Opinion

That Compulsory Education In A’Ibom

Published

16 years ago

March 17, 2010

When Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State assumed office and announced the introduction of a free and compulsory education, the decision was gladly received by all and accepted as a welcome development. On that day, indigenes of the state that never heard the exciting news, when it was first announced, became friends to their radio and TV sets.

Those of them who were outside the state were forced to call their friends and relatives at home with their cell phones. Those of them who were not lucky enough to own radio or television sets were forced to run to opinion leaders in their communities. They ran to opinion leaders in their local communities, but not at night like the biblical Nicodemus. They all aimed at one thing. They wanted to confirm and ascertain if the announcement about the state government free and compulsory education policy was a reality. They needed to confirm this because rumour forms part of human life. We live and wake up with it.

With introduction of a free and compulsory education in the state, some parents started searching for the phone numbers of people they had given out their children to. Where these phone numbers did not go, some parents had to travel to the cities to look for their children. The introduction of a free and compulsory education in the state made some parents embark on a lease back. In fact the desire by some parents to bring back their children home made them empty their pockets just to transport their adult children to different cities where their young children were serving as house boys and girls.

As was expected, some of these youths rose up to the challenge and embarked on the errand. Those of them who could not succeed at first attempt were made to embark on a second “Missionary Journey”. It was an uncompromising mission, a mission to be achieved at all cost.

From then on, the percentage of Akwa Ibom children hawking in the state capital Uyo and those serving as house boys and girls in different cities in Nigeria drastically reduced. They returned home with one aim in mind: to benefit from what they saw as the generosity of the state government, they returned home to benefit from the free and compulsory education policy of the state government. It was the first of its kind.

Some of these homeward bound children could imagine themselves reading different books, speaking ‘Good English’; not ‘Pidgin English’ this time around and writing with legible handwriting. Their parents could not stop to imagine their children reading letters that could come from their elderly children from the cities, helping them fill their bank withdrawal slip and even filling their pension scheme forms. They knew their dream of having literate children was fast becoming a reality. They have one person to thank, the state governor.

The desire to have formal education was one thing parents in Akwa Ibom State really sought after. Both the poor and rich sought for it with utmost desire, as formal education had eluded them for years. They had a strong desire to have their children acquire formal education; it was a legacy to leave behind for their children not only plot of land and small buildings, but to leave behind a lasting legacy, the legacy of formal education, a ‘priceless legacy’

However, despite the introduction of the free and compulsory education policy in Akwa Ibom, the Godswill Akpabio led administration still has a lot of work to do in this regard in order to consolidate on the policy and make it a continuous process. The state government should put functional measures on ground that will safeguard its free and compulsory education policy and make it a lasting legacy. The free and compulsory education policy of the state government should be formally passed into law so as to leave a sustainable education policy that would leave behind a lasting educational policy for our generation yet unborn, a legacy that every Akwa Ibom child shall come to benefit from. When the free and compulsory education policy is passed into law, any administration that assumes office after Governor Godswill Akpabio will have no other option but to respect and continue to implement it. This is because one day an administration that is not “education friendly” may assume office in the state and may choose to kick into abyss the state verbal free and compulsory education policy.

Also, the state government should ensure that the free and compulsory education policy is implemented to its fullest by providing sufficient budgetary allocation for education in the state’s yearly fiscal policy. This will give education a high priority in the scheme of things in the state and enable the free education policy work optimally. This will also enable the state government provide such things as exercise books and text books for students in public schools.

It is noteworthy that since the Akwa Ibom State government introduced the free education scheme, the number of enrolment into public schools have witnessed tremendous increase. The state government should endeavour to employ more competent teachers that will teach and acquaint our students with knowledge in different subjects both at the primary and secondary levels.

The state government should try and curb the activities of anti-free education teachers, principals, headmasters and school heads who are bent on extorting money from students in the name of “maintenance fee” ‘hand work’ etc. If possible, they should be sacked. This will serve as a deterrent to others. The future of our children is more precious and priceless than the greedy urge of this self-centered teachers, principals, school heads etc.

The Akpabio –led government in Akwa Ibom State should learn from its predecessor. After winning election for a second term in office, Akpabio’s predecessor, Obong Victor Attah announced the introduction of free education in the state from primary one to junior secondary three. Unfortunately, this policy was never implemented because it was poorly formulated and under funded. This should not be the fate of the prevailing free and compulsory education policy in the state.

Also, the Akwa Ibom State government should upgrade the salary structure of public school teachers so as to save them from the financial lure of teaching in private primary and secondary schools. This will make them hold unto their jobs in public primary and secondary schools. It is a well known fact that most teachers in private primary and secondary schools were lured from public schools. They left public schools for private schools due to poor motivation and job satisfaction, typical of most public schools.

When teachers from public schools in the state are financially motivated and guaranteed optimum job satisfaction, they will have no other excuse but to put in their very best in teaching and satisfying the academic needs of their pupils. With this, our public schools in Akwa Ibom will be able to compete favourably with their counterparts in private secondary and primary schools.

Every Akwa Ibom Child has a right to be educated, therefore, private individuals, companies N.G.O’s must rise up to complement the efforts of the state government in making every Akwa Ibom child acquire functional formal education that will make them have confidence in themselves. Rise up to defend and fight for their rights when occasion demands. The quest by Akwa Ibom State government to give every Akwa Ibom child qualitative education should never be compromised at any cost.

The present generation of Akwa Ibom children and the generation yet unborn are watching us. They may never forgive us if we fail them in this regard. We cannot afford to fail them. This is the best gift we can give to them.

Philip is an intern with The Tide.

Faith Philip

Opinion

Agony In Ivory Tower

Published

10 hours ago

March 9, 2026

The Tide

Quote: A university that tolerates missing scripts, result manipulation and ‘sorting’ is not merely failing students—it is quietly destroying the moral foundation of education itself.”

The sad cases of missing scripts, compulsory Sorting, inputting of wrong results and other obnoxious practices in some public universities, leave much to be desired. One cannot imagine how a student will be compelled to suffer consequences of the flagrant negligence of a Head of Department, a lecturer, Department staff or an ICT staff.Many academic and non academic staff in several public universities seem to be performing far below standard, thus unproductive to the university system. The unacceptable cases of sorting, missing scripts, missing results, inputting of wrong grades to students, should not be mentioned in a university, not even in any academic community. This is because people who are employed to work in various positions should have cognate work experience and unquestionable competence. They should not be seen as certificate welding illiterates but people who have been proven to be worthy in learning and character, diligent and competent to carry out assigned responsibilities with minimal or no supervision.

The university as a citadel of learning should boast of men of integrity, people who are repositories of applied knowledge and competence to drive the much desired holistic development in a nation that functions on quality teaching and learning. A situation where a student having gone through the crucibles of learning and written a prescribed semester examination or class-based evaluation test, is told that his or her script is missing or that he or she did not participate in that academic exercise, or must sort to pass, is an unpardonable error and a height of callousness. In fact some lecturers and staff of Departments are using the seeming systemic defect (which is their architecture) as an opportunity to extort students. Sometimes it is discovered much to students chagrin that the supposed missing script was later discovered when a ransom was paid.

Since a lecturer, or Head of Department has in their disposal both Yam and the knife and determines who takes what (if they wish to give without strings), students have no alternative but to submit to their importunate demands in order to graduate at record time.Such practices should be unheard of in an institution that should be a vanguard of moral and ethical values and conduct. What people learn in school constitute their behavioural patterns in the society. Where the school as an agency of socialisation cannot drive positive change first in its immediate environment, then the objective of education as a bedrock for the development of society, is inevitably compromised and counter-productive. The German Reformer, Dr. Martins Luther was quoted as saying, “I advise parents not to put their wards or children in any school where the Bible is not being used as a rule of life because such institutions will unnecessarily be corrupt”.

Gleaning from Luther’s sentiment one can deduce that the lack of respect and regard for values as well as the absence of the fear of God is the greatest undoing of most public schools. Another major challenge is that lack of Information, Communication and Technology literacy or compliance on the part of some lecturers and heads of department, may have informed the decision to give students’ scripts to secretaries to compile and input students results thereby making the secretaries the determinants of students’ fate. It is not saying a new thing that some of the secretaries in the process of compiling results have inputted wrong results, omitted names or down graded some students or given unmerited grades to others.Society today is ICT-driven and ICT-literacy enhances efficiency, speed and a reasonable degree of accuracy if the person behind the computer is level headed, articulate, competent, alive to responsibilities and is aware that negligence on his or her part is not only tantamount to a disservice to the university but to the students who may not graduate at record time because of his or her (computer operator’s) gross ineptitude or carelessness.

The ICT era makes the carrying of hard copy of results obsolete as lecturers through the Heads of Department can log on to the central server of the Exams and Records (if any) or ICT unit and input students’ results directly. By so doing the incessant cases where result on spread sheet is different from the one published online, more often than not, caused by abject negligence, will be avoided. The process will also end the intermediary services of some staff in the universities’ Information, Communication and Technology Department which has become a money spinner-a lucrative source of income to many of them. In fact some ICT staff reserved the power to award grades to students depending on students’ degree of compliance to terms and conditions. They can dubiously make or unmake a student. The university community should be considered too lofty to have careless, negligent, immoral and academic or professionally deficient people as academic or non-academic staff.

The Governing Councils and Senates of universities should be proactive in addressing the menace of missing Script, inputting of wrong results and sorting. This is necessary to end the slogan “Education is scam” so the system can produce quality students who are truly found worthy in learning and in character by operators who exemplify diligence, moral and ethical values. The much-needed reform must begin within the institutions themselves, because the future of any society is shaped in its classrooms.

By: Igbiki Benibo

Opinion

Strength of Emotional Equality

Published

10 hours ago

March 9, 2026

The Tide

Quote: “Love thrives not when one gives more, but when both give fully — not in competition, not in performance, but in partnership.”

In every healthy relationship, there exists an invisible balance. It is not measured in grand gestures, expensive gifts, or public displays of affection. It is measured in something quieter and far more significant: emotional equality. When couples stand on equal emotional grounds, love becomes less of a negotiation and more of a partnership. Emotional equality does not mean both individuals express love in identical ways. It does not require matching personalities or mirroring temperaments. Rather, it speaks to balance — a shared willingness to invest, to communicate, to be vulnerable, and to grow. It is the difference between two people walking side by side and one person constantly trying to catch up.

In many relationships, imbalance begins subtly. One partner initiates most conversations. One apologizes more frequently. One carries the emotional labor — remembering important dates, managing conflicts, sensing tension, and attempting reconciliation. Over time, this uneven distribution of emotional effort breeds exhaustion. The partner who gives more begins to feel unseen. The one who gives less may grow comfortable in emotional passivity. Love, in such a space, starts to tilt — slowly at first, then significantly. Resentment can creep in quietly, disguising itself as patience. Silence may replace honest dialogue. What once felt effortless begins to feel heavy.

When couples stand on equal emotional grounds, responsibility is shared. Both people are accountable for the health of the relationship. If conflict arises, neither hides behind silence nor dominates through control. Instead, they engage. They listen. They speak honestly without weaponizing words. Equality creates safety — and safety strengthens intimacy. It allows both individuals to express needs without fear of ridicule or rejection. One of the most overlooked aspects of emotional equality is vulnerability. True connection requires courage. It demands that both partners risk being misunderstood. But when vulnerability is one-sided, it becomes exposure rather than intimacy. If one person consistently opens up while the other remains guarded, trust cannot fully deepen.

Equality ensures that emotional risks are mutual. Where one shares fears, the other shares too. Where one admits weakness, the other responds with openness rather than judgment. In such a space, authenticity flourishes. Another crucial element is validation. In emotionally balanced relationships, both partners feel heard. Their concerns are not dismissed as “overreactions.” Their feelings are not minimized or compared. When couples operate on equal emotional ground, they acknowledge each other’s experiences as legitimate. They may not always agree, but they always respect. Validation does not mean surrendering one’s viewpoint; it means recognizing that another’s emotional reality matters.

Equality also protects individuality. Contrary to popular belief, healthy love does not erase personal identity — it enhances it. When both partners are emotionally secure, they do not feel threatened by each other’s independence. Personal ambitions are encouraged, not resented. Friendships are respected, not restricted. Growth is celebrated, not feared. Standing on equal emotional grounds means neither person shrinks to accommodate the other. Instead, both expand, knowing the relationship is strong enough to hold their evolution. Power dynamics often expose emotional inequality. When one partner controls communication — appearing and disappearing unpredictably, withholding affection, or using silence as leverage — imbalance emerges.

Emotional dominance weakens intimacy. It creates anxiety instead of assurance. But when couples share emotional power, there is consistency. There is clarity. There is no need to decode affection because it is offered freely and intentionally. It is important to understand that equality does not imply perfection. Couples will still disagree. They will face stress, miscommunication, and moments of frustration. However, when emotional footing is equal, conflict does not threaten the foundation. Instead, it becomes an opportunity for understanding. Both partners approach challenges as teammates rather than opponents. They choose resolution over ego and repair over pride.

Time often reveals whether emotional equality truly exists. In the early stages of love, intensity can disguise imbalance. Enthusiasm feels mutual. Effort appears equal. But as routine settles in and novelty fades, the structure of the relationship becomes clearer. Who still initiates? Who still invests? Who still shows up consistently? Sustainable love requires sustained balance. It is built not merely on attraction, but on deliberate reciprocity. Standing on equal emotional grounds requires intentionality. It demands honest conversations about needs and expectations. It requires both partners to examine their habits — whether they withdraw during tension, avoid accountability, or rely on the other to carry the emotional weight. Emotional maturity is not about avoiding conflict; it is about handling it responsibly and returning, again and again, to shared ground.

Perhaps the greatest benefit of emotional equality is peace. There is no constant anxiety about where one stands. No guessing games about commitment. No fear that affection may suddenly disappear. Instead, there is stability. There is reassurance. There is mutual effort. In a world where relationships often blur the lines between attention and commitment, equality offers clarity. It reminds us that love should not feel like competition or performance. It should feel like partnership. When couples stand on equal emotional grounds, they build something resilient. They build trust that does not fracture easily. They build respect that does not depend on mood. They build a connection rooted not only in passion but in balance. And in that balance, love finds its strength — not in who gives more, but in how both give fully.

By: Sylvia ThankGod-Amadi

Opinion

NDDC: Time To Illuminate Homes

Published

1 week ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

Quote:“Twenty-five years on, the Niger Delta cannot celebrate illuminated streets while families sit in darkness. Development must begin inside the home — where children study, businesses grow, and lives are built — before it glows on the roadside.”

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) was established in 2000 with a clear and urgent mandate: to facilitate the rapid, even, and sustainable development of Nigeria’s oil-producing Niger Delta region. The creation of the Commission followed decades of agitation over environmental degradation, infrastructural neglect, and socio-economic marginalization in the region. Its core mandate included the development of roads, bridges, electricity, water supply, health facilities, education, housing, environmental remediation, and economic empowerment initiatives. At inception, expectations were high that the Commission would transform the Niger Delta into a model of regional development. Over the years, the NDDC has indeed implemented numerous projects across the nine Niger Delta states. Roads have been constructed and rehabilitated in several communities, easing transportation challenges.

Schools have been renovated, and new classroom blocks have been provided in underserved areas. Health centres have been built or upgraded, improving access to primary healthcare services. The Commission has also awarded scholarships to students, including foreign postgraduate scholarships, empowering thousands of youths academically.Skills acquisition and youth empowerment programmes have helped many young people gain vocational competencies.Through various interventions, the NDDC has contributed to job creation and local economic stimulation.Solar-powered street lighting projects have been widely implemented in urban and semi-urban communities. These streetlights have improved visibility at night and contributed to enhanced security in some areas. Markets, highways, and public spaces illuminated by solar lights have experienced extended business hours.

For these efforts, the Commission deserves acknowledgment and commendation. However, development must always align with foundational mandates and pressing grassroots realities. A growing concern among residents is that while streets are illuminated, many homes remain in darkness. Rural electrification and household power access remain inconsistent and inadequate across large parts of the region. In riverine and remote communities, families still rely on generators, kerosene lamps, or complete darkness after sunset. The irony of brightly lit streets juxtaposed with powerless homes cannot be ignored. Electricity at the household level directly impacts education, health, and small-scale enterprise. Students cannot effectively study at night without reliable indoor lighting.Families cannot preserve food or power essential appliances without stable electricity.

Micro and small businesses struggle to grow without dependable energy access. While street lighting enhances public aesthetics and security, it does not substitute for domestic electrification. The proverb “charity begins at home” is especially relevant in this context. True community development must first empower households before beautifying public spaces. The Commission’s original mandate emphasizes integrated and sustainable development, not isolated infrastructural gestures. Balanced development requires that energy interventions prioritize homes alongside streets. Solar technology presents a unique opportunity for decentralized household electrification in off-grid communities. Extending solar solutions to individual homes would have a transformative social impact. Home-based solar systems could power lights, fans, small appliances, and communication devices.

Such interventions would reduce poverty, improve living standards, and stimulate grassroots productivity. By broadening its energy focus, the Commission would better reflect the spirit of its founding legislation. This is not a call to abandon street lighting projects, which have their merits. Rather, it is an appeal for balance, inclusivity, and alignment with core developmental objectives. Strategic planning should ensure that rural electrification and household access form a central pillar of ongoing interventions. Community engagement and needs assessments can help determine priority areas for household solar deployment. Twenty-five years after its establishment, the NDDC stands at a reflective moment in its institutional journey. The people of the Niger Delta say: thank you for the efforts so far—but not very much—because true appreciation will come when development begins at home and radiates outward, not merely when streets shine while houses remain in darkness.

By: King Onunwor