Editorial

Wike: Seven Years Of Meritable Service

Published

3 years ago

May 30, 2022

As Nigerians marked 23 years of unbroken constitutional democracy yesterday, May 29, 2022, the self-congratulatory rhetoric and feasting will likely be restricted to the ruling class and their cronies. For the majority, gloom pervades as they confront a harsh present and an uncertain future. Unless Nigerians take back their lives from the political class to whom they have surrendered democracy, the promise of a better life will remain elusive.
Shamefully, 23 years after the return to civil rule, many citizens wonder whether their lot has improved. True, they are freer, no longer restrained by the military’s draconian decrees, squeeze and aggression. But freedom guaranteed on paper means little if not fully practised. As Nigerians protest bitterly against misrule, corruption and exclusion, it is becoming increasingly obvious that the broad feeling of estrangement among the populace lies primarily in their own indifference and inability to make their voices and concerns heard.
Every Nigerian should, therefore, exert pressure, using all legitimate means to demand better governance. Successive administrations have failed on almost all counts, presiding over massive looting, economic mismanagement, and failing to deliver security and life’s basics. Our legislators are reckoned by many to be the worst in the world, yet, perhaps, the highest paid, appropriating resources for themselves and unaccountable to their constituents. The judiciary is adjudged corrupt; swift to impose harsh penalties on the weak but aggressively protective of the rich and powerful who plunder the public treasury.

However, despite the apparent hopelessness, we commend the commitment of governors like Chief Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in giving hope to Rivers people through his excellent performance in key sectors despite the daunting challenges. Wike assumed office on May 29, 2015. But the feeling this administration has planted in the minds of many Rivers persons and indeed residents is that of several decades of good works.
Wike mounted the saddle with no one to take over from. He inherited a state completely raped and ripped apart. The state was looted and the Government House violated with human wastes. Many official state vehicles were looted including the ceremonial vans. He took over a civil service that was owed several months salaries and judiciary and legislative structures that were shut down. Port Harcourt was full of garbage because refuse disposal contractors were owed several months
Rivers people must congratulate the Governor on his attainment of seven years in office. Now, it is hard to say whether he is a silent achiever or a bulldozer or a submarine, but everyone seems to agree that he is the emancipator of Rivers State from the hands of those who did everything to make merchandise of it. In seven years, he has made possible some landmark developments that severely confound all including the opposition.
The Governor has constructed no fewer than 150 roads, some inherited from previous administrations while many were initiated by his government. While quite a lot have been commissioned, others are ongoing. This is in addition to 10 flyover projects that have either been completed or are ongoing. Wike has in the last seven years kept his promise to Rivers people on road infrastructure, with a high level of connectivity, which has boosted the economy.
And he is not done yet. In the education sector, the government has been embarking on the revival of decrepit infrastructure to expand access to quality education. He increased budgetary allocation to the sector, strengthened implementation of Universal Basic Education (UBE), rehabilitated and equipped schools and improved infrastructure in tertiary schools. Also, more than 175 primary schools have been built or renovated, including landscaping and provision of water, toilet facilities and power generators.
In the tertiary education sub-sector, the name of the Rivers State University of Science and Technology (RSUST) was altered to Rivers State University (RSU). Mr Projects embarked on improving the infrastructure in the institution. He also enhanced funding to the university which led to the accreditation of all programmes earlier denied the institution, and recruited new staff to fill existing vacancies.
Additionally, the Governor delivered a new Faculty of Law building, Faculty of Management Sciences building, Faculty of Science and Technical Education building, College of Medical Sciences building, and facilities in other state-owned tertiary institutions. He further released N200 million funding interventions each for Captain Elechi Amadi Polytechnic, Port Harcourt; Kenule Beeson Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic, Bori; and the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Rumuolumeni.
Since May 29, 2015, the state government has been revitalising the primary health care system, boosting the secondary health infrastructure and fortifying the tertiary health sub-sector, including the establishment of a medical school in the Rivers State University to enhance the training of health personnel for the state. He has upgraded the Schools of Health Science and Technology and that of Nursing and Midwifery and is partnering with the private sector to manage secondary health facilities and ensure efficient health care delivery in the state.
To further animate the government’s policy objective in the health sector, Wike renovated more than 17 existing primary health care centres and built an additional three at Bille, Mgbuosimini and Ogbakiri communities. He strengthened the secondary health care sub-sector with the reconstruction of about 12 existing but abandoned general hospitals. He completed four zonal hospitals inherited from the past administration including the construction of an additional zonal hospital at Omoku. The former Braithwaite Memorial Specialist Hospital was upgraded to a teaching hospital for the Rivers State University.
As a lawyer and a life bencher who understands the implications of having judicial officers work in an unbefitting environment, the Governor completed the Magistrate Court complex abandoned by the previous administration. He also relocated the NBA House from the court complex to Bank Road and gave lawyers a befitting edifice there. He equally rebuilt the Federal High Court complex and the National Industrial Court. The Court of Appeal was rehabilitated while a cluster of modern quarters for judges in the state was built.
Efforts are constantly made to fortify the security architecture of the state and support security agencies, including military and para-military institutions to perform their assigned, legitimate roles seamlessly. Consequently, several patrol vans, communication gadgets, protective vests, among others, are regularly procured for the federal security agencies to guarantee law and order, peace and security in the state. Furthermore, the Rivers State Neighbourhood Safety Corps Agency is now in operation to boost community policing.
The Pleasure Park was built to meet the tourism needs of the state and to provide relief for Rivers people and residents. With this, the much-needed recreation and relaxation are accomplished, while family ties and bonds are promoted to ease economic hardship and emotional traumas. His road projects also communicate vividly aesthetics and beautifications for tourists and residents.
Several projects have been built in other sectors. More than 50 housing units for civil servants were constructed. This is accompanied by other projects such as jetties to boost marine transport, the Produce House on Moscow Road, and the erection of a secretariat for the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC). The Rumuokoro Market and Park, the Mile 1 Market (Phase 2) at Diobu and the Fruit Garden Market at D/Line have since been completed. This includes the Rex Lawson Cultural Centre initially abandoned by the previous government.
Also, the N150 million ATC Jetty at Okrika was built by the Wike government after years of dereliction. This was followed by the reconstruction of the Bonny/Bille Jetty on Creek Road as part of measures to boost marine transportation in that area. Even in sports, the merger of the state’s two darling teams, Sharks FC and Dolphins FC, into today’s Rivers United Football Club is yet another demonstration of sound economic reasoning which began to yield dividends almost immediately.
On this occasion of his seventh anniversary in office, we can only urge the good people of Rivers State to thank God for giving the state a man like Governor Wike. All we can do is to pray for more wisdom, health and protection to be bestowed upon him for the remaining one year of his tenure. This we must all do because his political opponents are unrelenting and are still hurt that every step against the Governor fails.

Editorial

Strike: Heeding ASUU’s Demands

Published

4 days ago

October 27, 2025

The Tide

The recent warning strike declared by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on October 13, though short-lived, has once again drawn national attention to the lingering crisis in Nigeria’s tertiary education sector. The strike was intended to last two weeks, but was suspended after appeals by eminent Nigerians. However, ASUU has warned that if the Federal Government fails to take concrete steps in addressing the issues, the union may have no option but to embark on an indefinite strike. This is a fearful prospect.

At the heart of this recurring crisis is the non-implementation of the 2009 agreement that the Federal Government willingly signed with the union. It is disheartening and embarrassing that more than a decade after that pact was reached, it remains a subject of dispute. The failure to uphold the terms of the agreement reflects a deeper malaise in the country’s governance culture: the inability to honour commitments.

That students and parents had begun to believe that ASUU strikes were gradually becoming a relic of the past makes the situation more regrettable. There was a general sense of relief after previous strikes ended, with many hoping that meaningful progress had been made. Unfortunately, the old cycle appears to be repeating itself. This latest action represents a huge setback for the education sector.

Historical records show that ASUU strikes have seldom benefited anyone. For students, the consequences are painful and lasting. Academic calendars are disrupted; graduation timelines become uncertain; careers are stalled before they even begin. Research activities, many of which are time-sensitive and tied to grants or international collaborations, are abruptly halted.

It is all the more lamentable that this impasse concerns a long-concluded agreement on the welfare of lecturers and the funding of universities. That successive governments have failed to honour commitments they voluntarily undertook raises questions about the seriousness of Nigeria’s leadership regarding education. Why should an agreement take over a decade to fully implement?

The constant resort to industrial action also highlights the plight of students, who remain the innocent casualties in this tussle. Many of them come from struggling homes, and their futures hang precariously in the balance each time universities are shut down. The insensitivity displayed by authorities in allowing matters to deteriorate to this level is deeply troubling.

Indeed, this development raises broader concerns about the Federal Government’s crisis management capability. The perception is that government officials are unbothered because their children are not affected by strikes; many school abroad or attend expensive private universities locally. This is a sad reflection of the decline in confidence in public institutions.

University lecturers should ideally be devoting their time to research, mentorship, publications and innovation. Instead, many are forced to expend creative energy on survival. It is no secret that some lecturers, faced with poor remuneration and harsh economic conditions, resort to unethical means such as demanding payment from students. When the system fails, moral decay becomes inevitable.

The salary disparity between Nigerian lecturers and their counterparts in other African countries is glaring. A Nigerian lecturer reportedly earns the equivalent of between $300 and $600 per month depending on rank, while a lecturer in Ghana earns about $1,200 on average. In Kenya, salaries range around $1,000 monthly, and in South Africa, they are higher, with lecturers earning between $2,000 and $3,500 monthly. Such disparities contribute to brain drain and low morale among Nigerian academics.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government has continued to expend enormous sums on non-essential ventures. Billions have been spent on luxury vehicles for political office holders, frequent foreign trips, inflated contracts and poorly managed subsidy schemes. These funds, if redirected, could strengthen university infrastructure, boost research grants and improve staff welfare.

It is therefore crucial for the government to adopt a more proactive approach. The usual threat of “no work, no pay” will not resolve the crisis; rather, it deepens mistrust. ASUU has demonstrated time and again that it cannot be cowed into submission. Genuine dialogue, not intimidation, is the only path forward.

The union’s persistence is fuelled by the government’s perceived insincerity. ASUU is not asking for anything new; it is simply requesting that promises already made be fulfilled. This scenario mirrors the broader challenge of governance in Nigeria, where stakeholders grow tired of endless promises and little delivery.

If this situation is allowed to escalate, the consequences could be dire. Students forced out of academic activity for long periods may become vulnerable to crime, drug abuse and social vices. The nation can ill afford another contributing factor to youth restiveness at this delicate time.

The Minister of Education must handle this matter with urgency and diplomacy. Nigeria is already grappling with economic distress, insecurity and political tension. A full-scale ASUU strike would only deepen national instability. The authorities must act now—honour agreements, restore trust, and place education where it truly belongs: at the centre of national development priorities.

Editorial

Making Rivers’ Seaports Work

Published

2 weeks ago

October 17, 2025

The Tide

When Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, received the Board and Management of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), led by its Chairman, Senator Adeyeye Adedayo Clement, his message was unmistakable: Rivers’ seaports remain underutilised, and Nigeria is poorer for it. The governor’s lament was a sad reminder of how neglect and centralisation continue to choke the nation’s economic arteries.
The governor, in his remarks at Government House, Port Harcourt, expressed concern that the twin seaports — the NPA in Port Harcourt and the Onne Seaport — have not been operating at their full potential. He underscored that seaports are vital engines of national development, pointing out that no prosperous nation thrives without efficient ports and airports. His position aligns with global realities that maritime trade remains the backbone of industrial expansion and international commerce.
Indeed, the case of Rivers State is peculiar. It hosts two major ports strategically located along the Bonny River axis, yet cargo throughput has remained dismally low compared to Lagos. According to NPA’s 2023 statistics, Lagos ports (Apapa and Tin Can Island) handled over 75 per cent of Nigeria’s container traffic, while Onne managed less than 10 per cent. Such a lopsided distribution is neither efficient nor sustainable.
Governor Fubara rightly observed that the full capacity operation of Onne Port would be transformative. The area’s vast land mass and industrial potential make it ideal for ancillary businesses — warehousing, logistics, ship repair, and manufacturing. A revitalised Onne would attract investors, create jobs, and stimulate economic growth, not only in Rivers State but across the Niger Delta.
The multiplier effect cannot be overstated. The port’s expansion would boost clearing and forwarding services, strengthen local transport networks, and revitalise the moribund manufacturing sector. It would also expand opportunities for youth employment — a pressing concern in a state where unemployment reportedly hovers around 32 per cent, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
Yet, the challenge lies not in capacity but in policy. For years, Nigeria’s maritime economy has been suffocated by excessive centralisation. Successive governments have prioritised Lagos at the expense of other viable ports, creating a traffic nightmare and logistical bottlenecks that cost importers and exporters billions annually. The governor’s call, therefore, is a plea for fairness and pragmatism.
Making Lagos the exclusive maritime gateway is counter productive. Congestion at Tin Can Island and Apapa has become legendary — ships often wait weeks to berth, while truck queues stretch for kilometres. The result is avoidable demurrage, product delays, and business frustration. A more decentralised port system would spread economic opportunities and reduce the burden on Lagos’ overstretched infrastructure.
Importers continue to face severe difficulties clearing goods in Lagos, with bureaucratic delays and poor road networks compounding their woes. The World Bank’s Doing Business Report estimates that Nigerian ports experience average clearance times of 20 days — compared to just 5 days in neighbouring Ghana. Such inefficiency undermines competitiveness and discourages foreign investment.
Worse still, goods transported from Lagos to other regions are often lost to accidents or criminal attacks along the nation’s perilous highways. Reports from the Federal Road Safety Corps indicate that over 5,000 road crashes involving heavy-duty trucks occurred in 2023, many en route from Lagos. By contrast, activating seaports in Rivers, Warri, and Calabar would shorten cargo routes and save lives.
The economic rationale is clear: making all seaports operational will create jobs, enhance trade efficiency, and boost national revenue. It will also help diversify economic activity away from the overburdened South West, spreading prosperity more evenly across the federation.
Decentralisation is both an economic strategy and an act of national renewal. When Onne, Warri, and Calabar ports operate optimally, hinterland states benefit through increased trade and infrastructure development. The federal purse, too, gains through taxes, duties, and improved productivity.
Tin Can Island, already bursting at the seams, exemplifies the perils of over-centralisation. Ships face berthing delays, containers stack up, and port users lose valuable hours navigating chaos. The result is higher operational costs and lower competitiveness. Allowing states like Rivers to fully harness their maritime assets would reverse this trend.
Compelling all importers to use Lagos ports is an anachronistic policy that stifles innovation and local enterprise. Nigeria cannot achieve its industrial ambitions by chaining its logistics system to one congested city. The path to prosperity lies in empowering every state to develop and utilise its natural advantages — and for Rivers, that means functional seaports.
Fubara’s call should not go unheeded. The Federal Government must embrace decentralisation as a strategic necessity for national growth. Making Rivers’ seaports work is not just about reviving dormant infrastructure; it is about unlocking the full maritime potential of a nation yearning for balance, productivity, and shared prosperity.

Editorial

Addressing The State Of Roads In PH

Published

4 weeks ago

October 6, 2025

The Tide

The current state of roads in Port Harcourt is nothing short of deplorable. Each passing day, commuters and residents are confronted with worsening conditions that threaten both livelihoods and safety. It is evident that the past six months of administrative inactivity left the city’s infrastructure unattended, a neglect that has now returned to haunt the state capital.

When the former sole administrator was in charge, the promise of good roads appeared to have been placed on hold. Little or nothing was done to repair or rehabilitate the crumbling road network. Port Harcourt residents bore the brunt of this neglect, enduring long hours in traffic, damaged vehicles, and endless frustration.

Now that Governor Siminalayi Fubara has returned to the saddle, urgent steps must be taken to mobilise contractors back to project sites. Abandoned road construction projects must not be allowed to wither into oblivion. The governor’s return should mark a revival of the momentum once witnessed when roads were given prominence in the development agenda.

But the issue is not simply about new construction. Maintenance remains an essential component of sustainable infrastructure. The Road Maintenance Agency, established by a previous administration, was designed as an interventionist outfit to address minor potholes before they degenerated into major hazards. Today, residents are left to wonder if that agency still exists. If it has become comatose, then the time has come to revive it.

The importance of roads in economic growth cannot be overstated. Smooth and accessible roads facilitate movement, reduce transport costs, and open up communities for trade. In a commercial hub like Port Harcourt, where businesses thrive on logistics, the lack of functional roadways translates directly into stifled productivity.

Equally troubling is the security dimension. Bad roads provide fertile ground for criminals to operate. Robbers and kidnappers exploit traffic gridlocks and broken stretches of road to target unsuspecting motorists. Repairing these roads is not just a matter of convenience but one of safety and protection of lives.

It is worth recalling that before the declaration of the emergency rule, Rivers State was experiencing a boom in road construction. That momentum, however, was abruptly truncated in the past six months. Roads that should have been nearing completion are now left in ruins, with residents left at the mercy of potholes and impassable stretches.

Governor Fubara should not be discouraged by the distractions of the emergency rule. He must, instead, pick up from where he stopped, breathing fresh life into stalled projects. More than ever, his resolve is needed to restore confidence in governance and demonstrate that promises made will indeed be promises kept.

Sadly, most of the roads today are in worse condition than they were before the emergency declaration. The problem is compounded by the peculiar geography of Rivers State. With Port Harcourt being a city that experiences heavy rainfall, flooding frequently worsens the challenges on the roads. Poor drainage leaves highways waterlogged, further eroding asphalt and inconveniencing commuters.

Specific areas demand urgent attention. The Ikwerre and NTA Roads, Elioparanwo Road, Rukpokwu Roundabout, Rumuokwuta Road and Airport Road are crying out for repairs. The potholes on these roads not only slow movement but also damage vehicles and expose pedestrians to danger. These black spots deserve priority action before they become completely impassable.

The identity of Port Harcourt as the “Garden City” is being eroded by these infrastructural failures. A city once renowned for its beauty risks descending into the unflattering tag of a “Garbage City”. Sadly, several abandoned construction sites have degenerated into refuse dumps. The St John’s/Ogbogoro Road stands as a shameful example of this neglect.

To make matters worse, residents have begun encroaching on areas designated for the Ring Road project. Such encroachments are a direct sabotage of development efforts. The authorities must rise to the occasion by protecting public infrastructure from illegal occupation and ensuring that earmarked sites serve their original purpose.

What the state requires now is a dual approach: prompt utilisation of earmarked construction areas and the simultaneous rehabilitation of existing roads riddled with potholes. Fubara must ensure that while new road projects are pursued, old roads do not completely collapse. Both efforts can and must go hand in hand.

Rivers people also deserve clarity on the status of the Road Maintenance Agency. If defunct, it should be reactivated without delay. Neglecting small potholes only leads to bigger, costlier problems in future. In line with his promise upon his return from suspension that “no loss is irretrievable”, the governor must retrieve every abandoned project and restore hope to weary residents.

Roads in Port Harcourt are the arteries through which the city breathes. Leaving them broken is to suffocate its economy, endanger its people, and tarnish its reputation. What is now required is decisive action—swift, consistent, and sustained.