Opinion
Symbolism Of Narcotic Palliatives
Mechanism of the degeneration and corruption of human races, communities and groups accounts for much of current experiences across the globe, with Nigeria featuring as one environment of growing density. The principal purpose of life on earth is not all about gains, profits and successes in material pursuits, but largely growth in personal awareness, consciousness and ability to drop excess luggage and encumberances, and become free indeed.
Unfortunately many organisations have been able to divert the attention of several persons away from the principal issues of human existence.
Backward communities and nations across the globe have earned their current status because of not being able to keep pace in the development process; or, after having advanced higher in the past, became degenerate through corruption, vanity and indolence. Neither is the incarnation or coming together of people of similar status and characteristics in particular environments, an error or arbitrary occurrence. Individuals are born into circumstances and environments where they deserve to be, and where they can strive along with others of similar inner qualities, and then improve better.
Through personal guilts and deficiencies, people are compelled through their mutual experiences, to assemble in environments homogeneous with their characteristics, as a means of faster learning experiences. Thus environments characterised by savagery, terrorism and barbarism become suitable learning spots for such individuals burdened with corrupt tendencies, so that through mutual sufferings and agonies they can, if they become penitent, progress to improved status.
Among the guilts which result in the degeneration of human status are inadvertent or deliberate misleading and misinforming of the masses by individuals and organisations. For example, the grace contained in the mechanism of repeated earth-life, has been denied and distorted by individuals and organisations that profess to disseminate the truth. Is it right for a clergyman to assert that: “there is nothing like reincarnation”? Either such a preacher knows the truth about such matter, or he is ignorant about it! The price for misleading the masses is quite great!
It is a pity that many guilts that humans incur often arise from prattling and careless talks, such as expressing opinions on issues which an individual knows nothing about. Thus when individuals and groups allow themselves to degenerate through personal guilts, the process of rising up to a previous status of nobility is always arduous and painful. It would involve having to cross the path of those whose progress was retarded through some careless or misleading statements. The situation is worse when the habit making careless and unguarded statements becames a regular lifestyle.
Accumulation of personal guilts arising from minor origins, often weigh individuals down in ways which they rarely recognise. The process of wanting to create an equilibrium and inner harmony can bring about the use of palliative measures. Common among such palliatives are narcotics of various nature. For emotional balance and stability, chemical palliatives include psychothropic substances commonly called narcotics. However, the process of narcotisation goes beyond intake and consumption of chemical substances.
Let us admit that there are numerous corrupting influences in the Nigerian environment, all of which are meant to narrow down the possibility of having easy access to personal salvation, via the light of truth. Abuses, negligences and deficiencies of the past, whether inadvertent or deliberate, are not easily thrown aside and detached from individuals, unless they are followed, by genuine penitence, change for the better and some redress and appeasement, from those hurt and injured.
Unfortunately many people rarely know the mechanism of nemesis as well as the mechanism of narcotic palliatives. No man is free unless he is free from burdens and encumberances of guilts; neither are such guilts obliterated without knowledge of the truth and laws that govern human existence. However we twist and turn everything, humans are subject to an irrevocable responsibility and obligation to atone for our wrong-doing and negligences. Neither sermons nor legislations have addressed these issues adequately and correctly.
Taking the historical incident of June 12 as a reference point in Nigeria, it can be said that seeds of wrong deeds grow to replicate their species, until serious efforts are made to extirpate them from the grassroots through a cleansing and purification process. One principal actor in the June 12 episode, a few weeks to his death this year, was an unpleasant sight and a testimony that humans pay painfully for their misdeeds. Rather than genuine penitence, confession and atonement, some people take the step of taking refuge and seeking solace in narcotic palliatives. Resort to denials, buck-passing and concealment of ugly skeletons make the attendant prices more painful and cumbersome, such that those who murder sleep, rarely sleep any more.
Apart from the physical aspect of narcotisation, involving the use of psychotropic substances for purposes of temporary relief from the pains and realities of life, there is also another aspect of application of narcotic palliatives. Sometimes known as shut-down process in practical psychology, non-physical aspect of narcotisation involves drifting into the realm of illusion. It is a situation where an individual withdraws into a recluse life, insensitive about others and what happens to them. The recluse does not only keep out everybody from his life, but also shuts himself down in voluntary seclusion.
Victims of serious shocks and personal tragedies can take this line of seclusion as a narcotic palliative, but the situation is often a catharsis of the soul or a serious feeling of guilt, calling for purgative measure. The Guardian newspaper would remind us that the human conscience is an open wound which only truth can heal. It does require truth to pacify the conscience, but cathartic phenomenon calling for the use of narcotic palliatives, signifies far-reaching burdens that demand purgative measures.
Unfortunately many persons oppressed by guilts rarely have the courage or will to drink of the water of mara since it is very bitter. Thus the common alternative is the resort to narcotic palliatives. It is sad also that human institutions provide such palliative measures that give temporary solace rather than dig out why there are apparently “inexplicable” experiences and pains in life. The sad burdens of June 12 will still linger on!
By: Bright Amirize
Dr Amirize is a retired lecturer from the Rivers State University, Port Harcourt.
Opinion
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
Opinion
Checking Herdsmen Rampage
Do the Fulani herdsmen have an expansionists agenda, like their progenitor, Uthman Dan Fodio? Why are they everywhere even the remotest part of other areas in Nigeria harassing, maiming, raping and killing the owners of the land?”
In a swift reaction, The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) decried and strongly condemned the invasion by suspected Fulani herdsmen.
In his denunciation, MOSOP President Fegalo Nsuke described the incident as very unfortunate and deeply troubling, warning against a recurrence of the violence experienced in Benue State. “The killing of yesterday is bad and very unfortunate. We are getting preliminary information about how the herders gained access to the farmland, and it appears some hoodlums may be collecting money and granting access illegally.”
He called on the Hausa community in Rivers State to intervene swiftly to prevent further attacks.
“We want the Hausa community in Rivers State to take urgent action to ensure these issues are resolved”.
But will such appeal and requests end the violent disposition of the Fulani herdsmen? It is not saying something new that the escalating threat and breach of peace across the country by the Fulani herdsmen or those suspected to be Fulani herdsmen, leaves much to be desired in a country that is bedevilled by multi-dimensional challenges and hydra-headed problems.
Some upland Local Government Areas of Rivers State, such as Etche, Omuma, Emohua, Ikwerre, Oyigbo, Abua, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni, have severally recounted their ordeals, as herdsmen invaded farmlands, destroyed crops, raped female farmers and killed protestant residents.
Again the wanton destruction of lives and properties which no doubt has overwhelmed the Nigerian Police, makes the clamour for State Police, indispensable. The National Assembly should consider the amendment of the Constitution to allow States to have their Statutory policing agencies.
Opinion
Is Nigeria Democratic Nation?
As insurgency has risen to an all time high in the country were killings has now grown to be a normal daily activity in some part of the nation it may not be safe to say that Nigeria still practices democracy.
Several massacres coming from the Boko Haram and the herdsmen amongst all other insurgencies which have led to the destruction of homes and killing, burning of communities especially in the northern part of the country. All these put together are result of the ethnic battles that are fought between the tribes of Nigeria and this can be witnessed in Benue State where herders and farmers have been in constant clashes for ages. They have experienced nothing but casualties and unrest.
In the month of June 13-14, the Yelwata attack at the Guma Local Government Area by suspected gunmen or herdsmen who stormed the houses of innocent IDPs (Internally Displaced Persons) claiming the lives of families, both adults and children estimated to be 200 victims. They were all burnt alive by these unknown gunmen.
This has been recorded as one of the deadliest insurgencies that had happened in recent years. Some security personnel that were trying to fight the unknown gunmen also lost their lives.
Prior to the Yelewata attack, two days before the happening, similar conflict took place in Makurdi on June 11, 2025. 25 people were killed in the State. Even in Plateau State and the Southern Kaduna an attack also took place in the month of June.
All other states that make up the Middle Belt have been experiencing the farmers/herders clash for years now and it has persisted up till recent times, claiming lives of families and children, homes and lands, escalating in 2025 with coordinated assaults.
Various authorities and other villagers who fled for safety also blamed the herdsmen in the State for the attack that happened in Yelwata community.
Ehebha God’stime is an Intern with The Tide.
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