Opinion
Reviving Moribund Industries In Rivers

The revival of moribund industries in Rivers State is the panacea for economic development and curbing high unemployment level.
I want to commend Governor Ezenwo Nyesom Wike for taking the bold step to revive the cassava processing plant located at Afam, Oyigbo Local Government Area. This is the beginning of good things to come in Rivers State and mitigating the army of unemployed youths.
The revival and sustenance of the Afam cassava plant is not the only industry calling for government attention.
There are other government companies that have been neglected for too long and which need to be revived.
A few of these firms are: Delta Rubber Company Ltd with three giant plantations located at Elele, Odagwa, Abara and other subsidiary plantations all in Rivers State; West African Glass Industries (WAGI); Rivers Vegetable Oil Company (RIVOC) in Trans-Amadi Industrial Layout; Rivers State Songhai Farm in Tai; Rivers State Fish Farm in Buguma; and Port Harcourt Airport Hotel.
Now that the government of Barr. Wike has started with the revitalization of abandoned industries, these few others should follow suit to help end the army of unemployed youths roaming the streets of Rivers State and to reduce criminality and other social evils perpetrated by some of these young men and women.
If government revives these industries as mentioned above, it will swallow unemployment and create revenue for the state and also put Rivers State on the map of industrialized states, thereby making the State an economic hub in Nigeria.
Though this may not be easy as it will require a large capital, it will also require strong political will which Gov. Wike is known to muster. Truly Gov. Wike has to consider this seriously in order to leave his name on the sands of time, just as Chief Alfred Diete-Spiff did in the old Rivers State.
There may be distractions and ethnic jingoism as it has denied Rivers State its fair share in the enclave called Nigeria, I urge Wike not to be bothered by these political distractions and forge ahead; for he has been found worthy to carry Rivers State to the promised land and to fulfill the yearnings of our founding fathers.
The Governor recently made it known that the Rivers State Government is contributing about 70 per cent of the total cost of the cassava industry at Afam, leaving 30 per cent to private investors.
This is a well thought-out development plan in this part of the world where government is the major financier of any project that requires a large amount of capital.
Let it be known to us that government is not a good businessman because of the intricacies surrounding the running of government businesses in Nigeria.
This is why management experts and economic managers have advocated for the various ways to run government business either through privatization, deregulation and commercialization.
However, Rivers State cannot afford to toe a different line in the management of its businesses, particularly the suggested industries to be revitalised.
As a follow up to this, I want to make the following contributions or suggestions to aid government in managing the revitalised industry and others that will come on stream.
Since government owns 70 per cent equity of the project cost, government should divest 40 per cent of their share holding in the company to the public (particularly Rivers indigenes who are willing to buy the shares of the company). This divested equity should be allocated to the 23 local government areas at 10 per cent to allow equal participation of the citizens in order to avoid one group taking absolute control of the management and board of the said company.
Government should revitalize all the mentioned companies since it has the financial muscle and list the companies in the stock market for indigenes and foreigners to buy their shares at 30 per cent to all the local government areas, 45 per cent to government and 25 per cent to foreigners who will provide the technical know-how, This will help to avoid the pitfalls of yesterday where government business is seen as nobody’s business.
On the appointment of the management and board members, government should put up enabling environment devoid of political interference and allow the shareholders appoint the board members and a proper recruitment exercise be conducted.
These companies should be supervised strictly by the parent ministry with a technical committee set up to monitor the running of the companies. However, the committee should avoid undue influence of government and board members.
Finally, government and the board, through the Ministry of Justice, should put up a stringent legislation punishable by 20 years imprisonment for any management, board members, including staffers of the company found to have embezzled or connive with anybody to defraud any the company of its finances or properties.
This will help to reduce constant liquidation of companies owned by government or a joint venture with other investors. Suffice it to say that if these suggestions are applied to the letter, and in line with the new realities of the Wike administration, there will be sanity in the management of government businesses in Rivers State.
Nwokugha is a management consultant in Port Harcourt.
Clement Nwokugha
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.