The Nation Newspaper

Category: Letters

  • Ponzi schemes and their pit of problems

    Ponzi schemes and their pit of problems

    • By Folorunso Fatai Adisa

    Sir: Burton Gordon Malkiel, the renowned American economist and author of A Random Walk Down Wall Street, once said: “A bubble starts when any group of stocks, those associated with the excitement of the Internet, begin to rise. The updraft encourages more people to buy the stocks, which causes more TV and print coverage, which causes even more people to buy, which creates big profits for early Internet stockholders. The successful investors tell you at cocktail parties how easy it is to get rich, which causes the stocks to rise further, which pulls in larger and larger groups of investors. But the whole mechanism is a kind of Ponzi scheme where more and more credulous investors must be found to buy the stock from the earlier investors. Eventually, one runs out of greater fools.”

    Reading that, one might think Malkiel had Nigerians in mind.

    Ponzi schemes in Nigeria are evolving, and multiplying. As business expands, so does deceit. Claiming your online investments are safe is now an extreme sport. Many Nigerians, bless our hopeful hearts, are Disney-level optimists, leaping from one abusive investment relationship to another, never pausing to learn.

    We have seen this show before. MMM collapsed. MBA followed. Yet, people still summoned the courage to invest in CBEX? Farming schemes were the next bait. Eatrich Farms came. Then Titan Farms. When funds vanished into thin air, victims suddenly found their voices. That is when many of us first heard of Chinmark, another scammer with a spotless smile and a fraudulent playbook.

    Over a billion naira reportedly vanished in a food storage scheme run by one Ovaioza. Investors groaned. Again, heartrending. Gullibility? Greed?

    Just days ago, I opened Facebook and was flooded with new waves of complaints. I tried to scroll past them, but a post about CBEX arrested my attention. My heart sank. Why do we keep falling for this?

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    True, advertisements can lie. From flashy branding and staged success stories to influencers peddling personality appeal, fraudsters know how to package poison. But at some point, we must stop drinking it.

    Poverty is painful. Its bouts of bitterness are deep and relentless. In desperation, the poor are often willing to do the unthinkable. Ponzi schemes masquerade as shortcuts to liberation, but they’re traps.

    Here is the painful truth: Ponzi is a marriage between crooks and the greedy, officiated by self-serving influencers and enablers. On social media, giveaways are the bait. Dangote, Rabiu, Adenuga, Otedola, the real moguls, don’t do online giveaways. When I see start-up CEOs splashing millions on “generosity” instead of reinvestment, I don’t see kindness. I see a red flag. I’m not against giving; but wasteful giving by someone building a brand? That is not generosity. That is a cover-up.

    Given the scale of fraud in Nigeria, one would hope we have learnt our lesson. But hope is not a strategy. It is time for our financial regulatory agencies to step up, clamp down, and hold these charlatans accountable. If they don’t, despair will continue to fester, and some victims may spiral into irreversible tragedies.

    •Folorunso Fatai Adisa,

    United Kingdom.

  • Lisabi Day and the ‘fashion-tainment’ industry

    Lisabi Day and the ‘fashion-tainment’ industry

    SIR: Lisabi Day celebration in Abeokuta, Ogun State, is a collection of cultural activities dedicated to Lisabi, a revered Yoruba brave man known for his leadership, gallantry, and resistance against the oppression of the Egba people during the colonial era. Lisabi is celebrated for leading the Egba people in a successful fight against numerous external oppressions, especially during the British invasion of the 19th century. It is celebrated annually to appreciate the courage and heroism of the brave man on a day in the year, marking the death anniversary of the hero. The event is celebrated in Abeokuta, the capital of Ogun State, where Lisabi’s legendary resistance is deeply rooted in the local history. The celebration includes cultural performances, music, dance, and traditional Yoruba rituals, showcasing the rich heritage of the Egba people.

     A significant part of the celebration involves a grand parade and procession through Abeokuta, with traditional leaders, chiefs, and community members participating in the show of class. The Alake of Egbaland, the traditional ruler, plays a central role in the celebration, often delivering speeches and addressing the people during the event. The events usually include laying wreaths at Lisabi’s memorial sites, such as at the Lisabi Tree, in Lisabi Forest to honour his memory and to revere him.

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    In recent years, Lisabi Day has grown to also address contemporary issues in Ogun State and Nigeria, with politicians using the platform to advocate for peace and development. It has also become a major tourist attraction, drawing people from different parts of Nigeria and abroad to experience the rich cultural history of the Egba people and the legendary figure of Lisabi. Worthy of note is the fashion statement being established as part of the annual rite. This year celebration witnessed exhibition of different regalia made from expensive fabrics. Yoruba clothes made from aso oke, guinea brocade, Ankara, lace, damask, wool and adire, were adorned by different participants.

     A local celebration, tagged ‘Egbaliganza” can be turned into a thriving tourism business and bold cultural statement if it can garner the support of government. The private sector has tried with corporate organisations like Nigeria Distilleries Limited, the manufacturers of Seaman Schnapps Lord’s Dry Gin, Calypso etc. Prior to the hosting of this year’s edition of the Lisabi Day, a fashion brand, ‘Egbaliganza’ designed to project Egba creativity and craftsmanship on the global stage announced plans to establish a $1 billion fashion industry in Yorubaland as part of efforts to promote African culture and tradition, and celebrate the resilience of the Egba people.

    • ESV. Olufemi Oyedele, Lagos.
  • Cultural awakening & leadership integrity in troubled times

    Cultural awakening & leadership integrity in troubled times

    • By John Amabolou  Elekun

    Sir: Across the world, the spirit of nations is being tested. Gaza lies in ruins. Turkey, once a proud seat of early Christianity, has undergone a cultural shift so profound that many forget its past. Nigeria, too—our homeland—stands on uncertain ground, threatened not just by insecurity or economic hardship but by the erosion of cultural consciousness and leadership integrity.

    As Ijaw people, we cannot afford to ignore these warning signs. We must reflect: Who are we becoming—and what have we already lost?

    Once upon a time, our warlords were more than just fighters—they were symbols of resistance, dignity, and hope. Today, many of them have compromised, choosing personal gain over collective purpose. Even the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), once a bold voice of the people, now stands divided. One faction walks with us; the other has surrendered to the same forces we once stood against.

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    This is not unique to us. Around the globe, cultures are vanishing, replaced by convenience and submission. Gaza’s story is one of overwhelming resistance. Turkey’s transformation reminds us how history can be rewritten when identity is not defended. We are not exempt. The same fate awaits us unless we act.

    Cultural consciousness is more than tradition. It is the soul of a people. It’s in the songs we sing, the stories we pass down, and the values we live by. Without it, we are nothing more than shadows wearing borrowed names.

    Leadership integrity is our moral compass. When leaders lose their way, they lead the people astray. When integrity fades, compromise becomes currency, and the future is sold piece by piece.

    However, there is hope—if we are willing to fight, not with weapons, but with awareness, education, and unity. We must reawaken our cultural pride, hold fast to our identity, and demand more from those who lead us.

    Our youth must not be raised on forgotten stories and broken promises. They must be taught to walk in truth. Writers, artists, thinkers—this is your time. Use your voice to revive our heritage and challenge the decay. Let every pen be a spear of memory. Let every word be a call to action.

    We are not lost yet. But we are close. Let us remember who we are. Let us rise—not just for ourselves, but for the generations to come.

    Our roots are not weak. They are our strength.

    •John Amabolou  Elekun ,

    Iju-Ajuwon, Lagos State

  • The hammer of homelessness

    The hammer of homelessness

    • By Kene Obiezu

    Sir: A house does not make a home. It takes more than a building to make a home. But without a building, there can be no home and when a person is without a building where they can make their home, that person is said to be homeless.

    Homelessness goes to the heart of poverty. When a person does not eat constantly or has a few clothes, it is easier to get by. The real challenge comes when shelter is ripped off the person’s head, and they have to live life on the streets, exposed to the elements day and night.

    For what it does and represents, homelessness is simply one of the most heart-breaking situations anyone can encounter. A country without an adequate and dignified housing program stemming and streaming out of proper planning is one which enlists for homelessness. When a country fails to plan for its growth, especially preparing for how growth will mean demands for more houses, it simply prepares its citizens for the streets.

    With the rainy season gradually setting in, the rain, wind, cold and living things the season shakes out of their abode will abundantly remind the homeless that they lack one of life’s basics. They will be reminded in stark, watery language that they belong to the precipice of Nigeria where life is unpredictable and uncharitable.

    With the impending rains set to expose families to the elements, the homeless will feel the pinch and rue the citizenship of a country that has left them to be pounded by the rains.

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    In Nigeria, drawing from global indicators, the markers of poverty are many. Put simply, they manifest more in chronic lack of the basics of life, which are food, clothing, and shelter. About a 100 million Nigerians who live below the international poverty line lack these basics in addition to coming short on education, healthcare and financial inclusion. This is what it really means to be poor.

    Why are many Nigerians still homeless or living in houses that are ordinarily unfit for human habitation? Why are there still so many people cut off from sustainable and affordable housing despite the government’s many promises to tackle the problem?

    Nigeria’s housing crisis has been around for a while. It is a much an infrastructure crisis as it is a social and human crisis. Any solutions must be integrated and tailored towards achieving maximum results, which would include taking people off the streets and giving them dignified shelter.

    This would only be a first step in solving the multitude of problems that homelessness breeds. To tackle the problem of chronic homelessness, the government should take the lead while seeking active collaboration with the private sector and philanthropists.

     This is an urgent task because the fewer the homeless people it has, the faster it can move towards a crime-free, clean society where people live with dignity.

     There is a need to provide adequate and affordable housing for those who are homeless already and those who are in danger of becoming homeless.

    Tackling homelessness is a matter of justice. It deserves all the attention necessary.

    •Kene Obiezu,

    keneobiezu@gmail.com

  • Private varsities deserve students loan too

    Private varsities deserve students loan too

    • By Sunday Olagunju

    Sir: The revitalization of the students loan scheme by the present government has appropriately positioned education where it belongs and has portrayed the government as lover of education and friend of the Nigerian students. Both the Presidency and the National Assembly deserve a pat at the back for the dispatch by which the bill was passed and assented to become law.

     Education is an inalienable right of every Nigerian child, but paucity of funds, coupled with poor engagements of many parents due to the harsh economic realities of our time, have tried to rob many children of such right.

    Today, the Act establishing the Nigerian Loan Fund (NEFUND) only makes provision for students in public tertiary institutions to benefit from the loan. But some education experts seem to be kicking against the present dichotomy between students in public and private tertiary institutions, where the former remains the sole beneficiary of the scheme.

    What is sauce for the goose must also be sauce for the gander. This is reminiscence of the George Orwell’s Animal Farm where some animals see themselves as less privileged because of their location. Suddenly, the scheme seems to have placed students in public tertiary institution as more privileged than their counterparts in the private tertiary institutions.

    With the advent of private tertiary institution, there is a growing misconception among some segment of the Nigerian populace that only the nouve riche Nigerians send their children to private tertiary institutions.

    Given the apparent yearly failures at the UTME and the limited spaces in public tertiary institutions, the emergence of private varsities should be seen as providing an urgent catalyst to an otherwise serious educational crisis. Apart from private tertiary institutions as being on rescue mission in the country’s educational sector, many parents are poor Nigerians who pay the humongous fees charged in these institutions through their noses.

    Such parents also deserve some breathing space if only their children too can be part of the beneficiaries of the student’s loan scheme.

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    The NEFUND management can take statistics of private tertiary institutions with a view of recommending those who possess the qualifications to be so admitted to benefit from the scheme.

    Authorities of those institutions should be made as guarantors with the undertaking to pay in case the beneficiaries defaulted to pay back the loanable funds in future. These private varsities have come to stay and it is doubtful if any of them will, because of such loan, close up the institutions for probable evasion of payment.

    Students in either public or private tertiary institutions are bona fide Nigerians who should be entitled to whatever benefit the government of the country can give to advance their cause and well being. The president as prime mover of this loan scheme and as the father of the nation, should empathise with thousands of parents who are quivering feverishly under excruciating burden to pay the school fees of their children in private tertiary institutions at both home and abroad.

    The extension of the benefits to such children will no doubt put them at par with their colleagues in the public tertiary institutions and no one will claim to be more Nigerian or less Nigerian than the other.

    •Sunday Olagunju,

    Ibadan, Oyo State

  • Death at the threshold of life

    Death at the threshold of life

    • By Kene Obiezu

    Sir: Some days ago, Nigerians were shocked by the heart-breaking story of how one Kemi Folajimi, a pregnant woman died because her husband could not afford the sum of N500,000 upfront at a private hospital in Lagos. They were directed to the General Hospital in Epe but the woman did not survive the journey.

    The woman has gone down as one more victim in a country that is struggling badly at the moment.

    As with every crisis that affects society, women in their role as caregivers have been most affected by the current economic crisis in Nigeria. In making their homes in these tough times, women are faced with a barrage of questions about how to make things work and how to keep the ship from breaking with meagre resources. It is taxing even the most industrious of women.

    This unbearable pressure is proving especially backbreaking for women who have to bring forth new life in addition to  making their homes, and being tasked with contributing to the growth and development of the society, all  while remaining invisible.

    For women in Nigeria, risk does not just come from the unpredictability of a society that is heavily and unjustifiably parochial; risk is also very present in childbirth. In a country where women are made to shoulder all manner of burdens, conception, pregnancy, childbirth and post-natal period carry grave risks.

    Nigeria’s healthcare system is broken. It has been broken for a while. Indeed, Nigeria’s decline as a country began when its health and education systems began to break down simultaneously.

    For many poor Nigerians, and there are many, many illnesses are life-threatening, not because they are not treatable, but because medical care is either inaccessible or too expensive.

    It is even worse for Nigerians in rural areas where primary healthcare centres lie in ruins.

    Amidst rising cost of goods and services, how are families expected to cope? How are low-income families expected to take care of their children? In a country where social security is embarrassingly low, how are families who have no money expected to foot increasingly stratospheric bills? Why is the government not asking serious questions about how families are resetting and juggling their priorities at a time when resources are extremely tight?

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    It is an unforgivable aberration that a woman who has carried a child to term should die during childbirth for any reason. It is a great anomaly that death should come at the point of childbearing.

    Infant and maternal mortality is not just any kind of mortality; it is the worst kind of mortality. It is a mortality that indicts entire countries.

    Adequate provision should be made for mother and child to access quality healthcare before, during and after childbirth. Medical services during this crucial period should be made completely or at least heavily subsidized. Families should also be properly educated about the need to access life-saving care during these crucial periods.

    Reducing maternal and infant mortality to the barest minimum should be the starting point of the conversation for a country that aspires to grow.

     Nigeria cannot develop if the basic provisions that underpin any developed country continue to remain criminally absent.

    •Kene Obiezu,

    keneobiezu@gmail.com

  • NNPCL: Time for a new direction

    NNPCL: Time for a new direction

    • By Chris Adesola Samakinde

    Sir: The transformation of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) into NNPC Limited—with a strengthened corporate governance framework—marks a significant milestone in its evolution towards transparency and profitability. This reform aligns NNPC with global best practices observed in national oil companies such as Saudi Aramco and China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), which have long embraced commercial models to enhance operational efficiency and accountability.

    Historically, NNPC has been slow to capitalize on regional exploration opportunities, especially in West Africa’s coastal basins from Ghana to Senegal. Independent firms from outside the continent have led exploration and recorded substantial hydrocarbon findings in this region. This missed opportunity underscores a broader strategic gap: NNPC’s focus has remained on joint ventures with international oil companies, often at the expense of building its own risk-bearing and revenue-generating assets.

    With nearly five decades of exploration and production experience, NNPC is well-positioned to pivot toward more autonomous and ambitious ventures—particularly in the realm of unconventional hydrocarbons.

    The recent appointment of Bayo Ojulari, a former private sector executive, to lead NNPC presents a unique opportunity for a strategic shift. Under his leadership, NNPC can expand its energy portfolio, enhance national energy security, and enter new frontiers such as unconventional hydrocarbon resources—a timely and necessary move amid declining conventional reserves and evolving global energy dynamics.

    Globally, conventional oil reserves are estimated at around 1.7 trillion barrels, with Nigeria holding approximately 37 billion barrels (2.25% of global reserves). The country also ranks ninth worldwide in natural gas reserves, with an estimated 209 trillion cubic feet. However, after decades of conventional exploration, Nigeria faces the challenges of a maturing hydrocarbon landscape—new significant discoveries are becoming increasingly rare and expensive.

    To maintain energy security, attention must shift to unconventional resources such as coalbed methane (CBM) in Enugu and oil/gas shale in the Benue trough. Nigeria’s inland basins, including the Anambra and Chad basins, show promise, but the lower Benue trough—particularly the Ezeaku Shale—presents a compelling case for investment. In the United States, the Permian Basin’s Wolfcamp formation has revolutionized energy output through hydraulic fracturing, now contributing around 17% to U.S. natural gas production. Nigeria can follow a similar path with the right technological and financial investments.

    Globally significant geological events such as the Turonian anoxic event (93–89 million years ago) have led to the preservation of organic-rich shale formations. In Nigeria’s lower Benue Trough, this event is believed to have contributed to the organic content of the Ezeaku Shale within the Nkalagu Formation.

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    According to research by Ekweozor and Unomah (1990), the Ezeaku Shale contains Type II-III kerogen, indicating potential for both oil and gas generation. Although scientific characterization of these formations is limited compared to mature plays like the U.S. Wolfcamp or South Africa’s Karoo Basin, the geologic fundamentals are promising. Unlocking this potential would require dedicated exploration campaigns, modern drilling techniques, and regulatory support.

    Natural gas plays a pivotal role in Nigeria’s energy mix, accounting for approximately 79% of power generation as of 2023. Expanding into unconventional gas resources supports the country’s National Gas Expansion Programme (NGEP), which aims to increase the domestic supply of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and promote Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) as an alternative transportation fuel.

    A successful unconventional gas campaign—particularly targeting the Ezeaku Shale—would boost domestic gas supply, support industrial demand, and reduce energy poverty. It also aligns with broader sustainability and transition goals, especially in light of global pressure to decarbonize while maintaining energy access.

    To actualize this vision, coordinated action is needed between NNPC Ltd and Nigeria’s upstream regulator, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC). NNPC should establish a dedicated unit to explore unconventional resource, while NUPRC can facilitate investor interest through targeted licensing rounds and supportive regulation.

    Learning from the U.S. shale boom, Nigeria must prioritize horizontal drilling technologies, develop fiscal incentives, and streamline environmental assessments to encourage exploration in this untapped frontier. The shale revolution has transformed the U.S. economy—Nigeria has the opportunity to replicate this success with the right policies and partnerships.

    •Chris Adesola Samakinde, PhD,

     adesola.samakinde@gmail.com

  • Northern governors and Uromi killings

    Northern governors and Uromi killings

    • By Ibrahim Mustapha

    Sir: The gruesome murder of 16 hunters who were in transit from Rivers to Kano State for Sallah festival, in Uromi community, Edo State, has once again brought to fore, the recurring issue of jungle justice in the land. The hunters were spotted, stopped and lynched by vigilantes and other mobs on the pretext that they were kidnappers.

    Before the incident, many cases of extra judicial killings have been reported in the country with the culprits getting away with them. At the slightest provocation, innocent lives are snuffed out and while the culprits are left to continue with their normal lives as if nothing has happened. In a saner society, the perpetrators of jungle justice would have been swiftly apprehended and brought to book to serve as deterrent to others. The inability of government to prosecute those engaged in mob action has emboldened the menace making it a recurring one.

    While the barbaric killing has attracted condemnation and promises by government to prosecute the culprits, it has become imperative for our northern hunters to know that hunting is not only old fashioned, it is no longer profitable and rewarding. It is advisable that they either change business or confine their profession within the north. In as much as Section 4 of the 1999 constitution confers the inalienable right to move to any part of the country, the waves of insecurity and rampant cases of kidnapping remain a major stumbling block not only for hunting which is viewed with deep suspicion, but also other legitimate businesses as well. This is even more so now that some southern states, like their northern counterparts, are battling with insecurity particularly the scourge of farmers/herdsmen clashes and kidnapping.

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    This, however, does not give licence to mob actions or killing of innocent lives. This is where one had expected the Uromi’s vigilante group to hand over the suspected hunters to police for further investigation.

    All said, the killing of the hunters has, again, brought into focus the impact of policies being implemented by the northern state governors. The governors’ policies have failed to address the myriads of the problems plaguing the region. Poverty has pushed millions of northern youths to southern part of the country into menial jobs as gatemen, nail cutters, wheelbarrow pushers, hunting, water vendors etc. If the right economic policies had been created by our northern governors for the youth, the probability of thousands of northern youths migrating southwards for menial jobs will be minimal. The Northern Governors Forum should go beyond mere condemnation of jungle justice against the hunters to implement far-reaching policies aimed at addressing unemployment and high poverty in the region.

    •Ibrahim Mustapha,

     Pambegua, Kaduna State.

  • NJC and Imo State judiciary

    NJC and Imo State judiciary

    • By Opatola Victor

    Sir: In Imo State, something deeply unsettling has taken root. The judiciary, once the final refuge for order and fairness, now finds itself mired by interference. A disturbing pattern has emerged—one that does not merely undermine  the seniority tradition in the judiciary but also discountenance constitutional order. And what’s most frightening is not that these breaches happen, but that they continue unchecked, as though the constitution provisions are mere inconvenience and not the supreme law.

    The Constitution does not stammer on this issue. When the office of Chief Judge of a state becomes vacant, Section 271(4) of the constitution  provides that the governor shall appoint the most senior judge of the High Court to perform the functions of that office in acting capacity. It is a simple, clear rule—one meant to avoid confusion and ensure the impartial and independent continuity of the judiciary.

    In 2020, this section guided the appointment of Justice Ijeoma Agugua as Acting Chief Judge of Imo State. She was the most senior judge at the time. That initial step respected both law and logic. When she was eventually removed, she was not succeeded by the next most senior judge, Justice C. A. Ononeze Madu, but by Justice Theresa Chikeka, her junior.

    This was no oversight. It was deliberate. And it violated both the constitution and the time-honoured protocol of seniority that anchors judicial stability. The Action People’s Party petitioned the NJC. Public outrage followed. Yet the NJC said nothing. Justice Chikeka served in that clouded position while under investigation for falsifying her age. When the NJC eventually recommended her removal, one might have hoped that constitutional order would return. But it did not.

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    Instead, another junior, Justice T. N. Nzeukwu, was recently appointed Acting Chief Judge—once again over Justice Ijeoma Agugua (who was previously an Acting Chief Judge between 2020 -2021). The NJC issued a disclaimer. The Nigerian Bar Association in Owerri protested. But still, the appointment stood.

    This is not the first time Nigeria has witnessed such an aberration. In Cross River State, a similar violation occurred when Justice Akon Ikpeme, the most senior judge, was bypassed for appointment as Chief Judge due to her alleged ties to another state by marriage. A junior judge was appointed instead. The NJC responded firmly. It insisted on the proper application of the constitution, resisted political pressure, and eventually secured Justice Ikpeme’s confirmation. But the damage to public confidence lingered. Same thing once happened in Kebbi State, Gombe State and Abia State, where the NJC intervened and doubled down on doing the right thing.

    So why is Imo State different? Why, despite repeated warnings and interventions, does the pattern persist? Why does the NJC hesitate to act heavily with the same resolve it showed in Cross River,  Kebbi and others?

    These are not academic questions, every breach chips away at the foundations of trust reposed in the judiciary.

    When junior judges accept appointments they know are not theirs to take, they do more than violate tradition—they undermine the very structure that legitimises their office.  And when the NJC fails to act, it sends a dangerous message: that the rules are bendable, that political convenience can trump the constitution, and that the judiciary is no longer guided by principle and law, but by influence. Right now, silence is not golden, NJC must not just frown in silence; it must speak. It must investigate. It must discipline. Because every time it fails to act, it confirms the public’s worst fears.

    Justice does not defend itself, it requires guardians. And in this moment, the judiciary must prove that it is strong enough to resist those who would bend it, and humble enough to correct its own missteps. If it cannot, then the fear is no longer that justice will be delayed—but that it will be forgotten.

    •Opatola Victor,

    Victor@lacivler.org

  • Okpebholo: Because I am involved

    Okpebholo: Because I am involved

    • By Fred Itua

    Sir: At every defining moment in a nation’s journey, the call to give account of stewardship becomes not just necessary but inevitable. This duty is more profound for those whom providence has favoured to sit at the helm, guiding the affairs of the state and shaping the future of the people. In 1989, the late Ikemba Nnewi, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, published Because I Am Involved, a 208-page introspective chronicle that offered a gripping account of his political convictions, nationalist ideals, and reflections on Nigeria’s unrealised potentials, and the personal sacrifices he made for a country he so deeply loved.

    In that same spirit, this article borrows its title and energy from Ojukwu’s classic. Today, in Edo State, Governor Monday Okpebholo personifies that commitment. Since he assumed office, it is no longer business as usual. The tides have shifted, and the wheels of governance are now being turned by a sense of duty, urgency, and resolve.

    Because Governor Okpebholo is involved, educational transformation is underway, and a solid foundation is being built for tomorrow’s leaders. Governor Okpebholo’s approach to education is holistic and strategic. His administration is actively implementing a three-pronged intervention model: infrastructure, manpower, and pedagogy.

    Firstly, several dilapidated schools across the three senatorial districts are undergoing comprehensive rehabilitation to create safe and conducive learning environments. Secondly, the recruitment of qualified teachers is ongoing to plug manpower deficits in critical subjects. Thirdly, the retraining and retooling of educators is being carried out to align teaching methodologies with 21st-century pedagogical standards, including digital literacy and learner-centred techniques.

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    Because he is involved, agriculture has received unprecedented attention. Governor Okpebholo’s administration has significantly increased budgetary allocation to the agricultural sector. Over 3,000 hectares of arable farmland are being cultivated under various agricultural empowerment initiatives.

    Beyond mere cultivation, partnerships with private investors are being explored to establish agro-processing hubs that will reduce post-harvest losses, promote value addition, and create employment opportunities, especially for youth and women in rural areas.

    Governor Okpebholo has embarked on an ambitious infrastructural renewal program, particularly in road construction. His administration has flagged off several strategic road projects that serve as vital arteries, linking communities, enhancing commerce, and easing transportation. Among these are the Ekpoma-Uromi-Ubiaja Road and the Uromi-Onewa-Udomi-Ibhiolulu-Afuda-Idumoza axis, all crucial to inter-community trade. Urban renewal projects in Benin City are also receiving a facelift, with several roads being re-asphalted, drainages reconstructed, and streetlights installed for enhanced security and aesthetics.

    Because he is involved, security is being tackled both in policy and practice. Governor Okpebholo has led the enactment of anti-cultism and anti-kidnapping laws to strengthen the legal framework for fighting insecurity. Complementing this legislative stance is the purchase of thousands of operational vehicles and logistics support for the Nigeria Police and other security agencies across the state.

    Community policing structures are being revived, and a feedback mechanism has been introduced where citizens can report threats anonymously to a centralized command centre.

    In the health sector, the renovation of primary health care centres and recruitment of frontline health workers have been intensified. Governor Okpebholo’s administration is also working toward the expansion of the Edo Health Insurance Scheme to cover more vulnerable populations.

    His interest in digital governance is birthing innovations that streamline internal processes, curb leakages, and promote transparency. This includes the digitization of land administration, tax payments, and record-keeping for government workers.

    Ojukwu once wrote, “I do not seek to please, I seek to serve.” Governor Okpebholo, through his visible and people-centred governance, has made it clear: he is not in power for fanfare or personal gain. He is in office because he is involved — involved in the pains of his people, the cries of rural dwellers, the frustrations of commuters, the dreams of schoolchildren, and the aspirations of a new Edo State.

    The journey is not without its challenges, but one truth is undeniable: under Governor Monday Okpebholo, Edo State is no longer on autopilot. There is direction. There is purpose. Above all, there is involvement.

    •Fred Itua,

     Chief Press Secretary to the Edo State Governor, Benin City.