Opinion
Limits Of Sanctimony
The Tide Editorial Comment of Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2020, contained the following statement: “We have been encumbered with irresponsible leadership and governments down the ages till date; people who have neither the capacity, will, nor passion to give Nigerians good governance …”
In situations of “carry-go”, privatized or buccaneer governance, resort to mendacity, cryptocracy and bamboozlement feature prominently. This is also coupled with brazen intimidation and use of hired agents to cause mayhem and get away unpunished.
There were public protests across the country over acts of intimidation and unprofessional conducts of personnel of Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Police, which were justifiable reactions of the Nigerian public. One of the responses to the protests was to inject hired agents to engage in counter protests of solidarity with the establishment. Thus, peaceful and legitimate protests turned hostile and violent, resulting in calling our armed troops to bring peace and stability.
In the first place, members of the profession of violence denied being at the scene of violence in Lagos, then followed by a public testimony that “live-bullets were never used and soldiers fired into the air only.” Then anyone talking about “massacre” is given the challenge of producing dead bodies, to prove that any one was killed. This is similar to a head of government asking any citizen with complaints about corruption to present such cases in “chapters and verses” before such complaints can be considered credible. He who alleges, must prove beyond all doubts!!
Damage-control antics of issuing threats to those who make complaints that tarnish the good image of the establishment should, at least, wear the cloak of credibility. Apart from such threat of sanction to the CNN on its report of what happened in Lagos during EndSARS protests, damage-control antics also include diverting attention away from the key issue at stake. Let us not make an ass of ourselves as a nation in our dealing with the international community. We have already been known as wearing the cloak of sanctimony or resorting to aggression when confronted with our real image. We rarely go wrong!
There are many examples of how we stand logic or credibility on its head, when defending the integrity of the government in power. Taking the defection of Governor Umahi of Ebonyi State, from PDP to APC, as one such examples, there is the obvious truth that such defection bears neither patriotism nor service as ultimate goal. Past cases of similar actions indicate the search for greener pastures as a political culture without personal conviction, or an artful means of dodging possible corruption allegations. Governors of southern parts of Nigeria appear to be fruitful targets!
Attitude of the establishment towards national security provides us another example, with special reference to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) being given the tag of a terrorist group while Boko Haram is free from such label. The same attitude, depictive of double standards, also plays out in Zamfara gold being private mineral resource, while the oil and gas of the Niger Delta zone are public resources. Political interpretations and implications of these and other issues have far-reaching consequences.
Fears arising from intimidation and tolerance of social injustices may have very wide elasticity, but they also have some safe limits which should not be abused or glossed over. Abuse of power through intimidation and suppression come in the range of political obtuseness and insensitiveness. Experiences of the Nazi regime and the defunct Soviet Union provide ample learning opportunity with regards to how abuses of power and the wearing of the cloak of sanctimony end in ignominy. Individuals and humanity generally grow wiser through experiences, especially very painful ones.
Another example of the use of damage-control antics to maintain the air of sanctimony, is the hide-and-seek politics of the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). The Federal Government used the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) as a trump card in a 2009 agreement or pact which went far beyond payroll matters. In place of IPPIS, ASUU designed a home-grown University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS), but the strategy of chasing shadow rather than confront substance came to an end, thanks to ASUU’s stubbornness.
The real issue that kept university lecturers on strike since March 23, 2020, was a 2009 pact with the Federal Government which had not been implemented fully. A similar failure on the part government in the past gave rise to a legal theory of Imperfect Obligation, but this time around IPPIS provided an excuse for failure to fulfill an obligation. The real issue is sustainability of public universities in Nigeria through adequate funding so that tertiary education is not debased in Nigeria.
Nigerian university lecturers had raised alarm long ago that paying Nigerian senators four times the remuneration of the US President would run this nation aground eventually. ASUU had warned long ago that the political structure foisted on Nigerians by the military was a time-bomb that should be redressed. Nigeria’s political economy took its present turn because of clandestine arrangements to turn oil and gas mineral resources into a game of monopoly. Non-sustainability of the prevailing arrangements can be recognized easily by anyone who is not compromised or bamboozled.
Another looming danger is the growing national debts facilitated by borrowing and lavish spending. Anybody who is perceptive enough would know that the oil and gas resources of the Niger Delta zone provide collateral for current borrowings. Is the future of some geo-political zones not being mortgaged indirectly? What is the pattern of utilization of the loans being taken now, vis-a-vis the transparency of benefits to various sectors of the nation? What has made it so hard for Nigerian refineries to be functional. No accountability?
A study of nations that mismanaged their resources, the goodwill and confidence of their citizens and then resorted to sanctimony rather than penitence, would show that sustainability dwindles gradually. The limits of sanctimony become clearly visible as the masses groan in silence and hunger, in the midst of obscene opulence. It is not too late yet to put things in order, if the sincere will to do so is there. Mafia managers don’t get off the tiger’s back!
Dr. Amirize is a retired lecturer from the Rivers State University, Port Harcourt.
Opinion
Betrayal: Vice Of Indelible Scar
The line that separates betrayal and corruption is very thin. Betrayal and corruption are two sides of the same coin. Like the snail and its shell they are almost inseparable. They go hand-in-globe. Betrayal and corruption are instinctive in humans and they are birthed by people with inordinate ambition – people without principles, without regard for ethical standards and values. Looking back to the days of Jesus Christ, one of his high profile disciples-the treasurer, was a betrayer. Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus Christ for just 30 pieces of silver. One of the characteristics of betrayers is greed.
So, when on resumption from his imposed suspension, the Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminilayi Fubara threatened to bring permanent secretaries who were found complicit in “defrauding” the State during the days of Locust and Caterpillar regime, he did not only decry a loot of the Treasury but the emotional trauma of betrayal perpetrated by those who swore to uphold the ethics of the civil service. Governor Siminilayi Fubara had least expected that those who feigned loyalty to his administration would soon become co-travellers with an alien administration whose activities were repugnant to the “Rivers First” mantra of his administration. The saying that if you want to prove the genuineness of a person’s love and loyalty feign death, finds consummate expression in the Governor Fubara and some of the key members of the State engine room
Some of those who professed love for Governor Siminilayi Fubara and Rivers State could not resist the lure and enticement of office in the dark days of Rivers State, like Judas Iscariot. Rather, they chose to identify with the locusts and the caterpillars for their selfish interest. Julius Caesar did not die from the stab of Brutus but by his emotional attachment to him, hence he exclaimed in utter disappointment, “Even you Brutus”. The wound of betrayal never heals and the scar is indelible. Unfortunately, today, because of gross moral turpitude and declension in ethical standards and values, betrayal and corruption are celebrated and rewarded. Corruption, a bane of civil/public service is sublime in betrayal. The quest to get more at the expense of the people is the root of betrayal and sabotage.
This explains why Nigeria at 65 is the World’s capital of poverty.
Nigeria is not a poor country, yet, millions are living in hunger, abject poverty and avoidable misery. What an irony. Nigeria, one of Africa’s largest economies and most populous nation is naturally endowed with 44 mineral resources, found in 500 geographical locations in commercial quantity across the country. According to Nigeria’s former Minister for Mines and Steel Development, Olamiekan Adegbite, the mineral resources include: baryte, kaolin, gymsium, feldspar, limestone, coal, bitumen, lignite, uranium, gold, cassiterite, columbite, iron ore, lead, zinc, copper, granite, laterite, sapphire, tourmaline, emerald, topaz, amethyst, gamer, etc. Nigeria has a vast uncultivated arable land even as its geographical area is approximately 923, 769 sq km (356,669 sq ml).
“This clearly demonstrates the wide mineral spectrum we are endowed with, which offers limitless opportunities along the value-chain, for job creation, revenue growth. Nigeria provides one of the highest rates of return because its minerals are closer to the suffer”, Adegbite said. Therefore, poverty in Nigeria is not the consequences of lack of resources and manpower but inequality, misappropriation, outright embezzlement, barefaced corruption that is systemic and normative in leaders and public institutions. According to the World Poverty Clock 2023, Nigeria has the awful distinction of being the world capital of poverty with about 84 million people living in extreme poverty today.
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) data also revealed that a total of 133 million people in Nigeria are classed as multi-dimensionally poor. Unemployment is a major challenge in the country. About 33 percent of the labour force are unable to find a job at the prevailing wage rate. About 63 percent of the population are poor because of lack of access to health, education, employment, and security. Nigeria Economic Summit Group (NESG) speculated that unemployment rate will increase to 37 percent in 2023. The implications, therefore, is increase in unemployment will translate to increase in the poverty rate. The World Bank, a Washington-based and a multi-lateral development institution, in its macro-poverty outlook for Nigeria for April 2023 projected that 13 million Nigerians will fall below the National Poverty line by 2025.
It further stated that the removal of subsidy on petroleum products without palliatives will result to 101 million people being poor in Nigeria. Statistics also show that “in 2023 nearly 12 percent of the world population of extreme poverty lived in Nigeria, considering poverty threshold at 1.90 US dollars a day”.Taking a cursory look at the Nigerian Development Update (NDU), the World Bank said “four million Nigerians were pushed into poverty between January and June 2023 and 7.1 million more will join if the removal of subsidy is not adequately managed.” These startling revelations paint a grim and bleak future for the social-economic life of the people.The alarming poverty in the country is a conspiracy of several factors, including corruption. In January, 2023 the global anti-corruption watchdog, Transparency International, in its annual corruption prospect index which ranks the perceived level of public sector corruption across 180 countries in the world says Nigeria ranked 150 among 180 in the index. Conversely, Nigeria is the 30th most corrupt nation in the ranking. It is also the capital of unemployment in the world.
Truth be told: a Government that is corruption-ridden lacks the capacity to build a vibrant economy that will provide employment for the teeming unemployed population. So crime and criminality become inevitable. No wonder, the incessant cases of violent crimes and delinquency among young people. Corruption seems to be the second nature of Nigeria as a nation . At the root of Nigerians’ poverty is the corruption cankerworm.How the nation got to this sordid economic and social precipice is the accumulation of years of corrupt practices with impunity by successive administrations. But the hardship Nigerians are experiencing gathered momentum between 2015 and 2023 and reached the climax few days after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who assumed power as president of Nigeria, removed the controversial petroleum subsidy. Since then, there is astronomical increase in transport fares, and prices of commodities. Living standard of most Nigerians is abysmally low, essential commodities are out of reach of the poor masses who barely eat once a day.
The Dollar to Naira exchange rate ratio at one dollar to N1,000, is the most economy-unfriendly in the annals of the history of Nigeria. The prohibitive prices of petroleum products with the attendant multi-dimensional challenges following the removal of the subsidy, has posed a nightmare better to be imagined than experienced. Inflation, has been on the increase, negatively affecting the purchasing power of low income Nigerians. Contributing to the poverty scourge is the low private investment due to.unfriendly business environment and lack of power supply, as well as low social development outcomes resulting in low productivity. The developed economies of the world are private sector-driven. So the inadequate involvement of the private sector in Nigeria’s economy, is a leading cause of unemployment which inevitably translates to poverty.
Igbiki Benibo
Opinion
Dangers Of Unchecked Growth, Ambition
In today’s fast-paced, hyper-competitive world, the pursuit of success and growth has become an all-consuming force. Individuals, organisations, and nations alike, are locked in a perpetual struggle to achieve more, earn more, and surpass their rivals. Yet, beneath this relentless drive for progress lies a silent danger—the risk of self-destruction. This perilous pattern, which I call the self-destruct trajectory, describes the path taken when ambition and growth are pursued without restraint, awareness, or moral balance. The self-destruct trajectory is fueled by an insatiable hunger for more—a mindset that glorifies endless expansion while disregarding the boundaries of ethics, sustainability, and human well-being. At first glance, it may appear to promise prosperity and achievement. After all, ambition has long been celebrated as a virtue. But when growth becomes the only goal, it mutates into obsession.
Individuals burn out, organisations lose their soul, and societies begin to fracture under the weight of their own excesses. The consequences are everywhere. People pushed beyond their limits face anxiety, exhaustion, and disconnection. Companies sacrifice employee welfare and social responsibility on the altar of profit. The entire ecosystems suffer as forests are cleared, oceans polluted, and air poisoned in the name of economic progress. The collapse of financial systems, widening income inequality, and global environmental crises are all symptoms of this same relentless, self-consuming pursuit. To understand this dynamic, one can turn to literature—and to Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist. In one of the novel’s most haunting scenes, young Oliver, starving in the workhouse, dares to utter the words: “Please, sir, I want some more.” This simple plea encapsulates the essence of human desire—the urge for more. But it also mirrors the perilous craving that drives the self-destruct trajectory. Like Oliver, society keeps asking for “more”—more wealth, more power, more success—without considering the consequences of endless wanting.
The workhouse itself symbolises the system of constraints and boundaries that ambition often seeks to defy. Oliver’s courage to ask for more represents the daring spirit of human aspiration—but it also exposes the risk of defying limits without reflection. Mr. Bumble, the cruel overseer, obsessed with authority and control, embodies the darker forces that sustain this destructive cycle: greed, pride, and the illusion of dominance. Through this lens, Dickens’ tale becomes a timeless metaphor for the modern condition—a warning about what happens when ambition blinds compassion and growth eclipses humanity. Avoiding the self-destruct trajectory requires a radical rethinking about success. True progress should not be measured solely by accumulation, but by balance—by how growth serves people, planet, and purpose.
This calls for a more holistic approach to achievement, one that values sustainability, empathy, and integrity alongside innovation and expansion
Individuals must learn to pace their pursuit of goals, embracing rest, reflection, and meaningful relationships as part of a full life. The discipline of “enough”—knowing when to stop striving and start appreciating—can restore both mental well-being and moral clarity. Organisations, on their part, must reimagine what it means to succeed: prioritising employee welfare, practising environmental stewardship, and embedding social responsibility in the core of their mission. Governments and policymakers also play a vital role. They can champion sustainable development through laws and incentives that reward ethical practices and environmental responsibility. By investing in education, renewable energy, and equitable economic systems, they help ensure that ambition is channeled toward collective benefit rather than collective ruin.
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) provides a tangible pathway for this transformation. When businesses take ownership of their social and environmental impact—reducing carbon footprints, supporting local communities, and promoting fair labour—they not only strengthen society but also secure their own long-term stability. Sustainable profit is, after all, the only kind that endures. Ultimately, avoiding the self-destruct trajectory is not about rejecting ambition—it is about redefining it. Ambition must evolve from a self-centred hunger for more into a shared pursuit of the better. We must shift from growth at all costs to growth with conscience. The future will belong not to those who expand endlessly, but to those who expand wisely. By embracing restraint, compassion, and sustainability, we can break free from the cycle of self-destruction and create a new narrative—one where success uplifts rather than consumes, and where progress builds rather than burns.
In the end, the question is not whether we can grow, but whether we can grow without losing ourselves. The choice is ours: to continue along the self-destruct trajectory, or to chart a more balanced, humane, and enduring path toward greatness.
Sylvia ThankGod-Amadi
Opinion
Gridlock at the Gates
