Opinion
Any Hope For The Nigerian Child?
Children are the gift from God. This expression aptly explains why couples who are yet to get this blessing from God in their marriages constantly besiege God for the gift. They can go an extra mile to have children.
In the old African communal setting, a child may be born to a particular family, but the child belongs to the entire community as every member of that community is bound in conscience to ensure the social, physical, economic, and spiritual well -being, growth and development of the child.
For the Igbo people in south eastern Nigeria, the importance of the child is expressed in the kind of names like Nwadiuto meaning child is sweet, Nwabueze meaning child is king etc.
The Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI says this about children; “Children are gift from God to humanity, and they must be the object of particular concern on the part of their families, the church, society and governments, for they are a source of renewed life”
In trying to safeguard the future of the children often referred to as the leaders of tomorrow, Nigerian leaders adopted and ratified the United Nations Conventions on the Rights of the Child, as well the African Union Charter on the rights and welfare of the child.
The Act states that children have rights and that their confidence and self esteem are to be restored and improved upon. It provides that children with some form of disability should enjoy the same rights and privileges as other children and also ensures that they are adequately protected in order to boost their self confidence. These are what ought to be.
The Child Right Act which was passed into law in 2003, would have provided all that is needed to put the Nigerian child in a comparative advantage over their fellow children from other parts of the world, but it has continued to suffer from poor education and enlightenment of the rural populace where majority of the children are found. It is predicted that even at the end of 2012, nine years after the passage of the Child Right Act into law, the 36 states would not have passed the Act. What this portends is that children are being harassed, molested, abused by adults without knowing that they have rights to be protected and without any form of molestation.
It is a common feature on the major streets of our cities, how children are used for all kinds of dehumanising activities including hawking in the traffic during school hours, street begging, etc. Other children are used as house-helps in many homes and in such homes, they are not only denied formal education, they are also made to work so hard and eat very little and in some cases, they are subjected to sexual molestation by their supposed boss.
Given the high level of poverty in the land, an estimated one million Nigerian children are on the streets across the country,and government provision for the homeless children had remained grossly inadequate.
Before now, child abuse and child labour were majorly associated with children who are not living with their biological parents, but today, with the constant sky- rocketing cost of living and most parents not being able to meet their daily needs, children are now being co-opted to enhance the chances of putting food on the table for the family.
Another aspect of what the Nigerian child faces is the illicit exposure to the recent developments in the information technology. Many parents saturate their homes with internet enabled phones and computers. All these are illicit because many of the contents are not suitable for children; and if the children must use the internet, they should be supervised by their parents to ensure that their morality is not destroyed as that is the greatest form of child abuse.
Meanwhile, many Nigerian children whose parents live in the city, and are civil servants, workers in the private sector as well as individual business owners, are constantly abusing their children by leaving the nurturing of their children in the hands of house-helps and computers in search of “better life for the children”.
As Nigerian children had joined their counterparts in other parts of the world to celebrate this year’s Children’s Day which always comes up every May 27, the question is, what is the government’s plan for the thousands of children of school age roaming about in many cities of Nigeria? How can parents and guardians who use children for all sorts of economic activities be brought to book? What can the government do to ensure that the moral foundation of the children are adequately taken care of as it is the only way to ensure a better future for the society?
Kingsley is of the Communication Dept, Catholic Institute of West Africa, Port Harcourt
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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
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