Opinion
Tarquin’s Syndrome
It is most probable that not many Nigerians, not even the class of the learned ones, have delved seriously into Shakespeare’s Rape of Lucrece. Tarquin’s syndrome has a counterpart in Troilus and Cressida where Paris, King Priam’s randy son, for seducing Helen, wife to Menelaus, plunged Troy into a war with Greece. An old movie, titled Helen of Troy, was based on this war between the Greeks and the Trojans. Quite an ancient history! The Rape of Lucrece is the longest poem in the works attributed to William Shakespeare, and the philosophy contained therein is also long and arduous to comprehend.
Tarquinius was a Roman King who, because of his excessive pride was surnamed Superbus, and who because of his unkingly behaviour ended up in ignominy. At the end of the poem we hear that “The Romans plausibly did give consent to Tarquin’s everlasting banishment”. What became known as Tarquin’s syndrome is the tendency of a holder of an exalted public position to stoop low to engage in bestial and ignoble behaviour towards those that he should protect. It includes throwing conscience to the wind.
Lucretia was the wife of Collatinus, whose beauty and chastity were incomparable, but who was violently ravished by Tarquine, who was offered an opportunity to spend a night in the home of Collatinus. The visiting royal majesty began by praising the gallantry of Collatinus who was in a military operation away from home, to his wife who was glad to hear such commendations about her husband. The visitor was to become a friend, not the friendly majesty, that night.
What transpired between Lucrece and Tarquin during the night by way of plea and appeal to the conscience of the intruder and vehemence of the intruder to have his way, carry messages of most profound nature. We hear from Lucrece that “night is the mother of dread and fear”, since most beastly deeds are carried out during the night. We also learn about the silliness of having a few minutes of joy and then suffer for a life time, or sell eternity to get a toy. When men prove to be beasts, then “let beasts bear gentle minds”. A royal majesty became beastly in spirit of the pleadings and sermons of a distraught woman.
After the beastly deed which lasted for a few minutes. King Tarquin became a philosopher, wondering why honey turns to gall, joy to grief; secret pleasure to open shame”, etc, after an opportunity to know better had been disregarded. More importantly, why should the private pleasure of someone in an exalted public position become a public plague for many people? Why must patients die while physicians are asleep, or the orphans go hungry while oppressors feed fat? We live in a society where unwholesome weeds grow in public gardens where precious flowers are planted, but those paid to maintain the gardens are not penalised for failing to do their duties diligently.
Tarquin’s syndrome has to do with the mis-use and abuse of power and public trust, where those who are meant to protect lives and property of the people turn out to become oppressors of the people. It is a situation where justice can be perverted with wealth and power and where some people become more equal than others before the law, thus turning law into an ass.
It took Tarquin a few hours to decide on what he wanted to do and to plan out the strategy, and also a few minutes to execute the deed, in spite of the plea and resistance to his scheme. It took him also several hours to engage in a philosophical monologue with himself over the error and attendant consequences of his action. Tarquin went on to say: “The mightier man, the mightier is the thing that makes him honoured, or begets him hate; for greater scandal waits on greatest state”. He knew that his case was past the help of law but he kept wondering what came over him.
Like General Macbeth after having murdered sleep, Tarquin railed at himself: “Out, idle words! Servants to shallow fools! … In vain I rail at opportunity, at Time, at Tarquin, and uncheerful Night; in vain/cavil with my infamy … This helpless smoke of words doth me no right”. Since not many of Nigeria’s political elite acquaint themselves regularly with the works of great minds and philosophers, not many Nigerian leaders know about Tarquin’s syndrome and how it operates. Yes, everybody faces temptations of various kinds, neither can everybody resist all of them as they come.
The principal issue about Tarquin’s syndrome is that opportunity always comes at the most critical time, to make a change and a difference, for better or for worse. A syndrome, as a malady, is a visible manifestation of a deep-rooted maladjustment, of some irresistible, addictive frame of mind, a propensity or tendency which demands some shock treatment to be able to root it out. To pander to such a tendency is to encourage it to enslave the individual more and more. Commonest fault-lines of any syndrome include avarice, lust, malice, sadism, masochism and other mental abnormalities.
The fact that a large number of persons have various forms of abnormalities is a reality which no one would deny. The roots of such abnormalities are many and diverse, and some demanding serious psychiatric attention. The word “pander”, derived from Pandarus in Shakespeare’s Troilus and Cressida, refers to permissiveness which encourages evil tendencies to grow and expand. So, Tarquin’s syndrome in governance and the management of public affairs, includes treating bandits, terrorists, traitors, those who aid and abet crimes and corruption in a country, with kid-gloves. Sparing justice or turning it into a travesty feeds iniquity and invites obloquy.
That ancient Greece and Troy went to war because of lechery and the seduction of Helen, wife to Menelaus, was not so much because of the act, but largely because “Nature craves all dues be rendered to their owners”. There were entreaties, pleadings and opportunities to avert dangers and crises, but the pandering syndrome did not take warnings seriously. When the private pleasures and pandering lifestyles of great people in authority would plunge a nation into misery, hunger and woes, then Taquin’s syndrome is at work. The masses groan!
Ancient Romans resolved the Tarquin tragedy by sending Tarquin to everlasting banishment. Ancient Kingdoms in Africa compelled rulers who became traitors and tyrants to take some poison and then die. When draconic or stiff laws are made in a society, the idea is that it takes drastic measures to tackle drastic situations. Neither are such drastic remedial measures meant for only those without money, power and friends in high places. Pandering to wrong-doing in high places destroys the confidence of the masses.
Dr Amirize is a retired lecturer from the Rivers State University, 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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