Opinion
Between Ohakim And The Opposition
In the world of politics, especially in Nigeria where hearsay, very difficult to verify allegations and character assassinations are easily leveled against the sitting governors, mudslinging becomes the order of the day. Some dirty politicians use these tools more often than not to smear their political enemies, simply because they can get away with it without anybody holding them accountable or have legal recourse. Credits are not given to whom it is due, rather innuendos become the principle tool used to propel character assassinations, and more often than not, they stick to peoples’ mind for a very long period of time.
Imo State Governor, Chief Ikedi Ohakim has only been in the office for three and half years. Within this period, he has been accused of, among other things, neglecting the necessities of life such as water, electricity, and roads. They accuse him of raising the school fees for tertiary education to N150, 000 per semester while teachers have not been paid since he took office. Not done, they also accuse Ohakim of closing the only teaching hospital in the state located at Orlu, and not working hard enough to get more security personnel in Imo State, among others.
I am not here to defend or praise Ohakim for all the good and bad things he has done in Imo State during his first tenure in office. After hearing and listening to political enemies making these unfounded accusations, I begin to wonder if the opposition are indeed talking about the same Imo State I have been visiting from the United States consistently for the last 20 years. I will spend some time discussing the first two accusations because they are the main concerns of both people at home and abroad.
Governor Ohakim has relatively done a very good job for the short duration he has been in the office. He has done well in a lot of areas like clean water and environmental sanitation, improving security, transportation, payment of teachers’ salaries, massive road construction projects. He has done all without taking some credits for them. Unbelievably, I am saying this without prejudice. In the last 20 years, I have visited Imo for an average of three times a year, and have had the opportunity to visit a lot of friends from all walks of life in the state. Indeed, Ohakim has given hope to a lot of people in Imo State.
For instance, in Owerri, about five years ago, the roads were as dirty as anyone can imagine. In Whetheral and Douglas Roads, heaps of garbage were so huge that you wonder if there was any government in existence in Imo State. Today, Ohakim has given the long neglected capital of Imo a new look. In the last three and half years, Owerri has gone through transformation and reconstruction that friends from Abia and Anambra States in United States have acquired some residential houses there. These individuals, without knowing who Ohakim is, testify that apart from Abuja, Owerri is the cleanest and most peaceful city in Nigeria. They credit Ohakim with the progress.
Ohakim has created tens and thousands of jobs since he assumed office. Are those jobs enough to benefit every person in Imo State? The answer is no! However, this is an indication that he will do more if re-elected, despite the fact that his opponents have ignored the massive job creation initiatives. In terms of electricity, water and roads, they will never be worse than the previous administration. The governor has promised to continue to improve the lives of Imo people by providing them with basic necessities.
During the last administration, each time I visited home, I used to contribute money to my community for them to have electricity two hours a day. In the last four years, nobody has ever knocked on my door asking for help to pay their electric bills despite the fact that electricity is available far longer than the two hours a day during the Chief Achike Udenwa’s administration. Indeed, the people of Imo deserve better than Udenwa’s reincarnation by voting for Rochas Okorocha.
One thing many politicians have in common is that they talk more than action. However, in case of Ohakim, he has defied the law of gravity in politics, by deciding not to take credit for everything he has done for the people and go about his business of serving the people. For instance, one can hardly hear about the projects undertaken by his government. Ohakim, being a pragmatic governor and a man of action, rather than words, he has decided to implement all projects quietly. Whether this is good politics for the governor knowing that his political enemies might ridicule him as ‘do nothing governor’ is debatable depending on which political isle you are in. Conservative politicians will call his action the quality of good governance and libertarians will say it is politics of self-destruction. You take your pick.
Perhaps, it has taken Ohakim too long to inform the people what he has achieved since he took office barely three and half years ago. By so doing, he has given his enemies the time to define him. The obvious reasons are two folds: If Ohakim decided to make all his projects and other achievements known to the public, this election would not have been a contest, not even talking about being too close. All his opponents, political pundits or sworn enemies, who have not seen anything good that he has done in the state, would find his style disturbing.
These same people tried to convince Ohakim to listen to their agenda on how to loot Imo treasury after their bid to oust him failed through the courts. The pragmatic governor immediately rejected their demands because the people deserve better than what they have seen in the last eight years of the previous administration. As a result, they declared war on Ohakim and his administration. The governor also decided not to make this problem public. At that time, the governor, who emerged under Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA), was at the same time trying to make some friends on the other side of the isle so that his agenda could scale through at the Peoples Democratic Party-dominated state House of Assembly. No matter how hard Ohakim tried to reach out to the previous administration, they rewarded him with stupid accusations. Udenwa’s cronies like Araraume and Rochas spent almost two years taking Ohakim to court just to distract his agenda for the people.
None of Ohakim’s detractors has ever told the good people of Imo what they will do if elected. Rather, they have spent their time in character assassinations and mudslinging. They keep throwing all kinds of false accusations, hoping that one of the false accusations will stick in the minds of voters. A case in point is the outright lie that Ohakim has raised school fees in Imo in all tertiary institutions. However, everyone knows that Ohakim would not be foolish enough to raise fees a few months before elections. Another lie is that Ohakim has closed the Imo State Teaching Hospital in Orlu because he is not in good terms with his predecessor, Udenwa.
In fact, his opponents do not have a good message to sell to the people to vote for them. One then begins to wonder if these people are in a state of alter consciousness that they are blindfolded from seeing Ohakim’s accomplishments. Common people, when are you going to drop the idea of the ends justifies the means, and anything goes in politics? It is time to tell the good electorate what your agenda is if you have any plan. Let the opposition stop the politics of division and character assassination!
You cannot blame the governor of neglecting your local government while the individuals you sent to Owerri either through election or by appointment are getting richer. Hold them to account for their stewardship. Indeed, it is the sole responsibility of these individuals to remind the governor about his pledge to their people. Sometimes, they have to broker a deal with their fellow honourable members in the House or state executive council members to bring some projects to their constituencies. It is not a matter of physical fight. It is a matter of politics and lobbying. And it takes smart people to win the hearts of others in politics.
The point I am making is that in the forthcoming elections, the electorate should be bold and wise enough to elect smart, openhearted, sociable and intelligent people as representatives at all levels of governance. That way, the dividends of democracy will be sure to spread to all nooks and crannies of Imo and, by extension, the nation. I do believe that if Ohakim is given a second term, he will make the lives of Imo people better than his predecessors had done. Ohakim deserves to be re-elected so that he will finish his projects!
The same applies to President Goodluck Jonathan. The same accusations are also being leveled against Jonathan by the opposition, some of whom are just empty brains and light papers. I think they need to think again. What new direction will they offer Nigerians? Jonathan is already taking the nation to the right direction. He has done wonderfully well within the short period he has been on the saddle for late Umaru Musa Yar’Adua. He has to be given the opportunity to finish the work the joint ticket of Yar’Adua/Jonathan started. Nigerians have to eschew ethnic and religious sentiments, and elect Jonathan to complete the marvelous and transformational projects, which are already making significant impact on Nigeria and Nigerians. This is my take.
Nze Ukaegbu, a retired officer of the United States Army, writes from California, USA.
Nigeria, often referred to as the “Giant of Africa”, is endowed with vast natural resources,
a large population and a youthful workforce.
Despite these advantages, the country faces persistent economic challenges, most notably high unemployment rates over the years. Successive governments remain a central issue contributing to poverty, social unrest, and underdevelopment. The economic wellbeing of a nation is significantly tied to her employment levels.
In Nigeria’s case, high unemployment has become a key driver of its poor economic performance affecting everything from productivity and income levels to crime and political instability.
Unemployment in Nigeria has assumed a multidimensional nature, characterised not just by joblessness but also underemployment, informal employment and precarious working conditions.
The Nigeria National Bureau of Statistic (NBS) said the youth with over 60 percent of Nigeria’s population under the age of 30 percent youth unemployment is a time bomb threatening the nation’s future.
Many graduates leave universities and polytechnics annually with little or no hope of securing decent jobs.
This structural unemployment is the result of a mismatch between skills and labour market needs, inadequate industrialisation, and a weak private sector.
Unemployment affects an economy in numerous direct and indirect ways.
In Nigeria, it leads to a reduced consumer base, when large sections of the population are not earning steady incomes, they have limited purchasing power which in turn affects the production and growth of businesses. Companies produce less, invest less and hire fewer people, leading to a vicious cycle of low economic growth.
Moreover, high unemployment translates to lower tax revenue for the government with fewer people paying taxes. The government has fewer resources to fund infrastructure, education, healthcare, and other public services that stimulate economic development.
This fiscal weakness forces Nigeria to rely heavily on foreign loans, which leads to rising debt levels and economic vulnerability.
Furthermore, infrastructure deficits including inadequate power supply, poor road networks and limited access to credit make it difficult for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to thrive, yet SMEs are the bedrock of employment in many developed nations. Nigeria’s weak support for SMEs stifles innovation and job creation.
Another tragic consequence of high unemployment is the mass exodus of Nigerian talent to foreign countries in search of better opportunities. The brain drain weakens the country’s human capital base and deprives it of professionals who could contribute meaningfully to national development.
The “Japa” phenomenon-a slang used to describe young Nigerians fleeing the country reflects deep disillusionment with the system. Doctors, nurses, software engineers and other professionals are leaving in droves. The cost of training these individuals is absorbed by Nigeria, but their expertise benefits foreign economics. This dynamic further deepens the economic challenges as the country loses its best and brightest minds.
Addressing unemployment in Nigeria requires a multifaceted approach, first.
Secondly, industrialisation must be prioritised. The government should create an enabling environment for local manufacturing by improving infrastructure, reducing Bureaucratic bottlenecks and offering tax incentives reviving the agricultural sector with modern techniques and supply chains can also absorb a significant portion of the unemployed.
Thirdly, Governments at all levels must be held accountable for implementing job creation programmes transparently and effectively. Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) should be encouraged to drive innovations and employment in ICT, renewable energy and logistics.
Finally, Nigeria must diversify its economy away from crude oil and invest in sectors that generate mass employment. Tourism, education, healthcare and creative industries such as film and music hold immense unlapped potential.
With genuine commitment from leaders, strong institutions and the active participation of the private sector and civil society, Nigeria can turn the tide on unemployment and chart a path toward sustainable economic prosperity.
Idorenyi, an intern with The Tide, is a student of Temple Gate Polytechnic
Abia State.
Biana Idorenyin
April 25 every year is World Malaria Day. It was instituted by the World Health Assembly in 2007, “to highlight the progress made in Malaria control, the ongoing challenges that persist and the urgent need for sustained investment and innovation”. This year’s theme, “Malaria Ends with Us: Reinvest, Reimagine and Reignite”, is apt considering the loss of lives incurred and money spent to treat and prevent Malaria. The theme is a clarion-call to intentionally end the malaria scourge through robust commitment of human and financial resources.
That is why one of the best policies, of the suspended Sir Siminalayi Fubara’s administration in Rivers State, was the avowed commitment to check the malaria menace and its multiplier consequences on the residents of the State, through its “Free Malaria Testing and Treatment” innovation.
Rivers State is a microcosm of Nigeria in terms of residents; thus the secularity of the State makes the programme’s beneficiary all-inclusive.
No doubt, the Rivers State Government has by this initiative reinforced value placement on the lives of the people, especially the less-privileged in the State. Residents in Rivers State can now be tested and treated free for Malaria in any Rivers State Government- owned hospitals and healthcare centres across the 23 Local Government Areas of Rivers State. This is a lofty and laudable programme because of the prohibitive cost of malaria drugs and conducting tests at a time majority of Nigerians hardly have a meal to eat, because of the prevailing economic hardship in the country.
Malaria and Typhoid, according to medical and health statisticians are the commonest ailments people suffer as a result of dirty environment, absence of good drainage, lack of potable water. The State Government’s Malaria programme is, therefore, not just a big financial relief but also a life-saver for the teeming poverty-ridden population of Nigeria resident in Rivers State.
According to statistics reeled out by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, “Globally, there are an estimated 249million malaria cases and 608,000 malaria deaths among 85 countries”. Such reports leave much to be desired in a nation so blessed with natural resources and manpower. This is why the Rivers State Government should be commended for defying the huge financial implications to drive the lofty programme for Nigerians and foreigners in Rivers State who are availed the privilege of accessing the largesse in all State Government health and medical facilities.
As the Rivers State Government deemed it necessary to initiate the Free Malaria Testing and Treatment programme, nothing stops the Federal Government from doing the same. But even with abounding natural and human resources in unimaginable quantity in Nigeria, Malaria programmes are either grossly underfunded, or funds for the programmes are misappropriated or embezzled with impunity.
In Nigeria, malaria is one of the leading causes of death of children under the age of six and pregnant women. Malaria is a nightmare in Nigeria so much so that price of its drugs and treatment have skyrocketed like a phoenix and outrageously outside the reach of the teeming less privileged citizens of Nigeria. The situation was so alarming that the National Assembly, in 2023 urged the Federal Government to declare Malaria an emergency in Nigeria as a matter of urgent national interest. I am not sure that has been done by the Federal Government because it seems to be in the interest of the common citizens.
Experts have recommended new approaches to fighting the malaria epidemic in Nigeria which seems to have defied continuous attempts to reduce the Malaria burden in Nigeria to zero.
According to a Senior Associate at the John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public.Health, Soji Adeyi, Nigeria should begin to increase internal funding.for malaria elimination.
According to him,, “Each year reliance on external funding needs to be reduced. I looked at the summary of Malaria reports from 2008 till now and what has been common is the complaint about the lack of funding. If this is a recurring problem, what should be done is to find a new approach “.
In his view, Abdu Muktar, National Coordinator of the Presidential Healthcare Initiative, called for the local production and manufacturing of medical supplies as well as reducing Nigeria’s dependence on drugs imports.
According to him, the local production of anti-malaria and.related.medication will consider.the peculiarity of the country’s terrain, population and burden and.would improve access to effective treatment.
For his part, the regional. Director of World Health Organisation (WHO), African Region, Matshiddiso Moretti, advised Nigeria to accelerate its efforts to end Malaria by relying on adequate data for the implementation of health policies.
Malaria is an epidemic more devastating than the dreaded HIV/AIDS. Malaria triggers high blood pressure and places HIV/AIDS patients on a critical condition. The Federal and sub-national governments should therefore declare Malaria an emergency and prioritise attention to its treatment, production and importation of drugs and vaccines to stem the malaria menace.
The Federal Government should also improve incentives and remuneration of medical and health workers to end their exodus abroad in droves, for greener pastures.
Igbiki Benibo
The traditional institution is as old as human society. It predates the advent of modern organised society. Before the emergence of modern justice system of dispute resolution and political system of administration, the traditional institution has existed long ago. In fact, it was so revered and regarded as sacred because of the mythological conviction that it was the “stool of the ancestors”. Consequently, judgment given was deified as many people especially the traditionalists believe it was the mind of the gods revealed. Perversion of justice , in the pre-modern justice system was alien and considered uncommon. Chiefs and traditional rulers though may not have generated knowledge formally (through the four walls of a classroom), yet they embody and exemplify knowledge. They hold fast the virtue of integrity and honour, fairness and relative impartiality, partly because they believed that the stool they occupy was ancestral and traditional as act of indiscretion can court the wrath of the gods at whose behest they are on the traditional saddle of authority.
The Compass of Life stated unequivocally that “the throne is preserved by righteousness”. Where righteousness, integrity and honesty are savoured,and valued, perversion and miscarriage of justice is an anomaly. The judgments of traditional rulers and chiefs were hardly appealed against because they were founded on objectivity, fairness, truth and facts beyond primordial sentiment and inordinate interests or pecuniary benefits. Judgments were precedent. Traditional rulers and chiefs, therefore carved a niche for themselves, earning the respect of, and endearing themselves to the heart of their subjects. Is it the same today? Some traditional rulers and chiefs are administering their communities in exile; they are diasporic leaders because they have lost the confidence of the people through self-serving, raising of cult group for self-preservation, land grabbing and other flagrant corrupt practices.
When truth is not found in the traditional institution that, in my considered view, constitutes the grassroots government, then crisis is inevitable.In most African societies before advent of the Christian Faith, and consequent Christening of the traditional stools in many communities in recent times, ascent to the traditional institution was a function of a traditional method of selection. It was believed that the gods make the selection. And whoever emerges from the divination processes eventually is crowned as the king of the people after performing the associated rituals.Whoever lacked the legitimacy to sit on the throne but wanted to take it forcefully, traditionalists believed died mysteriously or untimely. Traditional rulers wielded much influence and power because of the authority inherent in the stool, the age of the person designated for the stool notwithstanding. The word of the king was a law, embodied power. Kings so selected are forthright, accountable, transparent, men of integrity, did not speak from both sides of the mouth, could not be induced with pecuniary benefits to pervert justice, they feared the gods of their ancestors and were consecrated holistically for the purpose dictated by the pre and post coronation rituals.
Some of those crowned king were very young in those days, but they ruled the people well with the fear of the gods. There was no contention over who is qualified to sit or who is not qualified to. It was the prerogative of the gods. And it was so believed and upheld with fear.Kings were natural rulers, so they remained untouchable and could not be removed by a political government. If a king committed an offence he was arrested and prosecuted according to the provision of the law. But they have immunity from sack or being dethroned because they are not political appointees. However, the people at whose behest he became king reserved the power to remove him if found guilty of violating oath of stool. The traditional institution is actually the system of governance nearest to the people. And kings were the chief security officers of their communities. So indispensable are the roles of kings and traditional rulers to the peaceful co-existence of their people, ensuring that government policies and Programmes were seamlessly spread to the people that many people are clamouring for the inclusion of definite and specific roles in the Constitution for the traditional institution.
Traditional rulers are fathers to every member of their domain. So they are not expected to discriminate, show favouritism. By their fatherly position traditional rulers, though can not be apolitical, are also expected to be immune from partisan politics. This is because as one who presides over a great house where people of different political divide or interest belong, an open interest for a political party means ostracisation of other members of the family which could lead to disrespect, conflict of interest, wrangling and anarchy. Traditional rulers are supposed to be selfless, preferring the interest of their people above their personal interests following the consciousness that they are stewards whose emergence remains the prerogative of the people. The position is essentially for service and not for personal aggrandisement and ego massaging. So they should hold the resources of the people in trust. However, in recent past the traditional institution has suffered denigration because of unnecessary emotional attachment to political parties and political leaders. Some traditional rulers and kings have shown complete disregard to the principle of neutrality because of filthy lucre and pecuniary gains, at the expense of the stool and people they lead. Sadly some traditional rulers have been influenced to pervert justice: giving justice to the offender who is rich against the poor.
Traditional leaders should be reminded that the “throne is preserved by righteousness”, not by political chauvinism, favouritism, or materialism.Traditional rulers should earn their deserved respect from political leaders by refusing the pressure to be subservient, beggarly, sycophantic and docile. Traditional leaders have natural and permanent leadership system, unlike the political leadership that is transient and tenured.They should be partners with every administration in power and should not be tied to the apron string of past leaders whose activities are aversive to the incumbent administration and thereby constituting a clog in the development of the State and the community they are to woo infrastructure development to. It is unpardonable error for a traditional ruler to have his conscience mortgaged for benefits he gets inordinately from any government.It is necessary to encourage kings and traditional rulers to not play the roles of stooges and clowns for the privileged few, political leaders. Political leaders are products of the people, even as every government derives its legitimacy from the people.
No doubt, the roles of traditional rulers are so necessary that no political or military government can operate to their exclusion. This is why the 10th National Assembly mulled the inclusion of Traditional institution in the proposed amendment of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.Traditional rulers and chiefs should, therefore, be and seen to be truthful, forthright, bold, courageous, honest and people of integrity, not evasive, cunning, unnecessarily diplomatic and economical with truth.The time to restore the dignity of the traditional institution is now but it must be earned by the virtuous disposition of traditional rulers and chiefs.
Igbiki Benibo