Opinion
Why Are The Majority Poor?
Linda Chika Amuka
Successive military and civilian dispensations assumed power profusely professing intent to salvage. Over the years, we have had leadership that were habitually deceptive, that is to say, the leadership was a cult or dupes, who on grabbing power, disengaged themselves from constitutional social contract of harnessing common resources and equally redistributing same to the populace.
The Nigerian leadership rather than being a solution has remained a cog in the wheel of development of social and economic structures which has resulted in the perpetual impoverishment of the hapless citizenry. In ordinary terms, our leaders ascend to power on the vacuous promise that they will elevate the living standards of Nigerians but rather have always diverted such opportunities to personal enrichment.
As a precursor to their elevation to power, they feign ignorance to the state of social and economic disrepair, they traverse the length and breadth of their political constituencies promising heaven on earth. The reoccurrence of this officially perennial high-handedness has become worrisome because of its multifariously deleterious effect on the social and economic status of the populace. In other words, our leaders have made it a duty that on no account must the people they lead heave a sigh of relief. The systematic under-development of the social and economic structures is designed to convert the citizens’ rights into privileges and to bring about a continuity of the depending syndrome. The tenacity with which the leadership had held back development and welfare programmes is evident in the acute deprivation suffered by the people of this country.
In essence, it is important to note that the leadership is in the habit of making sure that the people they lead will not see the light of prosperity, such that the master-servant relationship will continue in perpetuity.
The level of leadership-induced poverty is basically unacceptable, considering the enormity of our commonwealth. It can be seen that the leadership is holding the populace in deliberate derision, amounting to contempt and human indignity making sure that the majority will remain in avoidable degradation.
The question in the mouth of many has remained how 10 per cent of the populace has continued to be recycled and hijack power for the sake of depriving the majority in this country. The answer is that the leadership has continually deliberately held on to its devices and methods of impoverishing the majority. The difference between America and Nigeria is that they utilise their resources in the interest of their citizenry such that welfare programmes of sort are initiated to make sure that a minimum standard of living is maintained which can prevent minor to major crimes. They develop and maintain infrastructure rather than auctioning them. They make sure that their citizens are accorded their rights of decent by subsidizing economic and social services. They make sure that provision of employment is a major determinant of economic growth. They measure the performance of government by the level of happiness generated among the people. They don’t allow anybody any excuse to commit crime, which is the reason their security is uncompromisingly strict and is at variance with our security such that their method is crime preventive while ours is crime inventive.
The lamentable state of poverty and deprivation in this country needs to stop, because we cannot continue to deceive the people of this country longer than we have done. If government is serious about lifting the living standards of the people, it will remove the land use decrees, it will make education free at all levels, it will make loans compulsorily affordable to farmers, it will reduce the price of fuel, it will enhance the casualty centres of the so-called federal medical centres. It will liberalise importation such that goods and services will be cheap.
Our industries are deliberately moribund even when the government had closed importation of goods to encourage their growth. It is no longer tenable that free flow of importation is the albatross of our industries. The textile industries at Isolo, which were closed down due to non-availability of raw materials should be encouraged because they are heavy employers of labour.
This country can afford to lavish incentives at the economic sector and make this economy subsidy-based. President Yar’Adua must understand that there is no sense in auctioning the commonwealth of this country which is one of the reasons we are where we are today.
Obasanjo’s economic witch-doctors told him that he will succeed by alienating the citizenry through privatisation. We now know the damages done to our economy through such disturbing us with noise of how many roads they have built as if it is their money that is being used. Their primary concern should be how to put food compulsorily on every table, how to generate employment, how to create an enabling environment for self-employment and how to develop human resources. The people of this country are hungry, deprived, cheated, abandoned because of greed of a few people. This country can afford to employ every graduate; this country can afford to look after the elder; we can afford to subsidise petroleum to even twenty naira per litre.
If we refuse to do these things, the rate of crime will continue to rise, until it will lead to a revolution, we are undoubtedly close to that now.
The activities of government at all levels are at variance with the needs of the people and that is to say, there is total disregard for the living standard of the populace.
The Central Bank in any developed country is responsible for control of fiscal policies that can generate employment based on the right data.
The CBN cannot continue to give vague reasons as to why inflation cannot be controlled. The double digit interest rates, on the excuse that depositors must demand return on deposits is the bane of the economy and the crux of the matter. This is mere abuse of our sensibilities and collaboration of interested parties because if the cost of fund is brought to single digit, productivity will rise, employment will increase and nothing will stop this imaginary inflation from coming down. The excess liquidity is neither here nor there because this economy is not financially saturated in the first place.
The reduction of monetary policy rate when not long ago the CBN said there was excess liquidity is admittance of monetary policy confusion all in the bid to avoid reduction of cost of funds. It is wrong to keep huge sums of money in foreign reserves or in the AFC which can be used to develop infrastructure. If there is excess liquidity, why don’t we utilise it positively? Why are the people still very poor? Why were they failed banks not bailed out instead of being eliminated? The financial theorem of the CBN is a deliberate misconception to keep the people in perpetual poverty. The government should discountenance monetisation of everything and concentrate on enhancing the agricultural and industrial sectors and, at the same time, retrieve all the infrastructures they have put private hands, because we are not developed to the extent of privatizing and monetizing this fragile economy. By so doing government has admitted incapability to manage resources, in other words, government is a failure by abdicating its responsibilities to privately owned corporations which are only interested in maximum profit and as a result, the people are poorer.
Amuka is a student of Anambra State University, Awka
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.
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