Opinion
Message For Myopic Leaders
Leaders are those who undertake the task of guiding others and showing them the way, by going before and directing the followers on most appropriate things to do and strive to build up in them a culture of initiative and self-help. Political leaders are only one spectrum in the wide sphere of leadership, except that the tasks and responsibilities of political leaders are enormous, involving a large and expansive population. Myopic leaders are those who undertake such task without an adequate and thorough understanding of the implications of such responsibility. Being myopic would imply having a short-sighted perception of what responsibilities that the task entails, not immediately but more importantly on a far-reaching dimension.
Taking up a leader’s position as a means of earning a living involves personal choices or decision, with attendant responsibility. The kind of enthusiasm and zeal expended in hustling for political leadership give the impression that it is a rat-race affair, whose motives are more of gains in terms of money and power, rather than service delivery. Obviously political leadership is an enormous task, whose success or failure would go beyond the leadership itself, but cuts into the life and affairs of a large number of people, immediately and in the distant future.
The concept of deferred gratification which demands making some personal sacrifices now for a better future, is a relevant principle in public leadership. Unfortunately, in Nigeria as a developing country, that concept or principle is usually wrongly applied, making the masses to make all the sacrifices while leaders live in obscene opulence and extravagance. From the enjoyment of immunity, to having everything necessary for maximum comfort and security, key political leaders have everything provided as perquisite, free.
It does not matter that over 80 percent of the citizens groan in hunger, agony and poverty, political leaders would not shift grounds with regards to official perquisites; rather, if sacrifices must be made then the masses must bear such brunt’s. This feature of Nigerian political leadership, put together by departing military regime, will not make for a sustainable political economy. Neither can it be said that political leaders themselves are not aware of the precariousness of the situation. Apart from there being no sincere political will to change the status quo, anything attempted in that direction would be mere window-dressing.
The vital message for political leaders arises from issues which can rarely be recognized immediately, neither can the consequences be quantified in material terms. Any activity undertaken by anyone, whose results impinge on other human beings, carry enormous implications and responsibility for the one engaged in such activity. Such implications and responsibility become more serious in leadership positions undertaken by personal choice and decision. Thus the concept of social contract in politics makes it clear that contractual obligations cannot be breached without attendant penalties. Also the concept of accountability goes beyond mere lip services.
Political office holders and key political leaders are subject to the concepts of social contract and accountability. Apart from expectations which must be met in the social contract principle, accountability makes leaders answerable to the masses and some higher authority. With cunning and blusters, political leaders can intimidate and cajole the masses and make false claims about their performances. But the mark of good leadership expresses in the level of happiness, satisfaction and productivity of the masses, arising from the stable and conducive state of the nation.
If Nigerian political leaders have a true knowledge of what the masses think and say about them, many of such leaders would dismiss their opinions and feelings as wrong. In social services theories, there is what is known as blaming the victim, involving placing all the responsibility, criticism and failures on the helpless and disadvantaged masses for the conditions that led to their plight. Thus real politics seeks to pass the buck on someone else when things go wrong, and then take maximum praises when the going is good. It is obvious that Nigerian masses are groaning currently.
Let it be said that leadership is a grave task whose immediate and long-term responsibility and accountability are rarely taken into consideration by politicians. It is not enough to make money, wield power and enjoy fame and honour by engaging in politics, there is also a need to look at wider implication of political leadership. Leaders in all spheres of activities can mislead followers, plunging their future and life-chances into jeopardy. We must also admit that there are blind but ambitions shepherds who lead their followers into desolate wilderness and perdition. Adolf Hitler, Rev. Jim Jones, among several others, did lead their followers astray.
Whether charismatic or tyrannical and obtuse, leaders and the position of leadership command mass influence which can have positive or negative effects. We cannot decry the fact that some leaders turn out to become locusts, oppressors or even scorpions, whereby the masses groan under their heavy burdens. Historically, some harsh and tyrannical leaders did play the role of compelling indolent, docile and myopic masses to make fast progress in development, by the use of whips and forced labour. The masses can also be myopic.
Specifically, myopic leaders are usually ambitions ones who see leadership not as giving services, raising the level of awareness and living standards of the masses, but a means of primitive accumulation of wealth and power. A Nigerian politician once told us many years ago that there were half a dozen Nigerians who had more money than the entire Nigerian nation. There may be nothing wrong with individuals having enormous wealth, but there is truth in the saying that behind every great wealth, there is usually a crime. Myopic money bags!
Influence of leadership goes beyond personal wealth power and fame, but leaders usually set the tone and standard of orientation of the masses. Through unexemplary leadership, installation of a corrupt system in a society, abuse of power and gross mis-management of national resources, leaders incur such burdens of guilt’s whose atonement would take several incarnations, accompanied by pathetic suffering and sad experiences. Curses which groaning citizens lay upon bad leaders who are concerned only with their own personal welfare and those of their cronies, do not fail to affect such leaders in a way that they rarely image.
What such bad leaders often do is to give huge donations to religions bodies, with a wrong notion that such gifts, arising from ill-gotten money, can reduce their burdens of guilt. To put the lives of unsuspecting citizens in jeopardy through inability to provide security, and the future of the masses in uncertainties through faulty polices, often arise from myopic leadership. Far-seeing leaders make personal sacrifices for the sake of the masses as a means of advancing their own ascent to glorious realms of existence. Myopic leaders remain earth-bound for a very long time!
By: Bright Amirize
Dr Amirize is a retired lecturer, Rivers State University, Port Harcourt.
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
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.
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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