City Crime

Much Ado About Rivers Governorship Poll

Published

6 years ago

March 27, 2019

Never has the question of who should be the Governor of Rivers State been so contentious, contemptuous, and acrimonious in the history of the State, as it has been before, during, and after the 2019 Governorship and House of Assembly elections of March 9, 2019. The nearest to it was in 2015 when the state was drafted into becoming opposition for the first time.
Since then, it has become worse in the context of redefining the essence of politics in the State, which currently wears a toga of vendetta hinged on a surreptitious inclination to have a no-holds-barred control of whatever goes on in and about the State.
Before now, but for the usual relatively minor disagreements warranted by alignments to different political parties, Rivers State has been an epitome in the political sphere of Nigeria: it was common for leaders of several other States in the country to consult or seek the advice or help of key actors in order to better build their States. In other words, the State was noted for always holding the most peaceful elections. Currently, however, the reverse is the case.
Even when there had been disagreements then, they were soon resolved as mere misunderstandings. In virtually no time, such misunderstandings were settled and the State becames the wiser in terms of key participants letting bygones be bygones and working together for the good of the state. At worst, if the disagreement continued, from the point at which there was clear indication of the one being favoured, the other soon gave up and planned for the next election.
The question is thus, why is the 2019 Governorship election different from all the rest? Why can’t the one honourably accept defeat and begin to plan for 2023, or beyond, as the case may be? Why must the 2019 election be a do-or-die affair?
In answering the stated questions, what becomes more worrisome is the acrimonious manner in which the leadership of the All Progressives Party (APC), as represented by the Honourable Minister of Transportation, and former Governor of the State, Chibuike Amaechi, has been going about it.
The former Rivers State Governor, who had before then been the Speaker of the State House of Assembly for eight years, seemed to have set the tone of what is panning out now on February 12, 2019, when the APC held its Presidential rally at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, in Igwuruta-Ali, Port Harcourt.
According to him, ”Whatever PDP wants in Rivers State, we are equal to the task. In 2015, the army tried to arrest me as a sitting governor. Now, we have a Governor, who is trying to negotiate with us, asking us to give him Governor and in return, he will support us for President. He is afraid, isn’t it? We will battle him till the last.
“On Saturday, we are ready for them. They used Federal and State institutions against us. They used to kill our people every day. Because they want to deny us the right to choose our leaders, they ran to a state High Court judge to give them judgment. Saturday is our day.”
Retrospectively, in 2015, Amaechi, as Governor of Rivers State, was the Director General of the Muhammadu Buhari campaign organisation. He did everything possible to conquer the entire nation for the APC. At the end of the day, Buhari emerged President. Unfortunately, he could not conquer his home state for APC, as incumbent Governor, Wike, defeated the APC candidate, Dr Dakuku Peterside.
The APC, especially Amaechi, never ceased to lay the blame of its loss in Rivers State on Wike, and then President, Goodluck Jonathan. And, from what has transpired so far, it would require more than mere say to convince keen observers that this grudge is not what is playing out presently in the stalemated Rivers Governorship and House of Assembly elections.
Just as genuinely concerned citizens of the State, the country, and the world at large tried to truly appreciate the scenario in the State’s political space, another bubble got busted last Monday by certain declarations made by the Deputy Governorship candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) party in the State, Akpo Bomba Yeeh.
In a letter stating his resignation from the AAC, and defection to PDP addressed to his principal, and Governorship candidate of the AAC, Biokpomabo Awara, Yeeh said his decision to dump the party was due to ”complete hijack of the structure and administration of our party by a faction of the APC in Rivers State led by the Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, for his personal political ambition”.
The letter further read in part: “Furthermore, the RotimiAmaechi-led faction of the APC is not letting in its determination to subvert the will of Rivers people and cause crisis in the state, using the platform of our promising party.
“In the circumstance, I cannot in all conscience continue to lend support to the selfish political venture of the Minister of Transportation, which does not mean well for the progress and development of the people of Rivers State.
“As a budding and promising politician, I also appeal to you to accept the reality of your crushing defeat and liberate yourself from being used by Rotimi Amaechi to cause unnecessary political crisis in our dear State”.
Addressing journalists at his home in Port Harcourt the same day, Yeeh said, ”The March 9 Governorship election in Rivers State has been lost and won; lost by my party, African Action Congress (AAC) and its candidate, Biokpomabo Awara, and undoubtedly and overwhelmingly won by the Governor of Rivers State, the candidate of PDP, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike.
”… The collated results further showed that contrary to the false claim of fictitious lead by the AAC/APC alliance, the PDP overwhelmingly won all the elections in 18 out of the 19 LGAs, culminating in the declaration and return of the party’s 26 House of Assembly Constituencies by the Constituencies’ Returning Officers.
“This fact was confirmed on March 13, 2019, when INEC stated, as a matter of fact, that it had in its safe custody collated results for 17 Local Government Areas as well as the declaration of the PDP candidates for 21 state constituencies.”
He went further to narrate how the Amaechi-led faction of the APC had two days to the March 9 elections sought an alliance with the AAC with a promise to provide whatever it would take to remove Wike from office as Governor, and make Awara the Governor of the State.
The catch was for an agreement that Amaechi will make 90 per cent appointments in the proposed government under Awara as Governor amongst others. He also alleged that he was made to sign an undated resignation letter as Deputy Governor, which he did, for fear of his life, having seen Amaechi’s desperation to execute his plan.
But for the fact that politics in Nigeria seems to have become ridiculously synonymous with stark lies, these are too serious declarations that should not be wished away as mere spurious, coming from a key actor in the fold of a Deputy Governorship aspirant. If for nothing else, they greatly affirm Amaechi’s threat on the 12th of February 2019 to cause mayhem during the 2019 elections in Rivers State.
It would be recalled that the Amaechi-led APC officially adopted Awara, a relatively unknown Governorship candidate of the AAC, two days to the elections as its candidate of choice, and directed its supporters to back the AAC candidate. This was after the legal battle that put paid to the APC’s participation in the 2019 elections in Rivers State.
In addition, the APC and its supporters mounted a campaign: “Operation Kick Wike Out”, with a declaration that if the APC candidate would not get it, Wike must not be allowed to remain as Governor. As it has played out, while the APC wanted to oust Wike and appropriate the state for itself to redeem its image, the PDP was also set to resist at all costs.
From what has played out, and given the experience of the preceding Presidential election, result for which was hurriedly announced, pundits and close watchers of the political situation seem to be unanimous in the belief that if, in reality, the APC-supported AAC had been in lead in the result available to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), collation and announcement of the results would not have been put on hold on the 10th of March, a day after the election.
As glaring as the reasons for the state of affairs in the 2019 elections in Rivers State may be, the compelling question right now is why the Amaechi-led faction of the APC would rather let the good people of Rivers State perish in unwarranted turmoil than accept the fact that the reason for their failure this time around is their wrong permutations from the onset? What wrong have Rivers people done for according him the power he now wields against them, in addition to their sufferings since 2015?

Soibi Max-Alalibo

City Crime

Women And Dangers Of Obnoxious Practices

Published

1 week ago

September 12, 2025

The Tide

It is worrisome to hear that a woman or a girl is bathed with acidic contents just because she refuses to adhere to one instruction or the other from an opposite sex.

Sometimes, you see a woman with bruises on the face, with one eye swollen as if she is an animal perhaps she demanded one or two things from her spouse.

A situation where a widow will be mandated to marry a brother-in-law for her to still belong to the family where she is married and to partake in inheritance should be looked into.

Severally, there have been talks, seminars, workshops, fora, arguments, bills and laws abolishing the issues that concern women, especially violence. But much has not been achieved to curtail the menace.

Violence against girls and women has been on the increase. From time to time, it is either girls are denied access to father’s property or a widow is denied inheritance to husband’s properties. Even when laws are put in place about things that will help women have their rights, some persons feel that culture and tradition do not permit such laws.

We are aware that some women are rich and may not want to partake in the share of their late parents’ property, but there are vulnerable ones who may need to be empowered, through perhaps, late parents’ property inheritance.

Some of the obnoxious laws were made before now without the consent of women. There was no enough representation to either argue for or against so as to be beneficial to women generally. Some of the laws were so primitive that even when civilisation came, became difficult to change. Very unfortunately, it is the women sometimes who execute the laws made by men in their absence. But women are suffering it.

If government can establish laws abolishing certain practices against women and girls, it will be better for them and should in the presence of women so that they can contribute as well.

For long, laws against female genital mutilation and circumcision have existed but some communities with their culture and tradition have refused to put a stop to it with reasons best known to them.

Circumcision of a full-grown girl or lady may not be the only way of attaining maturity. It is a harmful practice and the pain associated with it cannot be imagined. The illegal operation is not performed in the hospital so the dangers inherent will be much.

For those who still practise it, the menace should be discouraged as that is not a proper way of ushering a girl into womanhood. A lot of women lose their lives due to pains experienced during the process. If it was practised in the past when civilisation was not there, it is a different case, nowadays with science and technology proving it wrong, those who still practice should resist.

We know that government is doing a lot to save women and girls from some of the pains they go through but right steps should be taken in the right direction and all stakeholders intensify efforts in dealing with persons who perpetuate evil against their fellow women.

One issue that comes to mind is implementation even if policies and laws are out in place by relevant agencies. The issues have been dwelt on for decades, but it is still practised as big ceremonies in some communities.

When it comes to inheritance, a girl born into a family, married or unmarried will be denied access to father’s property.

When parents are sick, the female child will pick him or her for care and offset medical bills. If it has to do with the demise of parents, the woman and the husband will be mandated to provide a cow and perform other burial rites.

If the National Assembly makes laws concerning the well-being of women, community heads, molecular leaders, women groups and associations, religious organisations, Non-Governmental organizations (NGOs) and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) should create more awareness through the media to sensitise rural dwellers.

In this digital era, it should be forbidden that a woman loses her spouse and she is mandated to drink water used on the late husband.

A legal practitioner, Tam Jacobs, said if one forcefully shaves a woman’s hair with the intention that she is mourning her late spouse, she can sue that person for assault.

He said if the woman is forced to drink water used on her late husband’s body, she can also sue for attempted murder.

According to him, several cases of girl-child inheritance have been won and documented in the law court but some cannot claim it.

“Even a widow who is handicapped may not be able to make attempts so NGOs, CSOs should be in the forefront to support them and ensure that the laws are implemented at the grassroots level where they are practised”, he said.

A pharmacist, Eno Amos said any culture that does not add colour and value to life, especially as it concerns women should be abolished.

She added that implementation can be easy in the cities where awareness has been created but expressed fear that it may not be easy in the rural areas where culture is really practised.

A business woman, Agnes Ugwu, said tradition and culture were made by man and not God and wondered why people who claim to be educated still follow the tradition of ancestors who never went to school.

Ignorance also comes to play here. If you have watched a documentary showing female genital mutilation and the gory experience the young women go through is something else. Some of the perpetrators claim that the practice has existed for ages. Women have to learn more about issues that concern them.

A nurse, Rosy Ekeocha, said it is not about culture but about the behavior of a group of people in the community who force it on others.

According to her, let people change their behaviour and leave culture alone. It does not happen in every family and if any family allows it that is its business.

She said we are in the 21st century, certain cultures and tradition need to be reviewed to ensure that they align with today’s reality.

Culture is dynamic she said, but that implementation of laws relating to the vulnerable in the society calls for concern.

We should not behave the way people behaved twenty decades ago, after all, we do not dress the way our forefathers dressed. Time has evolved and things are getting better as it concerns women. We are getting more exposed and more enlightened about issues that concern us. Information is moving round as the world is a global village.

Talking about culture nowadays, we wear shoes whereas our forefathers never had any. They walked barefooted

far distances to get family necessities but things are better now as we are mobile.

That should also happen to culture and tradition. There are certain aspects of our culture and tradition which are practised today that have expired long ago. We should get rid off them.

Sometime, the bill for prohibition of obnoxious practices against women at the National Assembly was a welcome development, how far have the powers that be gone to ensure that it favours women.

It is expected that the bills abolishing obnoxious practices against women and girls in the society should have started achieving results as it concerns their wellbeing.

Eunice Choko-Kayode

City Crime

Association Raises Alarm Over Increasing Migration Of Young Pharmacists Abroad

Published

1 week ago

September 12, 2025

The Tide

The Nigeria Association of Pharmacists in Academia (NAPA) has called on the Federal Government to urgently address the growing shortage of academic pharmacists in the country.

National Chairperson of NAPA, Prof. Catherine Stanley, made the appeal during the opening of the 23rd Annual National Scientific Conference of NAPA, held at the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT), midweek.

The event had as its theme: “Pharmacy Practice in the New Global Economy: Education, Technology and Collaborations”.

Stanley attributed the shortage of pharmacists to increasing migration of young professionals to Europe and North America in search of better opportunities.

She described pharmacists in academia as “an endangered species”, citing their migration to foreign countries and the lack of replacements for retirees and deceased colleagues.

“There is an acute shortage of needed manpower in critical sectors of pharmacy education. This trend should not be allowed to continue”, she pleaded.

Stanley urged the government to prioritise the welfare of academic pharmacists to ensure sustainability in pharmaceutical education and research.

According to her, the current situation poses a threat to the future of pharmacy training and healthcare delivery in Nigeria.

In a keynote address, Prof. Charles Esimone, a former Vice-Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Enugu, attributed the dearth of pharmacists to new global challenges confronting the profession.

Discussing the theme of the conference, Esimone noted that the world was more interconnected than ever, and blamed globalisation for some of the difficulties facing the education sector.

He stressed the need to balance local requirements with a global outlook.

“This realisation has fuelled a push towards purposeful best practices in curriculum development, faculty exchanges, and addressing regulatory issues across borders.

“Our curricula must train pharmacists to be effective both locally and globally, ably to understand local health traditions while applying international standards”, he said.

Esimone explained that the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) and other global bodies have been working on developing a Global Competency Framework to harmonise pharmacist training worldwide.

He said the goal was to align education with the competences required to deliver essential services in any country.

He also highlighted the impact of advances in technology, which are revolutionising every aspect of pharmacy practice from dispensing processes to patient counselling, noting that the pace of change was accelerating.

“Pharmacists have increasingly embraced digital health tools, automation, and artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance their services.

“However, technology in pharmacy is a double-edged sword, it can greatly enhance our practice, but must be wielded with care”, he warned.

On his part, the Vice-Chancellor of UNIPORT, Prof. Owunari Georgewill, called on pharmacists in the academia to adopt practical and innovative approaches that would transform pharmacy education and practice in Nigeria.

Represented by the institution’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration), Prof. Chukwudi Onyeasor, Georgewill urged practitioners to move beyond theoretical discourse, embrace technology, strengthen collaborations, and align pharmacy with global standards.

“This is necessary to produce professionals who are equipped to serve a rapidly evolving healthcare system”, he concluded.

The Tide reports that the conference brought together pharmacists, researchers, educators, and policymakers from across the country to discuss innovations and strategies for advancing pharmaceutical practice in Nigeria.

Theresa Frederick & Charity Amiso

City Crime

Foundation To Host National Conference on Value Reorientation In Port Harcourt

Published

1 month ago

August 15, 2025

The Tide

The Otonti Nduka Foundation for Values Education, a non-governmental organization based in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has said that foundation is set to host a one-day national conference on reviving Nigeria’s value system.

The conference which has the theme”Trends and Challenges in Upholding Values in Nigeria,” will take place on November 13, 2025, at the Obi Wali International Conference Centre in Port Harcourt.

Speaking with newsmen at the foundation’s corporate office in port Harcourt, Tuesday,the chairman of the Board of Trustees, Emeritus prof Otonti Nduka disclosed that the conference is being held in collaboration with Rivers State University (RSU) and aims to bring together professionals from across the country to discuss the nation’s values landscape and collectively reset the compass of the society’s ethical and values system.

The emeritus professor hinted that the conference will be chaired by HRM King Diete Spiff, the Amanyanbo of Twon Brass, Bayelsa State while the key note speakers include Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, and Bishop Matthew Kukah, all known for their integrity and service.

According to him, the nation’s value system has deteriorated, and concerted efforts are needed to reverse the trend and restore sanity to society , stressing that the conference is designed to chart a new course based on national values and ethical leadership.

Prof. Nduka called for support from governments, public, and private individuals to achieve the program’s objectives.

He noted that the foundation was established in 2006 to revitalize the moral fibre of Nigerian society through the enunciation, inculcation, propagation, and dissemination of positive values.

Earlier in his speech, the Chairman of the conference, prof Hillary Wordu urged the media to partner with the foundation to create the necessary sensitization and awareness for the success of the event.

He assured that the conference would address nagging national values issues, including insecurity, corruption, election malpractice, and injustice.