News
‘Nigeria Needs Restructuring, Social Justice’
Stakeholders at the 2nd Claude Ake Memorial Lecture have called for restructuring of the Nigerian political space based on social justice, transparency and accountability in governance.
Making public their views at the forum organised by the Rivers State Government at the weekend to celebrate the legacies left by the late Prof of Political Economy, who died in a plane crash 13 years ago, they called for urgent measures to save the country from the brink of collapse.
Chairman of the occasion and former Nigerian Ambassador to the United States, Prof George Obiozor observed that the country’s leadership derailed from the vision of the founding fathers, thereby affecting the unity and development of Nigeria.
Prof Obiozor asserted that, “leadership is everything and that, ‘ if we must salvage our country, we must face the reality”.
He blamed the poor justice system and corruption as major factors that threaten the unity of the country, while stressing the need to restructure the political system capable of attracting the support of all Nigerians willingly without force.
Obiozor added that Nigeria needs a system of shared power hinged on social justice.
He lauded the Rivers State Government for remembering Prof Ake, whom he described as one of Africa’s great scholars, who impacted on the lives of other academics within and outside Nigeria.
Delivering a paper with theme, Combating the Resources Curse: Strategies for Economic Transformation in a Natural Resource-Rich Economy, “ former President of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Dr Mohammed Ibn Chambas argued that Nigeria’s huge natural resources had turned into a problem due to poor management.
According to Dr Chambas, studies have shown that countries with less resources were more prudent than those with lots of resources.
He disclosed that about 70 per cent of Nigerians live below poverty line, while describing the country, as a paradox of poverty in the midst of plenty”.
He believed that huge part of the resources goes into few hands, which causes most of the disharmony, poverty, crime and religious problems.
Chambas cited the case of Boko Haram as an offshoot of inequity, as political domination in every sphere of the economy leads to ethnic struggles among the citizenry to gain from the resources.
The former ECOWAS president, however, recommended good governance, accountability, transparency and the rule of law as major ingredients to transform the nation.
He said Nigeria needed to take advantage of the huge economic opportunities in the global community by investing in human capacity, especially on technical and engineering skills.
In her remarks, former chairperson of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Mrs Ifueko Omoigini-Okanra said the country should stop over reliance on oil revenue.
For her, it is only when the country begins to diversity its economy will it be able to make progress, why can’t we change radically or breaking this cycle”. she queried.
In a similar vein, member representing Calabar-Odukpani in the House of Representatives, Ambassador Nkoyo Toyo called for constant review of the development process as she lauded the establishment of the Sovereign Wealth Fund.
She warned that Nigeria would become a failed state if inequality and poverty continued, and warned against the marginalisation of women would further worsen the resources curse, as she recommended multiple accountability systems in the polity.
Meanwhile, Rivers State Governor, Rt Hon Chibuike Amaechi, former President of Economic Community of West African State (ECOWAS), Dr Mohammed Ibn Chambas and other prominent Nigerians have hailed the legacies of late Prof Claude Ake, a top political economist from the state.
Speaking at the second Prof Ake Memorial lecture titled, “ combating the resource curse: Strategies for Economic Transformation in a Natural Resources-Rich Economy’, Amaechi said Ake was a philosopher and critic who sought the best for his country.
‘For me, Prof Ake stands as one social crusader that we lost to God… and therefore, we should not allow his legacies to die.
The Rivers State Governor recalled that as a student activist in the university, he learnt a lot from the late Professor who was a strong advocate of good governance and better political structures.
When you hear me speak the way I do, it is because of the private lessons from persons like Prof Ake”, he said.
He believed that if the late political economist was still alive, he would have fought more for the betterment of Nigerians, while lamenting the worsening level of corruption in the country.
Amaechi promised that Rivers State would endow a professional chair on political theory in the University of Port Harcourt, while calling for the rejuvenation of the Centre for Advance Social Science (CASS), an institute established by Ake to propagate political thoughts in Nigeria and beyond.
On his part, former ECOWAS President, Dr Chambas described the late professor as a man who saw academics as a vehicle of ensuring social justice and national transformation.
Chambas said of Prof Ake”, he is a quintessential organic intellectual such that what he wanted for the Niger Delta was that the region take its rightful place in this great nation”.
The former ECOWAS president said, “ Ake demonstrated that we do not have to be in public office to affect lives”.
Chambas blamed the over-reliance on oil revenue and rents as the major cause of Nigeria’s economic and political travails, arguing that despite the huge resources, the country was still bedeviled by poverty and corruption. He called on the country’s leaders to toe the path of Bostwana, Indonesia and Norway who had used their resources to great advantage through transparent and accountable leadership.
The former ECOWAS chief, noted that once the state was able to meet the expectations of the citizens by establishing a meritorious civil service, accountable public institutions and ensuring social justice, it could be said to be utilising the resources well
Chambas, therefore, called for a paradigm shift through the prudent utilisation of resources, saying, “ in seeking to liberate the African people, we must harness the huge population driven by good macro-economic policies, social governance and rule of law”.
Also speaking, chairman of the occasion and former Nigerian Ambassador to the United States, Prof George Obizor said late Ake was one of Africa’s distinguished scholars.
Prof Obiozor added, Ake was a combination of realistic and idealistic scholarship, and he made a great impact on other African scholars.
The former US Ambassador thanked the government and people of Rivers State for organising the lecture and remembering the late Professor of Political Economy.
Earlier, chairman of the organising committee and Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Mr Levi Gogo-Charles noted that the government has instituted the lecture to motivate the young ones and celebrate the legacies of the university teachers.
He stated that the theme of this year’s lecture was aimed at ensuring a shift from oil to knowledge-based economy, while hinting that in the near future, Rivers State would export knowledge rather than oil.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted 1.63 million pills of tramadol concealed in two long trailers heading for Kano as it intensified efforts to dismantle a transnational drug trafficking syndicate operating along the Togo-Benin Republic-Nigeria corridor.
The agency also arrested an 80-year-old suspected drug dealer in Rivers State, a businesswoman linked to cannabis shipments from Canada, a Chadian woman, a couple and other suspects in coordinated operations across Lagos, Edo, Kogi and Rivers states.
The NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement, yesterday.
According to the statement, the latest intelligence-led operation came barely one week after NDLEA operatives recovered 558,900 pills of tramadol concealed in the false-bottom compartment of a truck that entered Lagos through the Togo-Benin Republic route.
Babafemi said, “Ongoing efforts to dismantle a transnational drug trafficking syndicate smuggling tramadol from Togo, through Benin Republic into Nigeria have yielded another success with the interception of two long trailers used to move One Million Six Hundred and Thirty (1,630,000) pills of tramadol 250mg concealed in fabricated compartments of the trucks across multiple borders into Lagos.”
He added that one of the two trailers was intercepted on July 2 along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, where operatives recovered 853,000 pills of tramadol 250mg concealed in a fabricated compartment beneath the cargo floor.
Babafemi said, “One of the two trucks already heading to Kano was tracked and located on 2nd July 2026 along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway where NDLEA officers recovered 853,000 pills of tramadol 250mg concealed in a fabricated compartment beneath the cargo floor of the trailer and arrested the 22-year-old driver Jabir Kabiru.”
He further disclosed that another trailer was intercepted two days later on the same route.
“Two days later, 4th July, NDLEA operatives acting on processed intelligence successfully tracked and recovered the second trailer from the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway while heading to Kano. A total of 777,000 pills of tramadol 250mg concealed in a fabricated compartment beneath the cargo floor of the truck were evacuated and the 22-year-old driver Muhammed Nuhu arrested,” the statement read.
According to Babafemi, investigations established a link between the three intercepted consignments.
He said, “Investigations revealed that all three trucks and consignments intercepted on 21st June, 2nd July and 4th July belong to the same transnational drug trafficking syndicate operating along the Togo-Benin Republic-Nigeria axis.”
The agency also intercepted 4.70 kilograms of Canadian Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis, at the import shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.
Babafemi said, “Two consignments of Canadian Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis, with a combined weight of 4.70 kilograms have been intercepted at the import shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos. The cargoes, which arrived the Lagos airport from Canada in cartons with ‘Odugwu’ boldly written on them, came aboard British Airways and Ethiopian Airlines flights on 24th June and 3rd July respectively.”
He said two cargo agents, Ali Rotimi Samson and Orimolade Oluwagbenga, were initially arrested in connection with the shipments, while another suspect, Edeh Onyeamachi Stanislus, was apprehended after arriving at a logistics company to take delivery of the consignments.
The Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction has denied claims that it has commenced registration for a purported ?50,000 National Support Allowance.
The ministry, in a public notice posted on its official X handle, yesterday, described messages, links and websites advertising the alleged programme as fraudulent.
It urged Nigerians to disregard such claims and verify information only through official government channels.
“The Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction has NOT commenced registration for any ?50,000 National Support Allowance,” the ministry said.
It added, “Disregard fraudulent messages, links and websites claiming otherwise. Verify any info only through official govt channels.”
The alert is in response to a circulating scam flyer that falsely claims the program is ongoing under President Bola Tinubu’s directives.
The fake advertisement, which includes text in Hausa and English, directs victims to a suspicious website (kluspz.com) for applications.
The ministry’s warning comes amid heightened concerns over digital fraud targeting vulnerable populations seeking social support.
Similar scams have previously surfaced around programs like N-Power, prompting questions from citizens in replies to the official post.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has expressed its preparedness for a major national struggle for a comprehensive review of the national minimum wage.
NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, hinted at this while making his remarks at the commissioning of the Comrade Godwin Abumisi Pensioners Legacy House and Multipurpose Hall in Abuja.
Ajaero said it is no longer acceptable to discuss the welfare of workers without also discussing the welfare of those who have completed their active years of service.
He advised workers and pensioners to get prepared for the ideological and economic battles that lie ahead.
According to the NLC president, “The Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) is one of the proud affiliates of the Nigeria Labour Congress. Therefore, your struggle is our struggle, and your welfare remains a priority for the organised labour movement.
“We are currently in the preparatory stages for a major national struggle for a comprehensive review of the national minimum wage.
“However, let me state unequivocally that it is no longer acceptable to discuss the welfare of workers without also discussing the welfare of those who have completed their active years of service.
“Accordingly, the Nigeria Labour Congress will not only push for a new national minimum wage but will also demand the establishment of a national minimum pension. It is a historical injustice that men and women who devoted their youth, strength and productive years to the service of this nation should be condemned to live below the poverty line after retirement.”
Ajaero noted that the cost of living has risen astronomically as food, healthcare and transportation have become increasingly unaffordable.
“We cannot continue to allow our senior citizens to survive on pensions that have become poverty wages. Every retiree deserves to live with dignity after decades of faithful service to the nation,” he said.
He urged pensioners across the country to remain united and prepared as the process begins, adding: “This Legacy House should not merely be seen as a physical structure; it should become a centre for mobilisation, strategic engagement and solidarity as we prepare for the struggles ahead.”
The NLC president pointed out that the working class has always understood that “those who exploit workers are united in advancing their interests. We too must remain united in defending our collective interests and ensuring that government fulfils its obligations to both serving workers and retirees.”
He urged pensioners across the country to remain united and prepared as the process begins, adding: “This Legacy House should not merely be seen as a physical structure; it should become a centre for mobilisation, strategic engagement and solidarity as we prepare for the struggles ahead.”
The NLC president pointed out that the working class has always understood that “those who exploit workers are united in advancing their interests. We too must remain united in defending our collective interests and ensuring that government fulfils its obligations to both serving workers and retirees.”
He said the completion of the project should serve as a clarion call to all workers and lovers of the masses.
“We must not only build physical structures but also build a strong movement capable of compelling government to honour its commitments,” he said.
Ajaero further stated: “We will continue to demand the immediate payment of all outstanding pension arrears and the implementation of a pension regime that guarantees every retiree a life of dignity and security.
“Together, we shall continue to fight until every Nigerian worker and pensioner receives the justice, respect and welfare they deserve.”
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