Opinion
I’ll Like To Be A School Proprietor
A deluxe friend of mine onetime advised that if I must make it fast in life, I should establish a school or a church. But I promptly reminded him that I neither had the anointing nor a call from God to establish a church and possibly pastor it. Initially, it did not make sense to me why he added school to the directory of fortune-spinning outfits.
But later the idea became clearer. I now appreciate why my friend specifically referred to church and school. These are the two major establishments in this country which proliferation is rarely regulated. Both organisations relish many things in common. The distinction is that one is religious, while the other is mundane.
Talk about the church, it is ubiquitous. So are schools, particularly privately-owned schools. But if churches are established to navigate us through a more healthy spiritual relationship with our maker and grant us good morals in return, what is the unregulated accretion of schools designed to achieve in our society? Cheap education quality? Perhaps.
This remains the albatross of the education sector in Rivers State. There are too many illegal private schools in the state, many of which simply propose illiteracy, not education. My anguish is even with the recent re-accreditation of private schools by the Nyesom Wike government, the unfortunate predicament goes on unabated.
These sub-standard schools emerge daily, and because the possessors of the schools operate in an unregulated environment, they site the institutions at squalid or deformed locations, which are unconducive for learning. They often refer to those locations as temporary. But the truth is many of them expend longer time than necessary at such niches. They eventually transform into permanent sites.
Unfortunately, these so-called school sites are without space and playgrounds. Some of them are glorified one-room accommodation. During break time, the children have nowhere to exercise themselves. For this reason, their teachers compel them to remain in the classrooms all the time.
Can anyone assimilate that kind of situation? Your child or ward arrives school just about 7 am. And they remain seated till 4 pm, the time many private schools close for the day after undergoing what they call ‘’lesson” (another artifice to extort money from parents).
Is that not the reason many of these children whimper painfully each morning they are woken up to be readied for school? Yes, they bawl because they bethink the several hours of confinement in the class. When the kids evoke how their teachers attend their frustration on them, especially in those schools where severe canings hold sway, they give their parents or guardians literal blitzkrieg each day before departing for school.
Play is as congenital to children as food. I cannot envisage a school where children lack ample space to play. It tantamounts to suffocating them. But the point is who approves these schools? If they are unapproved, why haven’t their proprietors been sanctioned all the while or even get the schools closed down outrightly?
It comes across that something must be amiss somewhere. Somebody must be making a quick deal with the registration or otherwise of private schools in the State. I don’t have to admonish anyone that Rivers State has clear legal provisions on how private schools should emerge.
Section 1, sub-section (1) of Education (Private Schools) Law in the Laws of Rivers State of Nigeria 1999 is explicit on that. That section reads thus: “No person shall establish, carry on, conduct or keep a private school or institution unless the school or institution has been duly registered under this law”.
It, therefore, beats my imagination why a clarion legal provision on how privately-owned schools should be established in the state is discounted by some school proprietors. Is this not a copious ground for the state Education Ministry to descend heavily on these illegal school owners that dot every nook and cranny of the state?
Those with gnostic eyes don’t need to be told the reason for the frequent deliquescence by the supervisory authorities. Illegal schools don’t thrive in the state without the conspiracy of some Ministry of Education officials. I have no foreboding that these officials are compromised by desperate proprietors to ignore some of their reversals, particularly those which the law prescribes as mandatory before registration. That is why illegally operated private schools flourish.
I am sure if the state government is taken to task on how many private schools that operate in the state, we may get the squeaker of our lives. The implication is it is hard to determine the quality of education each of them offers.
Owing to poor supervision by the Education Ministry, some schools have become centres of examination malpractices and are commonly referred to as “miracle centres”. Parents are always willing to pay any amount to these “centres” to ensure that their children obtain their results at a sitting by hook or crook. Such is the level of degeneracy prevalent in some of these schools.
Indeed, private schools in Rivers State are taking so much for granted because the state Education Ministry is weak and has failed to live up to expectation. For instance, is it not the responsibility of the Ministry to ensure that school calendar is harmonised?
Why are private schools left to run their own calendar in the way they wish? Why has the ministry not done anything about the poor remuneration private school owners pay their staff, particularly when it is understood that there is a nexus between wage and output?
I need to open a school at this point as my friend advised and stop agonising.
By: Arnold Alalibo
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.