. Banigo, further stated that the university has articulated four broad strategic goals supported by eight targeted objectives.

A central priority of the plan, according to him, is the strengthening of governance and administrative systems, alongside deliberate efforts to expand the university’s funding base. Others include enhanced alumni engagement, strategic partnerships and innovative fundraising initiatives aimed at ensuring long-term financial sustainability.

“Equally significant is the commitment to upgrading physical infrastructure across all campuses. Plans are underway to modernize lecture halls and laboratories, expand student accommodation, improve campus security and deploy advanced ICT systems to support teaching, learning and research.

“Recognizing that human capital is the backbone of institutional success, the university has placed strong emphasis on staff development, recruitment and productivity enhancement. Through targeted training programmes, mentorship initiatives and performance management systems, the plan aims to foster a highly skilled and motivated workforce.

“In addition, the university is poised to deepen its focus on research, innovation and entrepreneurship. By reviewing academic curricula, strengthening industry partnerships and establishing innovation incubation centers, Rivers State University seeks to translate research outputs into practical solutions that address societal needs and drive economic growth,” he said.

The PRO disclosed that the implementation of the strategic plan is projected at ?110 billion, reflecting the scale of transformation envisioned.

“While the university is committed to funding a significant portion internally, additional resources will be mobilized through government support, donor agencies, alumni contributions, and public-private partnerships.

“This multi-channel funding strategy aligns with the university’s broader goal of building a resilient and self-sustaining financial model capable of supporting long-term development,” he explained.

To ensure effective implementation, he said, “the plan incorporates a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation framework, complete with performance and impact indicators. A mid-term review is scheduled within the first two years to assess progress and make necessary adjustments.

“Furthermore, the establishment of a dedicated Strategic Planning Office will provide oversight, coordination and accountability in executing the plan across all units of the university.”

According to the statement, “As the university embarks on this transformative journey, the message from leadership is clear: the Strategic Development Plan is a collective mandate.

“For staff, students, alumni and stakeholders, it represents an opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the growth and advancement of the institution. For the university, it is a pathway to consolidating its legacy while embracing innovation and global relevance.

“With a clear vision, defined priorities and a united community, Rivers State University stands poised to translate this strategic blueprint into measurable progress, advancing knowledge, empowering people and shaping the future of higher education in Nigeria.”