Opinion

Exclusive List: A Show Of Shame In Rivers

Published

6 years ago

April 20, 2020

Those who sing Federal Might in the irresponsible struggle to compromise the health security system of Rivers State, easily forget that this has been the music of the All Progressives Congress (APC) since they took over the Federal Government.
For Rivers State, the only project this present APC Federal Government has is a truckload of threats, victimisation, promotion of insecurity and unending attempts to rig elections.
Five years down the line, there is not a single FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PROJECT initiated and executed by this failed APC Federal Government. Year after year, this unproductive administration has formed the habit of one mischief after another.
During the 2019 General Elections, the APC Federal Government used the Nigerian Army and F-SARS to unleash mayhem, deaths and deadly bloodshed in their quest to rig Governor Wike out of a deserved second term.
It got to the ugliest point when the Nigerian Army attempted to invade INEC Collation Centre in Port Harcourt in a last-ditch effort to abduct the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner and compel him to write results in favour of their preferred candidate. They were defeated before television cameras.
Even when the matter got to the tribunal, the APC Federal Government urged the former Rivers State Police Commissioner to write a negative security report to activate the relocation of Rivers State Tribunal to Abuja. When the commissioner refused he was transferred.
The compulsion to plot mischief against Rivers State since 2015 by the APC Federal Government should embarrass any reasonable person. Has anyone ever heard the APC Federal Government arguing about executing a project in Rivers State? Has anyone heard them promoting any positive issue in Rivers State?
Since the Coronavirus pandemic broke, the APC Federal Government has never done anything to check the spread of Coronavirus within Rivers State. All the Federal Agencies have done is to generate controversy with a view to weakening the health defence system.
Working with private corporate organizations, they have tried to compromise the health of Rivers people in total disregard for established health protocols. First, it was Caverton Helicopters and now it is ExxonMobil.
ExxonMobil, with no oil drilling operations in Rivers State, claims they had the permit of the masters of EXCLUSIVE LIST to move 22 Staff into Rivers State. When they were stopped to observe the mandatory 14 days quarantine, all hell was let loose. Writing under the compromised Mobil PENGASSAN, they said because they were on essential duties, they had the right to enter Rivers State unchecked and without test for Coronavirus.
They forgot that the Air Peace personnel were on essential duties for the Federal Republic when they were apprehended and quarantined by the Lagos State Government.
They have forgotten that several states, including the Federal Capital Territory, have arrested and prosecuted hundreds of Nigerians for contravening different aspects of their lockdown regulations to prevent the spread of Coronavirus.
One wonders the reason for the desperation to import unscreened persons into Rivers State. It was even worsened when operators of EXCLUSIVE LIST issued threats to Rivers Service Commanders, directing them to work against the interest of the state.
As everyone expected, they have started to exercise their ugly power. They have redeployed the Commissioner of Police, Rivers State, Mustapha Dandaura, with immediate effect. The reason for the redeployment is obvious. They want to manipulate the security process.
This latest redeployment is part of the APC Federal Government’s style since 2015. It is part of a perpetual struggle to undo Rivers State. They have continued to fail because Rivers people are vigilant.
On Friday, Governor Wike outlined their evil plot: “Some people want the escalation of the virus in Rivers State. People were paid to canvass a negative narrative on Caverton Pilots. We are doing what we can within available resources to fight Coronavirus. You can fly, but as you fly and land, don’t enter our territory.
“We will fight this matter legally. ExxonMobil does not operate in Rivers State. That they have a point at the Onne seaport does not mean that they operate in Rivers State. People in Abuja are not happy. They want Rivers State to be infected. They want to kill Rivers people and I will not allow it. I was elected to protect Rivers people. Rivers State is not a pariah State.
“The right thing must be done. We are talking about something that is killing people. They want Coronavirus to escalate in Rivers State. The law must be tested. Make sacrifice and let us contain the virus. Nobody will use Rivers State as a toy. This Federal Government does not like us, but a government will come that likes Rivers State. “
Should Rivers State let down her guard on the premise of essential services? Are they expecting the state to watch sheepishly while they move all manner of people around in the name of essential services? Why are all these so-called personnel on essential duties refusing to respect the Basic Health Protocols that are observed in Lagos?
There is another angle to this onslaught on Rivers State. The APC Federal Government and different classes of trade unions now issue similar press statements. Before their new-found love relationship, they were like cat and dog. PENGASSAN is suddenly embarking on media campaigns on behalf of the Federal Government. The goal is simple: give a dog a bad name. You know the rest.
Even though ExxonMobil has no operational base in Rivers State, it is pertinent to make clear-headed suggestions to the arrogant operators of EXCLUSIVE LIST.
As operators of EXCLUSIVE LIST, you are in desperate love for money to the detriment of Rivers people. Since you love money, why don’t you arrange for workers at the rig to remain there, while you follow due process of collaboration with Rivers Health Authorities to ascertain the Coronavirus status of fresh personnel heading to the rig as replacement. This is standard practice and it will cater for all interests.
This is a time for confidence building. If the operators of EXCLUSIVE LIST can joyfully collaborate with Lagos State Government for the deployment of staff on essential duties; why the under-the-table actions in Rivers State? Why the repeated plots to destroy established health systems using oil workers as the weapon of destruction?
Meanwhile, Governor Wike has continued to build the health security system of Rivers State to consolidate on the gains made by the state.
On Saturday, he locked down parts of Port Harcourt City Local Government Area to enforce social distancing. The decisions are tough, but they are vital for health and protection of Rivers people.
Nwakaudu is Special Assistant to the Governor on Electronic Media.

Simeon Nwakaudu

Opinion

Trans-Kalabari Road: Work In Progress

Published

4 days ago

January 12, 2026

The Tide

Quote:”This Dream project is one of the best things that have happened to the people and residents of Degema, Asari Toru and Akuku Toru Local Government Areas in recent times.”

This is the concluding part of this story featured in our last edition.

Good road network helps farmers to convey their agro-allied products to commercial hubs where buyers and sellers meet periodically to transact business. Road network engineers and motivates people resident in unfriendly geographical terrains, like riverine areas, to own property and shuttle home with ease. Some people will prefer living in their own houses in a more serene and nature-blessed communities to living in the city that is fraught with pollution, and other environmental, social and economic hazards. Prior to the cult epidemic that ravaged parts of Rivers State, the Emohuas, Elemes, Ogonis, and Etches were known for rural dwelling. Most public servants from these areas do their official and private transactions from their villages. For them it was comparatively easier to live in the village and engage in a diversified economic endeavours through farming, fishing or other lucrative business without outrageous charges and embarrassment associated with doing business in Port Harcourt, where land is as scarce as the traditional needle.

That is why the decision to construct the Trans-Kalabari Road by the administration of Dr. Peter Odili was one of the best decisions that administration took. When Dr. Odili vacated office as the Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi took over and awarded contracts for continuation of the road project which in my considered view is the felt need of the people of Degema, Asari Toru and Akuku Toru Local Government Areas. Unfortunately, Rt. Hon. Amaechi’s efforts to drive the project was sabotaged by some contractors some of whom are Kalabari people. The main Trans-Kalabari Road is one project that is dear to the people and residents of Degema, Asari Toru and Akuku Toru Local Government Areas of Rivers State. This is because through the road commuters can easily access several communities in the three local government areas. For instance, the road when completed will enable access to eight of the ten communities in Degema Local Government Area, namely: Bukuma, Tombia, Bakana, Oguruama, Obuama, Usokun, Degema town and the Degema Consulate. It will also link 15 of the 16 communities in Asari Toru Local Government Area. The communities are: Buguma, the local government headquarters, Ido, Abalama, Tema, Sama, Okpo, Ilelema, Ifoko, Tema, Sangama, Krakrama, Omekwe-Ama, Angulama. The road will also connect 14 of 17 wards in Akuku Toru Local Government Area, and other settlements. It is interesting to note that It is faster, and far more convenient and economical for the catchment Communities on the Trans-Kalabari Road network to go to the State Capital than the East West Road. The people of the three local government areas will prefer to work or do their transactions in Port Harcourt from their respective communities to staying in Port Harcourt where the house rent and the general cost of living is astronomically high.

Consequently, development will seamlessly spread to the 28 out of 34 communities of Degema, Asari Toru and Akuku Toru Local Government Areas. The only Communities that are not linked by the road project are Oporoama in Asari Toru, the Ke and Bille Communities in Degema Local Government Area and the “Oceania” communities of Abissa, Kula, Soku, Idama, Elem Sangama of Akuku Toru Local Government Area. But because of the economic value of the unlinked Communities to Nigeria, (they produce substantial oil and gas in the area), the Federal, State Governments and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), can extend the road network to those areas just as Bonny is linked to Port Harcourt and the Lagos Mainland Bridge is connecting several towns in Lagos and neighbouring States.Kudos to previous administrations who had constructed the Central Group axis.

However, what is said to be the First Phase of the Trans-Kalabari Road project is actually a linkage of the “Central Group” Communities which consists of Krakrama, Angulama, Omekwe. Ama, Omekwe Tari Ama, Ifoko, Tema, Sangama. It is the peripheral of the Trans-Kalabari Road. The completion of the Main Trans Kalabari project will free Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor areas from congestion. It will motivate residents and people of the three local areas to contribute to the development of their Communities. If the Ogonis, Etches, Emohuas, Oyigbos, Okrikas, Elemes can feel comfortable doing business in Port Harcourt from home, residents and people whose communities are linked to Port Harcourt through the Trans-Kalabari Road will no doubt, do likewise. The vast arable virgin land of the Bukuma people can be open for development and sustainable agricultural ventures by Local, State and Federal Government.

It is necessary to recall that the Bukuma community was host to the Federal Government’s Graduate Farmers’ Scheme and the Rivers State Government moribund School-to-Land Scheme under Governor Fidelis Oyakhilome. Bukuma was the only community in Degema, Asari Toru and Akuku Toru Local Government Areas that has the capacity to carry those agricultural programmes. However the lack of road to transport farm produce to Port Harcourt and facilitate the movement of the beneficiaries of the scheme who lived in the community which is several miles away from the farms, hampered the sustainability of the programme. The main Trans-Kalabari Road remains the best gift to the people of Degema, Asari Toru, and Akuku-Toru Local Government Areas. Kudos to Sir Siminilayi Fubara.

By: Igbiki Benibo

Opinion

That U.S. Capture of Maduro

Published

4 days ago

January 12, 2026

The Tide

Quote:”Strategic convenience does not nullify sovereignty. Political frustration does not authorise military abduction.”

The first part of this story was published in our last edition.

In Africa and the Middle East, regime change—whether by invasion, proxy warfare, or sanctions—has often left behind fractured states, weakened institutions, and prolonged instability. Washington’s motivations in Venezuela are widely understood: vast oil reserves, alliances with U.S. rivals, and symbolic defiance of American influence in the Western Hemisphere. But none of these reasons confer legal or moral legitimacy. Strategic convenience does not nullify sovereignty. Political frustration does not authorise military abduction. If every powerful nation acted on its grievances in this manner, global chaos would inevitably follow. International law provides mechanisms for accountability. Under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), individuals accused of crimes against humanity or other grave offences are subject to investigation and prosecution through judicial processes.

Likewise, extradition treaties, mutual legal assistance agreements, and Interpol mechanisms exist to ensure accountability while respecting due process. These frameworks were designed precisely to prevent unilateral enforcement of “justice” by military force. The most profound consequence of America’s action may not be in Caracas, but in the precedent it sets. If the world accepts that a superpower can unilaterally depose another country’s president, then the foundation of the international system is weakened. Sovereignty becomes conditional—no longer a right, but a privilege tolerated at the discretion of the powerful. Going forward, if another country invades its neighbour, will the United States retain the moral authority to impose sanctions or demand restraint? Some analysts already warn that parallels between Russia’s actions in Ukraine and America’s conduct in Venezuela risk further eroding global norms. Selective adherence to international law breeds cynicism and accelerates the drift toward a world governed by force rather than rules.

Power—military, economic, or political—should serve human progress and collective well-being, not domination and destruction. For African nations, many of which emerged from colonial rule through bitter struggle, this precedent is especially alarming. Sovereignty is not an abstract legal concept; it is a hard-won shield against external domination. Any erosion of that principle anywhere weakens it everywhere. Africa’s painful history of foreign interference makes this lesson especially urgent. For me, the real issue is not whether Nicolás Maduro is a good or bad leader. That judgment belongs, first and foremost, to the Venezuelan people. The larger issue is whether the international system still operates on law—or has quietly reverted to hierarchy. If America insists it is defending global order, it must ask itself a difficult question: can an order survive when its most powerful guardian feels entitled to violate it? Until that question is answered honestly, the capture of a foreign president will remain not a triumph of justice, but a troubling symbol of a world drifting from law toward force.

If the United States felt so strongly about the allegations of terrorism, drug trafficking against Maduro, were there no other lawful options? Judicial accountability, diplomacy, regional mediation, and multilateral pressure may be slow and imperfect, but they reflect respect for international law and sovereign equality. Military seizure is a blunt instrument. It humiliates institutions, radicalizes populations, and hardens resistance. It may remove a leader, but it rarely resolves the underlying crisis. History teaches that military interventions seldom result in stable democratic outcomes. More often, they breed resentment, resistance, and long-term instability. For the sake of global order and the rule of law, the United States should reconsider this path and recommit to diplomacy, legal cooperation, and respect for the sovereign equality of states. Former U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris reportedly described the invasion of Venezuela as “unlawful and unwise,” warning that such actions “do not make America safer, stronger, or more affordable.” Her words reflect a growing recognition, even within the United States, that force without legitimacy undermines both moral authority and global stability.

Should what happened in Venezuela serve as a wake-up call for corrupt African leaders who undermine the people’s right to choose their leaders? The answer is yes. The capture of Maduro should alarm African leaders who manipulate elections, weaken institutions, suppress opposition, undermine citizens’ rights, or cling to power at all costs. Venezuela faced widespread criticism over disputed elections and repression long before this episode, and that context shaped how the world reacted. This does not justify foreign military intervention, but it highlights an uncomfortable truth: prolonged democratic decay isolates nations and invites external pressure—from sanctions to diplomatic censure. Global opinion matters, and legitimacy at home strengthens sovereignty abroad. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and several African leaders have rightly condemned the events in Venezuela, invoking the principles of sovereignty and non-interference enshrined in international and regional law.

Beyond condemnation, however, African leaders must look inward. The continent’s future cannot be built on repression, constitutional manipulation, and personal greed. Leadership must reflect the will of the people, not desperation for power. Two days ago, a social commentator on a radio station argued that Trump’s action—though condemnable—demonstrates how far a leader can go for his country’s interest. According to this view, he did not intervene in Venezuela for personal enrichment, but to strengthen his nation. In stark contrast, many African leaders plunder their own countries. They siphon public resources, impose crushing taxes and harmful policies, and leave their citizens poorer—all for selfish gain. That contradiction is the deeper lesson Africa must confront.True sovereignty is protected not only by international law, but by accountable leadership at home.

By: Calista Ezeaku

Opinion

Kudos Gov Fubara

Published

2 weeks ago

January 2, 2026

The Tide

Please permit me to use this medium to appreciate our able governor, Siminalayi Fubara for the inauguration of the 14.2-kilometre Obodhi–Ozochi Road in Ahoada-East Local Government Area. This inauguration marks a significant milestone in the history of our communities and deserves commendation. We, the people of Ozochi, are particularly happy because this project has brought long-awaited relief after years of isolation and hardship.

The expression of our traditional ruler, His Royal Highness, Eze Prince Ike Ehie, JP, during the inauguration captured the joy of our people. He said, “our isolation is over.” That reflects the profound impact of this road on daily life, economic activities, and social integration of the people of Ozochi and other neighbouring communities. The road will no doubt ease transportation, improve access to markets and healthcare, and strengthen links between Ahoada, Omoku, and other parts of Rivers State.

The people of Ahoada, Omoku, and indeed Rivers State as a whole are grateful to our dear governor for this laudable achievement and wish him many more successful years in office. We pray that God endows him with more wisdom and strength to continue to pilot the affairs of the state for the benefit of all. As citizens, we should rally behind the governor and support his development agenda. Our politicians and stakeholders should embrace peace and cooperation, as no meaningful progress can be achieved in an atmosphere of conflict. Sustainable development in the state can only thrive where peace prevails.

Samuel Ebiye