Opinion
Should Buhari Probe Jonathan’s Govt?
In the past few weeks, President Mohammadu Buhari
has left nobody in doubt about his determination to probe former ministers and other officials who served in the immediate past administration of President Goodluck Jonathan who allegedly stole Nigeria’s oil and diverted government’s money to personal accounts.
What do Nigerians think about this development, especially in view of the fact that before leaving office, Jonathan had reportedly said any probe of the current government would be seen as “witch hunt” if it fails to go beyond his administration?
Our Chief Correspondent, Calista Ezeaku got the views of some members of the public on the burning issue. Our photographer, Ken Donatus captured their images.
Mr. Igwe Kelvin – Unemployed graduate
I don’t see any reason why President Buhari will probe Jonathan’s administration. There were many administrations before Jonathan’s and even some of the people that served under Jonathan were part of previous administrations, yet there was nothing like probe at the end of the administrations.
So I don’t know why those public servants that served under Jonathan should be probed. If Buhari has any indictment on any of Jonathan’s ministers, he should come up with it and let the public know. If he has any true evidence against them, he should make it public and may be people will support him. But since he started talking about this probing, we have not been made to know their “sins”. So it’s like Buhari has something against Jonathan’s government. I’m not saying that if there are people that stole public fund they should not be punished but you must have concrete evidence against them before going after them so that everybody will see that what they did was bad and your action is justified. Let the probe not be a kind of witch hunting.
Again, if Buhari wants to probe Jonathan’s administration he should be ready to probe other administrations before Jonathan’s because we are aware that most of the people that occupied public offices in the past stole peoples’ money. This corruption they are talking about now is not a new thing. We have been hearing of our leaders looting our treasury long before Jonathan’s government.
So, I will advise President Buhari to be careful the way he goes about the probe so that he does not cause more problem in the country.
Arch Bishop Harry Nelson Miracle, A Cleric
Well, probing is good but then he has to start from the beginning. If President Buhari wants to probe past government officials, he must start from previous governments before Jonathan’s administration. But if he wants to restrict the probe to Jonathan’s administration then indirectly he is witch hunting that administration and that is not a proper procedure to take.
So, I am not against the probe but all previous administrations before Jonathan’s should be probed before Jonathan’s administration or else it makes no sense. If he insists on starting from Jonathan’s government then the truth is that he is deceiving himself. You start counting from seven without first counting zero? If as he claims that he is transparent, let him start from the beginning. Whatever you do must be from the foundation. There is no structure without a foundation. So let him go back to the status quo. If he wants to probe let him start from the first administration then we will all accept it. But if he cannot do that then he shouldn’t even try it because it will simply mean he has a hidden agenda and he is looking for trouble.
Jonathan’s administration as far as I know and they also know is the very best Nigeria has ever had because what Goodluck did, He, Buhari cannot even do that. So let him be sincere to himself. They should just let the sleeping dog lie. If they do not want to start from the beginning they should forget about the probe. The truth is that they don’t have anything to probe about Jonathan’s administration. He is just trying to make a name for himself and then raise dust where there should be none. This is not the first time we are hearing that money was looted from the treasury. So the probe should start from the beginning to this point. They should go back to the root.
If you don’t kill anything from its root you are wasting your time. If he can kill the root then the branches will die but if you don’t kill the root you are wasting your time.
Mr. Kingsley Timothy
The truth is that if Buhari wants to probe past public servants, let him start from the governments before Jonathan’s regime. This is democracy. You don’t jump from one government to another one. Not because you have the people that served in past regimes as your followers then you decide to probe the people that served in another government that are not your followers. It doesn’t work that way. He should go back to when he himself headed the petroleum sector. He should probe them.
Yes he should go ahead and probe but he should start from the beginning. He has once been in the system. He knew what was in the system. Look, the truth is that if you are looking at what another man did because you want to score a point, it will make you to be so angry about what the last person before you did.
But if you think of when you started fighting to come into position, then you will know that you will start from that time that you started fighting to check mate everybody, not check-mating the last person that left the office before you.
We all know everything that happened before he came into power. So if you want to check-mate, start from the beginning. Yes, we all know that the level of corruption in the country is very high but then we have to deal with it from the root. If probing will stop corruption they the past leaders before Jonathan.
In any case, I even doubt it because when you go into the probing very well, you will see that so many people will be apprehended. There are many corrupt people in Nigeria. Every sector in the country is corrupt, we all know it. But the truth is, if you want to deal with it, start from the root. That is the only way corruption will stop.
Mr. Sunday Dumle – An Economist
I think the probe is a welcome development. Our leaders do not want us to benefit from the country’s resources. Whenever they occupy leadership positions, they loot money here and there. So they should be probed. But the probing should start from Obasanjo’s administration because if they start from Jonathan’s administration it will cause more problems. They should be probed and if found guilty they should face the law because the money is not meant for them. It is for the entire Nigerians. If the money looted by our leaders was used in developing this country we will not be suffering as we do today.
Msgr Cyprain Onwuli-Cleryman
Really, how can he probe some individuals without probing the whole administration and if he is probing the whole administration it has to start with him. The probing has to start from the time the military took over because that was when Nigeria started to decay. Right from the military coup in the 60s till now, he should probe everybody who had administered this country. That should be justice and not selective punity, you punish some people and leave others.
Look, people are also accusing him and the past governments he served under, let him clear the air. That will give him a stronger backing to probe others. There is nobody who is an administrator who will say he was hundred percent good in handling the affairs of any segment of the society-church, school or what have you. So to clear the air, let him start from himself.
But I will prefer he starts from the first military coup till today, because they are the ones that destroyed this country. The civilians who ruled this country are saints. The destruction of wealth, stealing, killing came more with the military. So let them probe themselves first, then they can probe others. Looting did not start today and it will not end tomorrow. Let us start cleaning from the beginning so that those who will rule tomorrow will become conscious of themselves.
Let us really rule and be conscious that we are in a fragile country. If he probes some people and leaves others, that will divide this country more. That will bring disunity and I can assure you, if expose more people you teach others how to steal in different ways will learn different ways, will learn different methods of destroying and stealing and then insecurity will grow, security situation will be worse. So let us be careful.
I think the gospel message of forgiveness should be there and the law makers should insist that anybody who does any nonsense from now should either be removed or punished. It should enter into law because they are the ones that open the doors to all the nonesense people are doing. So let us forgive the past and focus on the future so as to make the future better.
Fighting corruption, stealing, looting and other vices will not be easy but then it has to start with the highest ruler and those who work with him. Once he is a disciplinarian and is able to carry that out, live a clean life and not be ready to tolerate any nonsense, Nigeria will change. He will make sure that those he will appoint as ministers, ambassadors, those heading different departments are guided. Really, they should send in their resignation letters before they are sworn-in so that if there is any nonesense, all he need do is to call the person, hand him over his resignation and send the police and others to go and take over until a new person is appointed, to make sure he doesn’t go back there to loot more.
Miss Chinenye Nwangwu-Self Employed
In the first pace I don’t know why President Buhari should choose to probe Jonathan’s administration or even some of his officials. What about those that served in pervious administrations before Jonathan’s, did they not steal our money? What has happened to them? I think if Buhari must probe, let him start from the first civilian government. Let me also remind our President that during his inaugural speech, he told Nigerians and the whole world that he would not go after any past government official, that he would start on a clean slate. Why is he no longer keeping to his words?
So for me, I don’t think probing only one particular past administration is right and just. If he must probe, he should probe all past leaders, including past governors irrespective of their political affiliation or their relationship with the current administration.
Nigeria, often referred to as the “Giant of Africa”, is endowed with vast natural resources,
a large population and a youthful workforce.
Despite these advantages, the country faces persistent economic challenges, most notably high unemployment rates over the years. Successive governments remain a central issue contributing to poverty, social unrest, and underdevelopment. The economic wellbeing of a nation is significantly tied to her employment levels.
In Nigeria’s case, high unemployment has become a key driver of its poor economic performance affecting everything from productivity and income levels to crime and political instability.
Unemployment in Nigeria has assumed a multidimensional nature, characterised not just by joblessness but also underemployment, informal employment and precarious working conditions.
The Nigeria National Bureau of Statistic (NBS) said the youth with over 60 percent of Nigeria’s population under the age of 30 percent youth unemployment is a time bomb threatening the nation’s future.
Many graduates leave universities and polytechnics annually with little or no hope of securing decent jobs.
This structural unemployment is the result of a mismatch between skills and labour market needs, inadequate industrialisation, and a weak private sector.
Unemployment affects an economy in numerous direct and indirect ways.
In Nigeria, it leads to a reduced consumer base, when large sections of the population are not earning steady incomes, they have limited purchasing power which in turn affects the production and growth of businesses. Companies produce less, invest less and hire fewer people, leading to a vicious cycle of low economic growth.
Moreover, high unemployment translates to lower tax revenue for the government with fewer people paying taxes. The government has fewer resources to fund infrastructure, education, healthcare, and other public services that stimulate economic development.
This fiscal weakness forces Nigeria to rely heavily on foreign loans, which leads to rising debt levels and economic vulnerability.
Furthermore, infrastructure deficits including inadequate power supply, poor road networks and limited access to credit make it difficult for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to thrive, yet SMEs are the bedrock of employment in many developed nations. Nigeria’s weak support for SMEs stifles innovation and job creation.
Another tragic consequence of high unemployment is the mass exodus of Nigerian talent to foreign countries in search of better opportunities. The brain drain weakens the country’s human capital base and deprives it of professionals who could contribute meaningfully to national development.
The “Japa” phenomenon-a slang used to describe young Nigerians fleeing the country reflects deep disillusionment with the system. Doctors, nurses, software engineers and other professionals are leaving in droves. The cost of training these individuals is absorbed by Nigeria, but their expertise benefits foreign economics. This dynamic further deepens the economic challenges as the country loses its best and brightest minds.
Addressing unemployment in Nigeria requires a multifaceted approach, first.
Secondly, industrialisation must be prioritised. The government should create an enabling environment for local manufacturing by improving infrastructure, reducing Bureaucratic bottlenecks and offering tax incentives reviving the agricultural sector with modern techniques and supply chains can also absorb a significant portion of the unemployed.
Thirdly, Governments at all levels must be held accountable for implementing job creation programmes transparently and effectively. Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) should be encouraged to drive innovations and employment in ICT, renewable energy and logistics.
Finally, Nigeria must diversify its economy away from crude oil and invest in sectors that generate mass employment. Tourism, education, healthcare and creative industries such as film and music hold immense unlapped potential.
With genuine commitment from leaders, strong institutions and the active participation of the private sector and civil society, Nigeria can turn the tide on unemployment and chart a path toward sustainable economic prosperity.
Idorenyi, an intern with The Tide, is a student of Temple Gate Polytechnic
Abia State.
Biana Idorenyin
April 25 every year is World Malaria Day. It was instituted by the World Health Assembly in 2007, “to highlight the progress made in Malaria control, the ongoing challenges that persist and the urgent need for sustained investment and innovation”. This year’s theme, “Malaria Ends with Us: Reinvest, Reimagine and Reignite”, is apt considering the loss of lives incurred and money spent to treat and prevent Malaria. The theme is a clarion-call to intentionally end the malaria scourge through robust commitment of human and financial resources.
That is why one of the best policies, of the suspended Sir Siminalayi Fubara’s administration in Rivers State, was the avowed commitment to check the malaria menace and its multiplier consequences on the residents of the State, through its “Free Malaria Testing and Treatment” innovation.
Rivers State is a microcosm of Nigeria in terms of residents; thus the secularity of the State makes the programme’s beneficiary all-inclusive.
No doubt, the Rivers State Government has by this initiative reinforced value placement on the lives of the people, especially the less-privileged in the State. Residents in Rivers State can now be tested and treated free for Malaria in any Rivers State Government- owned hospitals and healthcare centres across the 23 Local Government Areas of Rivers State. This is a lofty and laudable programme because of the prohibitive cost of malaria drugs and conducting tests at a time majority of Nigerians hardly have a meal to eat, because of the prevailing economic hardship in the country.
Malaria and Typhoid, according to medical and health statisticians are the commonest ailments people suffer as a result of dirty environment, absence of good drainage, lack of potable water. The State Government’s Malaria programme is, therefore, not just a big financial relief but also a life-saver for the teeming poverty-ridden population of Nigeria resident in Rivers State.
According to statistics reeled out by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, “Globally, there are an estimated 249million malaria cases and 608,000 malaria deaths among 85 countries”. Such reports leave much to be desired in a nation so blessed with natural resources and manpower. This is why the Rivers State Government should be commended for defying the huge financial implications to drive the lofty programme for Nigerians and foreigners in Rivers State who are availed the privilege of accessing the largesse in all State Government health and medical facilities.
As the Rivers State Government deemed it necessary to initiate the Free Malaria Testing and Treatment programme, nothing stops the Federal Government from doing the same. But even with abounding natural and human resources in unimaginable quantity in Nigeria, Malaria programmes are either grossly underfunded, or funds for the programmes are misappropriated or embezzled with impunity.
In Nigeria, malaria is one of the leading causes of death of children under the age of six and pregnant women. Malaria is a nightmare in Nigeria so much so that price of its drugs and treatment have skyrocketed like a phoenix and outrageously outside the reach of the teeming less privileged citizens of Nigeria. The situation was so alarming that the National Assembly, in 2023 urged the Federal Government to declare Malaria an emergency in Nigeria as a matter of urgent national interest. I am not sure that has been done by the Federal Government because it seems to be in the interest of the common citizens.
Experts have recommended new approaches to fighting the malaria epidemic in Nigeria which seems to have defied continuous attempts to reduce the Malaria burden in Nigeria to zero.
According to a Senior Associate at the John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public.Health, Soji Adeyi, Nigeria should begin to increase internal funding.for malaria elimination.
According to him,, “Each year reliance on external funding needs to be reduced. I looked at the summary of Malaria reports from 2008 till now and what has been common is the complaint about the lack of funding. If this is a recurring problem, what should be done is to find a new approach “.
In his view, Abdu Muktar, National Coordinator of the Presidential Healthcare Initiative, called for the local production and manufacturing of medical supplies as well as reducing Nigeria’s dependence on drugs imports.
According to him, the local production of anti-malaria and.related.medication will consider.the peculiarity of the country’s terrain, population and burden and.would improve access to effective treatment.
For his part, the regional. Director of World Health Organisation (WHO), African Region, Matshiddiso Moretti, advised Nigeria to accelerate its efforts to end Malaria by relying on adequate data for the implementation of health policies.
Malaria is an epidemic more devastating than the dreaded HIV/AIDS. Malaria triggers high blood pressure and places HIV/AIDS patients on a critical condition. The Federal and sub-national governments should therefore declare Malaria an emergency and prioritise attention to its treatment, production and importation of drugs and vaccines to stem the malaria menace.
The Federal Government should also improve incentives and remuneration of medical and health workers to end their exodus abroad in droves, for greener pastures.
Igbiki Benibo
The traditional institution is as old as human society. It predates the advent of modern organised society. Before the emergence of modern justice system of dispute resolution and political system of administration, the traditional institution has existed long ago. In fact, it was so revered and regarded as sacred because of the mythological conviction that it was the “stool of the ancestors”. Consequently, judgment given was deified as many people especially the traditionalists believe it was the mind of the gods revealed. Perversion of justice , in the pre-modern justice system was alien and considered uncommon. Chiefs and traditional rulers though may not have generated knowledge formally (through the four walls of a classroom), yet they embody and exemplify knowledge. They hold fast the virtue of integrity and honour, fairness and relative impartiality, partly because they believed that the stool they occupy was ancestral and traditional as act of indiscretion can court the wrath of the gods at whose behest they are on the traditional saddle of authority.
The Compass of Life stated unequivocally that “the throne is preserved by righteousness”. Where righteousness, integrity and honesty are savoured,and valued, perversion and miscarriage of justice is an anomaly. The judgments of traditional rulers and chiefs were hardly appealed against because they were founded on objectivity, fairness, truth and facts beyond primordial sentiment and inordinate interests or pecuniary benefits. Judgments were precedent. Traditional rulers and chiefs, therefore carved a niche for themselves, earning the respect of, and endearing themselves to the heart of their subjects. Is it the same today? Some traditional rulers and chiefs are administering their communities in exile; they are diasporic leaders because they have lost the confidence of the people through self-serving, raising of cult group for self-preservation, land grabbing and other flagrant corrupt practices.
When truth is not found in the traditional institution that, in my considered view, constitutes the grassroots government, then crisis is inevitable.In most African societies before advent of the Christian Faith, and consequent Christening of the traditional stools in many communities in recent times, ascent to the traditional institution was a function of a traditional method of selection. It was believed that the gods make the selection. And whoever emerges from the divination processes eventually is crowned as the king of the people after performing the associated rituals.Whoever lacked the legitimacy to sit on the throne but wanted to take it forcefully, traditionalists believed died mysteriously or untimely. Traditional rulers wielded much influence and power because of the authority inherent in the stool, the age of the person designated for the stool notwithstanding. The word of the king was a law, embodied power. Kings so selected are forthright, accountable, transparent, men of integrity, did not speak from both sides of the mouth, could not be induced with pecuniary benefits to pervert justice, they feared the gods of their ancestors and were consecrated holistically for the purpose dictated by the pre and post coronation rituals.
Some of those crowned king were very young in those days, but they ruled the people well with the fear of the gods. There was no contention over who is qualified to sit or who is not qualified to. It was the prerogative of the gods. And it was so believed and upheld with fear.Kings were natural rulers, so they remained untouchable and could not be removed by a political government. If a king committed an offence he was arrested and prosecuted according to the provision of the law. But they have immunity from sack or being dethroned because they are not political appointees. However, the people at whose behest he became king reserved the power to remove him if found guilty of violating oath of stool. The traditional institution is actually the system of governance nearest to the people. And kings were the chief security officers of their communities. So indispensable are the roles of kings and traditional rulers to the peaceful co-existence of their people, ensuring that government policies and Programmes were seamlessly spread to the people that many people are clamouring for the inclusion of definite and specific roles in the Constitution for the traditional institution.
Traditional rulers are fathers to every member of their domain. So they are not expected to discriminate, show favouritism. By their fatherly position traditional rulers, though can not be apolitical, are also expected to be immune from partisan politics. This is because as one who presides over a great house where people of different political divide or interest belong, an open interest for a political party means ostracisation of other members of the family which could lead to disrespect, conflict of interest, wrangling and anarchy. Traditional rulers are supposed to be selfless, preferring the interest of their people above their personal interests following the consciousness that they are stewards whose emergence remains the prerogative of the people. The position is essentially for service and not for personal aggrandisement and ego massaging. So they should hold the resources of the people in trust. However, in recent past the traditional institution has suffered denigration because of unnecessary emotional attachment to political parties and political leaders. Some traditional rulers and kings have shown complete disregard to the principle of neutrality because of filthy lucre and pecuniary gains, at the expense of the stool and people they lead. Sadly some traditional rulers have been influenced to pervert justice: giving justice to the offender who is rich against the poor.
Traditional leaders should be reminded that the “throne is preserved by righteousness”, not by political chauvinism, favouritism, or materialism.Traditional rulers should earn their deserved respect from political leaders by refusing the pressure to be subservient, beggarly, sycophantic and docile. Traditional leaders have natural and permanent leadership system, unlike the political leadership that is transient and tenured.They should be partners with every administration in power and should not be tied to the apron string of past leaders whose activities are aversive to the incumbent administration and thereby constituting a clog in the development of the State and the community they are to woo infrastructure development to. It is unpardonable error for a traditional ruler to have his conscience mortgaged for benefits he gets inordinately from any government.It is necessary to encourage kings and traditional rulers to not play the roles of stooges and clowns for the privileged few, political leaders. Political leaders are products of the people, even as every government derives its legitimacy from the people.
No doubt, the roles of traditional rulers are so necessary that no political or military government can operate to their exclusion. This is why the 10th National Assembly mulled the inclusion of Traditional institution in the proposed amendment of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.Traditional rulers and chiefs should, therefore, be and seen to be truthful, forthright, bold, courageous, honest and people of integrity, not evasive, cunning, unnecessarily diplomatic and economical with truth.The time to restore the dignity of the traditional institution is now but it must be earned by the virtuous disposition of traditional rulers and chiefs.
Igbiki Benibo