Editorial
Bravo, The Tide At 49!
Today, December 4, 2020, marks the 49th anniversary of The Tide newspaper (Then Nigerian Tide),
the flagship product of the Rivers State Newspaper Corporation published by the Rivers State Government. The first edition of the tabloid was marketed on December 4, 1971, after its launch in Lagos, December 1, 1971, by the Military Governor of Old Rivers State, then Navy Commander Alfred Papapriye Diete-Spiff and established by the Rivers State Newspaper Corporation Edict No 11 of 1971. Dr. G. I. G Okara was the first General Manager while Mr. Athanesius Woluchem was the first Chairman, Board of Directors.
Since then, The Tide has been on circulation despite difficulties of a terminal kind, the same that accounted for the extinction of countless other public and private newspapers in the land. The paper initially published bi-weekly with effect from May 24, 1974, and later became a daily publication with the inclusion of the Sunday Tide. Under The Tide stable was a magazine like the Business Tide and the African Tide Magazine. Other sub-titles like The Midweek Tide and The Weekend Tide were introduced much later. Today, the tabloid has on its stable the daily paper which is The Tide.
The founding fathers of Rivers State articulated and developed a vision on the need for a newspaper. Being a people from a minority area of the country, these stakeholders desperately wanted a voice for the people of the state and indeed a viable channel to educate, inform and socially engineer the people towards properly appreciating government’s plans, projects and actions. The challenges that informed the establishment of The Tide 49 years ago persist to this day.
For The Tide to effectively perform its task of being the voice and protecting the interest of the people and government of Rivers State, the corporation was supported with a well equipped commercial printing press to ensure that it was not hindered by lack of finance. That department remains operational to date.
Known as the “Authoritative Voice of the Niger Delta”, The Tide, in its 49 years of existence, has gone through rosy and difficult times, without compromising its core mandate of acting as the voice of Rivers people. Being one of the first state-owned newspapers in Nigeria, The Tide has stayed afloat in defiance of challenges. However, the paper had experienced a few shutdowns due to sundry matters. In April 2020, it had a lull following the global economic crunch occasioned by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Categorically, it is a newspaper with a penetrating reach in the Niger Delta, complemented by the most sophisticated, global readership through the internet address: www.thetidenewsonline.com. So, management and staff of the corporation must utilise this occasion to celebrate the sustenance of the newspaper and thank God for His grace through the years. The corporation, and especially the Rivers State Government, must take this time to re-equip and turn around the newspaper for the future.
Although quite some persons and organisations have been partnering with the tabloid from inception, The Tide would want to draw courage and inspiration from the solidarity of a grateful state government. There are many reasons why the government and people of the state should celebrate The Tide. It is heart-warming that till date, the state newspaper is the most authoritative voice in the South-South region and one of the major African newspapers on the internet. Further, it is perhaps the first Nigerian newspaper to attain strong archival capability on the internet.
Bearing a motto: “A Commitment To Truth”, The Tide has, in addition to keeping faith with its mandate, facilitated the training of high-level manpower in the media industry, including students of higher institutions on industrial attachment. It is the first state newspaper to go daily on colour. This newspaper excels despite obvious inhibitions. It has operated for many years without a rotary machine.
May be, one area the newspaper needs to be always appreciated is the fact that it serves as the link between the government and the governed, on the one hand, then, the people and the rest of the world. This tabloid has in no small measure contributed to good governance by advising, promoting government’s programmes and policies and holding the authorities accountable.
It is also indulging that quite many institutions, corporate bodies and individuals mostly patronise the paper and regard it as their first choice. The dissemination of information through timely and accurate news, features, opinion articles, business, sports, press interviews, advertisements, among others, has constantly kept the doors of the newspaper open. We dare say that we serve the menu hot and fresh in these areas.
That The Tide still flows and keeps afloat is a testament of the resilience, hard work, focus, never-say-die spirit and industry of the staff and management on one hand and the support of successive governments, on the other. It, therefore, requires all the backing it can get to carry on.
This time next year, the Rivers State-owned newspaper will attain the 50th anniversary (Golden Jubilee). The question is: what is the plan of the government for the paper? What does the government think about this newspaper that has promoted its programmes and policies diligently for 49 years? The universal truth is that for any newspaper, private or public, to survive, it must be well-capitalised and professionalised.
That is why there is every reason for the Rivers State Government to reposition The Tide that has proved an invaluable resource to the state by furnishing the corporation with functional machines, computers, generating plants, rotary machinery, additional staff, circulation vans, and replace all decaying infrastructure to enable it to function better and be able to withstand future challenges. The lucrative business of exercise book production needs to be restored.
Fortunately, early this year, the Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, magnanimously announced plans for a massive renovation of The Tide Newspaper premises to give it a more modern outlook as well as the provision of state-of-the art printing machines. We dare say that with the pragmatic and fatherly disposition of our Governor, this will surely soon come to fruition.
At 49, The Tide is a full-grown adult and no longer a youngster; its network, experience and even service have increased a thousandfold. Its plan for the future has become even more demanding. This is one of the issues the anniversary will shape and colour in the actual interest of the least Rivers person.
As can be seen, The Tide family has to return adulation to God and gratitude to the government and people of Rivers State for keeping the publication alive. This is an opportunity for the stable to commemorate itself. Thus, all staff of the corporation (past and present), as well as those who have sprinted on the pages of this great newspaper, must be grateful to God and remain more positive than ever. Bravo, The Tide at 49!
The recent massacre in Yelewata, Benue State, ranks among Nigeria’s deadliest attacks of
2025. While official figures put the death toll at 59, media reports and Amnesty International estimate between 100 and 200 fatalities. This atrocity extends a decade-long pattern of violence in Nigeria’s Middle Belt, where Beacon Security data records 1,043 deaths in Benue alone between May 2023 and May 2025.
President Tinubu’s visit on 18 June—four days after the 14 June attack—has drawn sharp criticism for its lateness. This delay echoes a history of inadequate responses, with Human Rights Watch documenting similar inaction in Plateau and Kaduna states since 2013, fuelling a culture of impunity. The attack lasted over two hours without meaningful security intervention, despite claims of swift action.
The violence bore hallmarks of genocide, with survivors recounting systematic house burnings and executions. More than 2.2 million people have been displaced in the region since 2019 due to comparable attacks. Data show Benue’s agricultural output falls by 0.21 per cent in crops and 0.31 per cent in livestock for every 1 per cent rise in violence.
Security forces continue to underperform. No arrests were made following the Easter attacks in April (56 killed) or May’s Gwer West massacre (42 killed). During his visit, Tinubu questioned publicly why no suspects had been detained four days after Yelewata, highlighting entrenched accountability failures.
The roots of the conflict are complex, with climate change pushing northern herders south and 77 per cent of Benue’s population reliant on agriculture. A Tiv community leader described the violence as “calculated land-grabbing” rather than mere clashes, with over 500 deaths recorded since 2019.
Government interventions have largely fallen short. The 2018 federal task force and 2025 Forest Guards initiative failed to curb violence. Tinubu’s newly announced committee of ex-governors and traditional rulers has been met with scepticism given the litany of past unkept promises.
The economic fallout is severe. Benue’s status as Nigeria’s “food basket” is crumbling as farms are destroyed and farmers displaced. This worsens the nation’s food crisis, with hunger surges in 2023-2024 directly linked to farming disruptions caused by insecurity.
Citizens demanding justice have been met with force; protesters faced police tear gas, and the State Assembly conceded total failure in safeguarding lives, admitting that the governor, deputy, and 32 lawmakers had all neglected their constitutional responsibilities.
The massacre has drawn international condemnation. Pope Leo XIV decried the “terrible massacre,” while the UN called for an investigation. The hashtag “200 Nigerians” trended worldwide on X, with many contrasting Nigeria’s slow response to India’s swift action following a plane crash with similar fatalities.
Nigeria’s centralised security system is clearly overwhelmed. A single police force is tasked with covering 36 states and 774 local government areas for a population exceeding 200 million. Between 2021 and 2023 alone, 29,828 killings and 15,404 kidnappings were recorded nationally. Proposals for state police, floated since January 2025, remain stalled.
Other populous nations offer alternative models. Canada’s provincial police, India’s state forces, and Indonesia’s municipal units demonstrate the effectiveness of decentralised policing. Nigeria’s centralised structure creates intelligence and response gaps, worsened by the distance—both physical and bureaucratic—from Abuja to affected communities.
The immediate aftermath is dire: 21 IDP camps in Benue are overwhelmed, and a humanitarian crisis is deepening. The State Assembly declared three days of mourning (18-20 June), but survivors lack sufficient medical aid. Tragically, many of those killed were already displaced by earlier violence.
A lasting solution requires a multi-pronged approach, including targeted security deployment, regulated grazing land, and full enforcement of Benue’s 2017 Anti-Open Grazing Law. The National Economic Council’s failure to prioritise state police in May 2025 represents a missed chance for reform.
Without decisive intervention, trends suggest conditions will worsen. More than 20,000 Nigerians have been killed and 13,000 kidnapped nationwide in 2025 alone. As Governor Hyacinth Alia stressed during Tinubu’s visit, state police may be the only viable path forward. All 36 states have submitted proposals supporting decentralisation—a crucial step towards breaking Nigeria’s vicious cycle of violence.
Nigeria’s return to democratic rule in 1999 marked a watershed moment in the nation’s political history. After enduring nearly 16 years of successive military dictatorships, Nigerians embraced a new era of civil governance with the inauguration of President Olusegun Obasanjo on May 29, 1999. Since then, the country has sustained a democratic system for 26 years. But, this democratic journey has been a complex mix of progress and persistent challenges.
The formal recognition of June 12 as Democracy Day in 2018 by former President Muhammadu Buhari acknowledged a long-standing injustice. The annulment of the 1993 presidential election, Nigeria’s freest, betrayed the democratic aspirations of millions. That it took decades to honour this date reflects the nation’s complex relationship with its democratic memory.
One of the most momentous successes of Nigeria’s democracy has been the uninterrupted civilian rule over the last two and a half decades. The country has witnessed seven general elections, with power transferring peacefully among different political parties. This is particularly notable considering that prior to 1999, no civilian government had completed a full term without military intervention. The peaceful transitions in 2007, 2015, and 2023 are testaments to Nigeria’s evolving democratic maturity.
Electoral participation, while uneven, has also reflected a level of democratic engagement. In 2003, voter turnout stood at about 69 per cent, but this figure dropped to approximately 34.75 per cent in 2023, according to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Although the declining turnout raises concerns, it also highlights the increasing expectations of the electorate, who demand credible and transparent elections.
Another area of progress is the growth of a vibrant and free press. Nigerian media has played a crucial role in holding governments accountable and fostering public discourse. Investigative journalism and civil society activism have exposed corruption and human rights abuses. The rise of social media has further expanded the democratic space, enabling young Nigerians to mobilise and advocate for change, as evidenced by the 2020 #EndSARS protests.
Judicial independence has seen mixed results. On one hand, the judiciary has occasionally demonstrated resilience, such as in landmark rulings that overturned fraudulent elections or curtailed executive excesses. On the other hand, allegations of political interference and corruption within the judiciary persist, undermining public confidence in the legal system’s impartiality.
Nigeria’s democracy has also facilitated the decentralisation of power through the federal system. State governments now wield some autonomy, allowing for experimentation in governance and service delivery. While this has led to innovative policies in some states, it has also entrenched patronage networks and uneven development across the federation.
Despite these successes, Nigeria’s democratic journey faces formidable problems. Electoral integrity remains a critical concern. Reports from election observers, including those from the European Union and ECOWAS, frequently highlight issues such as vote-buying, ballot box snatching, and violence. The introduction of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and electronic transmission of results in 2023 elections showed promise, but technical glitches and alleged manipulations dampened public trust.
Corruption continues to be a pervasive issue. Nigeria ranks 145th out of 180 countries on Transparency International’s 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index, with a score of 25/100. Democratic institutions meant to check graft—such as anti-corruption agencies and the legislature—often struggle due to political interference and weak enforcement mechanisms.
Security challenges have also strained Nigeria’s democracy. Insurgency in the North East, banditry in the North West, separatist agitations in the South East, and herder-farmer conflicts across the Middle Belt have collectively resulted in thousands of deaths and displacements. According to the Global Terrorism Index 2024, Nigeria ranks as the eighth most impacted country by terrorism. The government’s difficulty in ensuring safety erodes public confidence in the state’s capacity and legitimacy.
The economy poses another critical remonstrance. Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita stands at approximately $2,400 as of 2024, with over 40 per cent of the population living below the national poverty line. High unemployment and inflation have fueled discontent and disillusionment with democratic governance, especially among youth. Without addressing economic grievances, the democratic dividend will remain elusive for many Nigerians.
Ethnic and religious divisions further complicate Nigeria’s democratic consolidation. Politicians often exploit identity politics for electoral gains, exacerbating social tensions. Although federal character principles aim to promote inclusiveness, they have also sometimes fostered a quota mentality rather than merit-based appointments.
Gender representation remains inadequate in Nigeria’s democratic institutions. Women occupy less than 10 per cent of seats in the National Assembly, one of the lowest rates globally. Efforts to pass gender parity bills have faced stiff resistance, highlighting deep-seated cultural and institutional barriers to female political participation.
Civil liberties, while constitutionally guaranteed, are under threat. Crackdowns on protesters, restrictions on press freedom, and surveillance of activists reveal an authoritarian streak within the democratic framework. The controversial Twitter ban in 2021 exemplified the country’s willingness to curb digital freedoms, prompting domestic and international criticism.
The political crisis in Rivers State embodies broader democratic struggles. Attempts to control the state through undemocratic means expose weaknesses in federal institutions and the rule of law. Immediate restoration of democratic governance in Rivers State is vital to preserving Nigeria’s democratic integrity and institutional credibility.
Local governments remain under the control of state governors, depriving citizens of grassroots democracy. Last year’s Supreme Court judgment on local government autonomy is promising, but state-level resistance threatens its implementation. Genuine autonomy would bring governance closer to the people and foster democratic innovation.
As we mark Democracy Day, we must honour the sacrifices of Chief M.K.O. Abiola, Kudirat Abiola, Femi Falana, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, Pa Alfred Rewane, President Bola Tinubu, and countless others, who fought for Nigeria’s freedom. As democracy in Nigeria continues to evolve after 26 years, this day should inspire action toward its renewal. With despotism and state failure as real threats, both citizens and leaders must take responsibility—citizens by demanding more, and leaders by delivering. Excuses are no longer acceptable.