The Nation Newspaper

Category: Letters

  • El-Rufai and the rump of the rooster

    El-Rufai and the rump of the rooster

    • By Kene Obiezu

    Sir: A wild leap of faith has taken him to the Social Democratic Party. This statement would have been correct or at least uncontroverted by those who know Nasir El-Rufai, the former Kaduna State governor, but for the fact that he is not known to be a man of faith or fortitude. A lot of what he has raked in from Nigeria’s wildly fluctuating harvest of mindless politics he owes to fate.

    He was a king during the administration of Olusegun Obasanjo, calling the shots in the FCT, and pulling down house after house. Yet, bitterness was the only thing he took with him when he left office in 2007. He spent the succeeding years criticizing both the administrations of Musa Yar’Adua and Goodluck Jonathan before joining the APC and becoming governor of Kaduna State in 2015.

    His time as governor of Kaduna State was an unmitigated disaster, especially for sections of the state which terrorists, emboldened by the complacency and complicity of silence, converted to killing fields.

    Read Also: Wike revokes 4,794 land titles over non-payment of ground rent in FCT

    He was whiskers away from becoming a minister. It remains a mystery how some last-minute horse-trading put paid to hid hopes of becoming minister. The number of cheers that rose from all over the country when it became conclusive that El-Rufai would not be part of the ministerial procession bespoke the number of people who found El-Rufai’s brand of politics objectionable.

    After he cupped up the disappointment of not becoming minister immediately after the expiration of his tenure as governor, El-Rufai did not exactly begin to cough up blood immediately. Rather, he took some time to regroup, and since a biting comeback launched via a blistering interview granted Arise TV, he has since defected to the Social Democratic Party while urging other political gladiators to follow suit.

    The monkey on El-Rufai’s back is that people do not trust him. Even those he is urging to jump ship and set up camp with him are suspicious of his motives and methods. He seems to be the archetype of the Nigerian politician who induces suspicion in others.

    That is the conundrum the El-rufai who was governor of Kaduna State, faces today. Once he is not part of an administration, his resort is often blistering but ultimately blind criticism. His  anger at his exclusion from the banquet is nothing new; neither is his desperation to claim scalps to soothe his battered ego.

    But the movement he is stirring this time around is doomed to fail. This is because he may struggle to convince anyone to back the project, especially among Nigerians many of  whom are utterly sick of his eccentric and extremist ways.

    •Kene Obiezu,

    keneobiezu@gmail.com

  • Yobe: Stop politicising our educational sector

    Yobe: Stop politicising our educational sector

    • By Kasim Isa Muhammad

    Sir: The College of Administrative Management and Technology (CAMTECH) in Potiskum Local Government Area of Yobe State is currently facing a myriad of challenges, the most pressing of which is the appointment of unqualified individuals into lecturing positions. This growing trend has raised serious concerns about the integrity and future of the state’s educational system.

    For an institution meant to nurture the next generation of administrators, managers, and technocrats, the presence of unqualified lecturers is an alarming setback. It is a matter of grave concern that individuals who lack the requisite academic qualifications and teaching experience are being appointed to lecture at CAMTECH solely due to their political connections. This blatant disregard for merit and competence threatens the quality of education being imparted to students and ultimately affects the development of the state.

    A functional educational system thrives on professionalism and academic excellence. The continuous recruitment of politically connected but incompetent individuals into lecturing positions at CAMTECH is a direct assault on these principles. The importance of qualified educators in shaping students’ academic and professional futures cannot be overemphasised. How can we expect students to excel when those meant to teach them lack the knowledge and skills required for the job?

    The consequences of politicising the educational sector are far-reaching. If this trend is not addressed urgently, the state’s workforce will eventually be dominated by half-baked graduates who lack the necessary skills to contribute meaningfully to society. This will, in turn, affect productivity, economic growth, and overall development. The long-term effects will be devastating, not just for Yobe State, but for the nation as a whole.

    Read Also: How economic predators ganged up against Tinubu over fuel subsidy removal, by Bamidele

    Countries that prioritise education invest heavily in human capital development, knowing that a knowledgeable and skilled workforce is the backbone of a thriving economy. Unfortunately, in Yobe State, the educational sector is being treated as a platform for political patronage, where jobs are handed out based on political loyalty rather than competence. This is an abominable practice that must be stopped immediately.

    It is high time the Yobe State government took decisive action to address this problem. The government must establish clear guidelines and strict criteria for the recruitment of lecturers and other academic staff. These guidelines should be based on merit, academic qualifications, and teaching experience. There should also be a transparent recruitment process to ensure that only the best candidates are appointed to teach at CAMTECH and other institutions in the state.

    Furthermore, there is an urgent need for periodic assessment of lecturers to ensure that they are performing their duties effectively. A monitoring body should be set up to evaluate lecturers’ performances, provide necessary training where needed, and remove those found incompetent. Without such measures, the rot in the system will continue, and the state’s educational sector will further deteriorate.

    Students and parents must also raise their voices against this alarming situation. The responsibility of ensuring quality education does not rest solely on the government; the public must also demand accountability. Institutions of learning must not be allowed to become dumping grounds for political appointees who lack the competence to teach.

    The leadership of CAMTECH should take the necessary steps to uphold academic standards. If the management of the institution truly values education, it will resist external pressures that seek to impose unqualified individuals on the school. Upholding educational excellence should be the primary concern of every academic institution, and CAMTECH must lead by example.

    The Yobe State government must rise to the occasion and salvage the educational sector from the grip of political interference. Governor Mai Mala Buni has a duty to ensure that meritocracy prevails in the appointment of academic personnel. A failure to address this issue now will result in a bleak future for the state’s youths and, ultimately, the entire state. Let us prioritise education, for it is the key to sustainable development and prosperity.

    •Kasim Isa Muhammad,

    Potiskum, Yobe State.

  • Confronting Nigeria’s counterfeit drug crisis

    Confronting Nigeria’s counterfeit drug crisis

    • By Arafat A. Abdulrazaq

    Sir: The resurgence of counterfeit drugs in Nigeria is not just a health crisis; it is a national emergency. Despite past victories in combating the illicit drug trade, fake medicines have increasingly infiltrated pharmacies, markets, and even hospitals, endangering lives and eroding public trust in the healthcare system.

    According to PubMed Central, over 70% of drugs in Nigeria are imported, primarily from countries like India and China—both significant sources of counterfeit medicines. These fake drugs are no longer confined to open drug markets or backstreet vendors; they have now permeated mainstream supply chains.

    From essential antibiotics to life-saving cancer treatments, no category of medication is immune. Meanwhile, local production has surged, with underground operations churning out substandard drugs disguised as reputable brands.

    Corruption at ports and weak international trade enforcement further enable this influx, compounding the challenge. Recently, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) destroyed counterfeit drugs worth N100 billion at the Moniya dump site in Akinyele Local Government Area of Oyo State.

    Seized from pharmaceutical marketers at Lagos’s Idumota market, these fake medicines represent only a fraction of the illicit trade. The consequences are dire. Patients unknowingly consume these dangerous products, which are often ineffective or toxic.

    This has led to numerous deaths from treatable diseases like malaria and typhoid, as inactive or harmful medications fail to deliver the intended cure.

    Read Also: Wike revokes 4,794 land titles over non-payment of ground rent in FCT

    Beyond the human toll, the economic impact is substantial. The pharmaceutical industry loses billions of naira annually to counterfeit trade, discouraging investment in local drug manufacturing.

    More critically, the credibility of Nigeria’s healthcare system is at stake, as public confidence continues to wane. Agencies like NAFDAC have had notable successes in the past. Dora Akunyili, one of Nigeria’s most celebrated public servants, served as NAFDAC’s Director-General from 2001 to 2008. Under her leadership, NAFDAC destroyed large quantities of fake drugs, shut down illegal manufacturing plants, and tightened regulatory oversight at ports and border crossings.

    Akunyili’s crusade came at a personal cost. Her unwavering commitment made her a target of threats and assassination attempts by powerful figures within counterfeit drug networks.

    Today, the current Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, faces similar challenges. In a recent interview, she lamented the personal toll of the job, revealing that she now requires round-the-clock police protection. She also disclosed that heightened enforcement by NAFDAC recently led to the seizure of 87 truckloads of substandard and expired medical products, including antiretroviral drugs, condoms, and other compromised supplies.

    This crackdown, conducted at major drug markets in Lagos, Onitsha, and Aba, resulted in the confiscation of fake drugs valued at over N1 trillion—the largest seizure in the agency’s history. Some argue that counterfeiters exploit the system due to inadequate regulatory frameworks and weak enforcement mechanisms.

    In an address to the National Assembly, Prof. Adeyeye called for urgent amendments to the NAFDAC Act N1 LFN and the Counterfeit and Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods C34 Act, proposing life imprisonment and even the death penalty as punishments for offenders.

    The resurgence of counterfeit drugs in Nigeria is a ticking time bomb, threatening the health and safety of millions. While NAFDAC’s efforts are commendable, the fight against these “merchants of death” requires a united front. Government agencies, pharmaceutical companies, healthcare professionals, and the public must all play a role in eradicating this menace.

    Until then, counterfeit drugs will remain a silent killer, lurking in pharmacies and drug stores, waiting to claim more innocent lives.

    •Arafat A. Abdulrazaq, (NYSC),

    Abuja.

  • Daggers and logger heads in Rivers State

    Daggers and logger heads in Rivers State

    Sir: Rivers State is in danger of being turned into a full-blown circus thanks to a puerile political crisis.

    In 2023, Nyesom Wike, who had been governor for eight years, needed a successor.. To replace him, Wike installed Similanayi Fubara. He had worked closely with Fubara during his time in office and there was the unmistakable feeling that there was nothing anyone could have done to prevent Fubara from becoming governor.

    Fubara duly won the election and was sworn in, but as with many political alliances in Nigeria, it did not take long for it to emerge that all was not well.  It began with a series of expensive rumours and explosive whispers before moving really fast into the complete degeneration of the relationship of two men who had called the shots in Rivers State.

    As the battle for supremacy between both men has heated up, so many things have happened in the state. The House of Assembly Complex was demolished with the lawmakers splitting into camps while controversial local government elections were conducted with some local government secretariats razed. Recently, following the judicial intervention of the Supreme Court which has upturned the local government elections as well as restored a camp of the lawmakers to the leadership of the state House of Assembly, things have become especially heated in the state.

    Yet, maximum caution must be exercised lest an uncontrollable conflagration is started. Fire usually starts small but can really spread quickly.

    Read Also: South-South can contribute to Nigeria’s food security – Presidential Aide

    In case Wike and Fubara need to be reminded, they are only but two indigenes of a state which counts millions of others. Thus, the state cannot be allowed to burn because of them. Political differences are part of the game, but they must have the dignity and discretion not to let their political differences affect governance in Rivers State as it is currently doing.

     It is also important for the loyalists of both men to understand that their loyalty is owed first to the constitution and then the good people of the state. This must not be lost especially on the legislators in the state House of Assembly who are showing that they are ready to go all the way to serve their political interests.

    It is because of feuds like these that many people in Nigeria consider politics to be a dirty game.

    Whatever it is, it makes only rotten sense clandestine arrangements reached in self-interest and nothing more are allowed to disrupt governance, especially the delivery of the dividends of democracy to those who need them most.

    •Ike Willie-Nwobu,Ikewilly9@gmail.com

  • To El-Rufai and co-travellers

    To El-Rufai and co-travellers

    Sir: It is still some days to May 29, 2025 – the second anniversary of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s inauguration as the President and Commander in Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, yet politicians, fifth columnists and their ilk are already focused on the 2027 presidential election.

    While it is true that politics and politicking never stop, Nigerian politicians’ penchant for unhealthy concentration on the next election immediately after one had barely been concluded, often leads to unhealthy political strategies and manoeuvring, permutation, reinforcement, and re-alignments that undermine the administration and the country. These political moves, often with sabotaging intent, can lead to distractions and derail a sitting government if it is not probably handled.

    The main opposition parties and figures have been at it – from disgruntled elements within the ruling APC, by a certain Malam Nasir El-Rufai, whose dream for another ministerial appointment was scuttled, to the various other elements. The plot is thickening.

    Those who are angling to unseat Tinubu are adopting the playbook machinated by the current president to outmanoeuvre the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for the election of former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2025. But it is pertinent to inform the authors that the current political landscape is different and the forces are also not the same as they were in 2015.

    Interestingly, the figure at the centre of this well-publicized clandestine meetings and congregations of major opposition politicians and some disgruntled Machiavellian politicians within the APC fold is the man who wrote the manual for that move and was critically involved in the execution of that plot. Asiwaju Tinubu, who was an ‘inconsequential’ politician when he pulled that stunt in 2015, is the president they are plotting to unseat.

    The political dynamics and parameters precipitating the organic political alignment at the time, and the unanimity of the purpose of the major stakeholders that facilitated that merger are absent from current polity and political gang-up against the sitting president and ruling APC.

    Read Also: Mabel Segun’s last interview with The Nation: “…What is killing us in Nigeria”

    The desperation and inordinate quest for power of an individual that has led to the lingering crisis and fractionalization of PDP remains unabated; the unending discords and disintegration of the Labour Party and NNPP, cemented by the unprecedented influx of the bigwigs from the main opposition parties into the ruling APC thereby consolidating the strength and its strongholds.

    As they are wont to do, politicians are adducing diverse excuses for their move. Yet, only those who do not wish the country well would join in the gang up to stop the determination and audacious moves of the president to follow through with his critical reform programs without any recourse to political calculations. Tinubu, since his inauguration in 2023, has left politicking to politicians, as he morphed into a statesman and leader of Nigeria, whose only interest is what is best for the country, and not for individuals or parties.

    President Tinubu’s push for policies and programs to make the country attractive and its economy competitive is one yet unseen in the history of this country. He is deliberately and intentionally focused on improving security, economy, infrastructure, education, and agriculture. His unprecedented focus on improving the key indices of development is beginning to yield positive effects coming through a steady increase in crude oil production, with the involvement of critical stakeholders in the sector, agricultural revolution, laudable reform of our archaic tax regime, and availability of petroleum products with competitive pricing across the country.

    The president is fixing Nigeria’s fundamental and generational issues; he is tackling them despite the difficulties. True statesmanship involves recognizing the inevitable sacrifice needed by both the political class and the citizenry. It is not latching in on the painful, but needful policies to score cheap political goals. We cannot fix Nigeria’s problems with the mind-set with which they were created. This is why it is disturbing that so-called politicians are hiding behind these reforms to propagate their sectarian and selfish agenda and disguise their inordinate quest for power.

    For those sectional and geopolitical leaders trying to whip up sentiments and turn the populace against well-meaning reforms, those who are romancing and promoting the inequity in the hitherto structure of this country, I urge them to be careful. We cannot continue to use programs and agendas that continue to tie down the country just because we want to remain relevant in every administration or because we want to benefit at the expense of the country and the masses.

    •Lanre Atere,United Kingdom.

  • Lagos: How not to preserve a legacy

    Lagos: How not to preserve a legacy

    Sir: Over the past two decades, Lagos State has witnessed remarkable infrastructural transformation, thanks to the ambitious projects initiated by its former governors. From the iconic Oshodi Interchange to the once-bustling BRT terminals, these projects were designed not just to enhance transportation and urban orderliness but also to stand as symbols of progress and visionary leadership. However, today, many of these projects have become shadows of their former selves—rotting away, abandoned, and overtaken by neglect as new administrations chase fresh projects rather than maintain the old ones.

    The Oshodi Interchange, commissioned during the tenure of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, was celebrated as a game-changer in the chaotic transportation network of Lagos. It was designed to decongest the notorious Oshodi axis, providing a modern, multi-level bus terminal with state-of-the-art facilities. Similarly, the BRT terminals, introduced during Governor Babatunde Fashola’s administration, were pivotal in transforming public transportation in Lagos, offering residents a safer, more organized alternative to the unreliable danfo buses.

    At the time, these projects were hailed as monumental achievements. The Oshodi Interchange, in particular, was compared to some of the best urban transport hubs in the world. The BRT system promised a structured and affordable means of commuting, with dedicated lanes and modern buses that aimed to ease the stress of daily movement for millions of Lagosians.

    Fast forward a few years, and the situation tells a different story. The Oshodi Interchange, once a symbol of order and efficiency, is now plagued by structural deterioration, broken facilities, and poor maintenance. The once-pristine terminals are littered with waste, and the escalators and elevators that once made the complex accessible to all have long stopped working.

    Read Also: Rema speaks on Nigeria’s challenges, Grammys loss

    The BRT terminals are faring no better. Many of them have become dirty and poorly managed, with broken infrastructure and a noticeable reduction in the number of functional buses. Commuters who once relied on the BRT system for comfort and reliability now face longer wait times, overcrowded buses, and inconsistent schedules.

    The neglect of these projects raises a broader issue: the tendency of new administrations to side-line or abandon the projects of their predecessors in favour of launching new ones. This culture of abandonment comes at a heavy cost—not just in financial terms but also in the loss of public trust and the degradation of urban infrastructure. Projects like the Oshodi Interchange and the BRT terminals were built with public funds and meant to serve Lagosians for decades. Their decline represents not only poor governance but also a disregard for the needs of the people.

    Lagos State cannot afford to continue down this path of wasteful neglect. Infrastructure maintenance and long-term sustainability should be prioritized over the political gains of launching new projects. Successive governments must recognize that governance is a continuum; the achievements of past administrations should be preserved and improved upon, not discarded.

    Public-private partnerships (PPPs) and independent oversight bodies could help ensure that these projects are adequately maintained and managed. More importantly, there must be political will to move beyond party lines and personal legacy to embrace a shared vision of development for Lagos.

    Lagos has the potential to be a model city in Africa—modern, efficient, and sustainable. But to achieve this, the state must first learn to protect and sustain the foundations laid by those who came before. The fate of the Oshodi Interchange and the BRT terminals should serve as a wake-up call: true progress is not just about building; it’s about maintaining and improving.

    •Sauban Shorunke,Lagos

  • 2027: The game has commenced

    2027: The game has commenced

    Sir: The 2027 game will not only be interesting but will also mark a significant turning point in Nigeria’s political landscape. The voting patterns and intricate scheming that shaped the 2023 elections will not be replicated in their exact form, yet their influence will still be felt. While the key political figures that played major roles in 2023 will remain central to the unfolding drama, they will adopt new strategies, shift alliances, and engage in different forms of political manoeuvring.

    The battle for power will be defined by strong political platforms, influential players, a formidable war chest, scientifically crafted strategies, and carefully calculated negotiations. The presidential race, in particular, will be a high-stakes contest, shaped by a mix of ambition, ideological shifts, and pragmatic political decisions.

    An incumbent seeking a second term will be a bulldozer—with an enormous war chest, a solid structure, and the full weight of state power behind them. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will fight tooth and nail to secure re-election- any first term president will do so.

    Read Also: Tax reform bills will be acceptable to Nigerians, says Faleke, Reps committee chair

    The recent resignation of Nasir El-Rufai from the All Progressives Congress (APC) and his defection to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) however is just one of many major developments that will reshape the political terrain in the coming months and as 2027 approaches. Hid early defection serves as a catalyst for the unfolding political drama. The Tinubu team is fortunate to have this early warning, giving them ample time to strategize.

    For the opposition, the biggest challenge will be balancing the interests of four key groups: the Atiku camp, the Kwankwaso camp, the Peter Obi camp, and the El-Rufai/Buhari former ministers’ camp. As political camps solidify and realign, new alliances will emerge, while old ones will fracture under the weight of conflicting interests. The electorate, too, will evolve—demanding more from their leaders and scrutinizing candidates beyond party affiliations.

    Ultimately, the 2027 game will be a masterclass in political strategy and power dynamics—one that students of politics, analysts, and observers alike will find fascinating to study for years to come.

    •Zayyad I. Muhammad,Abuja.

  • Give it to the EFCC

    Give it to the EFCC

    Sir: The article titled “Worries as EFCC recovers N1tr stolen cash, assets from politicians, others” authored by Tope Templer in The Guardian of March 10, makes an interesting reading.

    After series of rigmaroles, the writer concluded by quoting “another human rights activist and lawyer,”Inibehe Effiong: “As of today, the EFCC is suffering acute trust deficit. If you submit a petition and they don’t attend to it or you suspect the officials have collected money, there should be a channel to make a complaint so that the confidence-building process can start.

     “This is an agency established by former president, Olusegun Obasanjo in 2003 primarily to fight corruption which has become endemic in our country. The primary reason for establishing the EFCC was not to fight internet fraudsters, but because internet fraud has become such a pervasive thing, it is expected that the commission will tackle it head-on. However, the EFCC needs to change its modus operandi if it wants public support.

     “My impression of the commission has changed in recent years. I will not attack their legitimate efforts, but at the same time, I’m not going to pretend that they are on track. The commission has a corruption problem, a partisanship problem, a nepotism problem, and a professionalism problem. Their modus operandi has not inspired public confidence. The way they pamper politicians is at variance with the way they handle other cases.”

     The joy is that the said “activist”, and we have quite many of them, was merely expressing his utmost unfair, personalised and biased opinion against the EFCC. One will then wonder which EFCC the activist was talking about: the anti-corruption body under the hardworking chairman, Ola Olukoyede, who had made the greatest recoveries and seizures in the history of the commission? Or the EFCC that has received global endorsements from international anti-corruption agencies, governmental and non-governmental bodies? The EFCC that foreign ambassadors from US, UK, Canada and other European countries are now quick to visit and seek collaboration with? Please let’s give it to the Olukoyede-led EFCC.

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    As Tony Egbulefu wrote in the Premium Times of November 24, 2024: “The prime target of the sustained dissemination of misconceptions and often outright falsehood against the EFCC is clearly to diminish the work of the commission and erode public trust in it. Take for instance the issue of cybercrime, which takes root from advance fee fraud, characterised globally as “Nigerian Crime”, the country in 2022 alone lost $500 million to this crime category. No responsible organisation, charged with fighting financial crimes would sit idly by and watch the integrity of the country’s institutions get compromised and the youths drift inexorably towards becoming a tribe of rogues.”

    On the dangers of demonizing the EFCC, Sola Oyeyipo, on September 10, 2024 wrote: “Thus, whether Nigerians love to hate the EFCC or not; or do not trust it because of its chequered past, they cannot turn a blind eye to its anti-graft efforts and activities.

    “There will always be pushback from corrupt elements. It is Nigerians’ responsibility, not just the agency’s, to see through the veneer of untruths and blackmail and come together to fight a common existential enemy.”

    There is no doubt that the EFCC in the last one year or so, have touched on the sore toes of hitherto sacred cows; politically exposed people; meaning push backs are inevitable.

    There are also cases of corruption within the agency and the best and most commendable action was the internal cleansing by Olukoyede who exposed and sacked scores of the agency’s officers for fraud. He did not sweep it under the rug.

    EFCC may not be where we all expect it to be today, but it certainly, and far away from where it used to be. Let us give it to Olukoyede and his team please.

    •Kehinde Osifisan, Journalists Against Corruption (JAC), Abuja.

  • Rivers: Power, politics, and quest for stability

    Rivers: Power, politics, and quest for stability

    Sir: Politics, as the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle once observed, is the art of the possible. Yet, in Rivers State, the art of politics has taken on a life of its own, morphing into a high-stakes drama where power, ambition, and governance collide. At the centre of this unfolding saga are two men: Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and the de facto political godfather of Rivers State, and Governor Sim Fubara, his anointed successor, who now finds himself at odds with his benefactor. The recent threats of impeachment and Wike’s bold declaration that “heaven will not fall” if Fubara is removed have thrown the state into a political maelstrom, raising questions about the future of governance in Nigeria’s oil-rich heartland.

    Niccolò Machiavelli, the Renaissance political theorist, famously argued that the ends often justify the means in politics. In The Prince, he posited that a ruler must be both a lion and a fox—strong enough to intimidate and cunning enough to outmanoeuvre opponents. Wike, a man often described as a political bulldozer, seems to embody this Machiavellian ideal. As FCT Minister, he oversees the affairs of Abuja while maintaining an iron grip on Rivers State politics, earning him the moniker of a “double governor.” His ability to wield power across two spheres is a testament to his political acumen, but it also raises questions about the sustainability of such dominance.

    Governor Sim Fubara, once seen as Wike’s loyal protégé, now finds himself in the eye of the storm. While Wike’s threats of impeachment have drawn widespread criticism, it would be unfair to place the blame solely on the FCT Minister. Fubara’s leadership has also come under scrutiny, with accusations of missteps and a failure to fully assert his authority. As John Locke, the Enlightenment thinker, argued, governance is a social contract between the ruler and the ruled. If Fubara has faltered in fulfilling his end of the bargain, it is only natural that questions about his tenure would arise.

    That said, the timing and tone of Wike’s threats raise concerns about the motives behind the impeachment move. Is this a genuine attempt to hold Fubara accountable, or is it a power play designed to reassert Wike’s dominance? The answer may lie somewhere in between. Politics, after all, is rarely black and white.

    Read Also: Ignore Obasanjo’s comment on Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, Umahi tells Nigerians

     The Yoruba have a saying: “When two elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers.” In Rivers State, the “grass” is the ordinary citizen—the fisherman in Bonny, the trader in Port Harcourt, the farmer in Ahoada. These are the people who bear the brunt of political instability. Rivers State is a region blessed with immense natural resources, yet its people continue to grapple with poverty, unemployment, and underdevelopment. The ongoing political crisis threatens to exacerbate these challenges, diverting attention from pressing issues like infrastructure, education, and healthcare.

    The current crisis in Rivers State is a reminder that power, while intoxicating, comes with immense responsibility. Both Wike and Fubara must recognize that their actions have far-reaching consequences. Wike’s assertion that “heaven will not fall” if Fubara is impeached may be technically true, but it ignores the broader implications of such an action. Impeachment is not just a legal process; it is a political statement that can either strengthen or weaken the fabric of governance.

     As the Hausa proverb says, “Peace is the father of prosperity.” Without peace, Rivers State cannot hope to achieve its full potential. It is time for both men to step back from the brink and embrace dialogue over discord. The Akan people have a saying: “One head does not go into council.” Rivers State needs leaders who can collaborate, compromise, and prioritize the common good.

     The political drama unfolding in Rivers State is a cautionary tale about the dangers of unchecked ambition and the fragility of power. Wike and Fubara must recognize that their actions today will shape the future of Rivers State for generations to come. While Wike’s political prowess cannot be denied, his recent moves risk alienating the very people whose support he needs. Similarly, Fubara must rise to the occasion and demonstrate the leadership qualities that earned him the governorship in the first place.

     As another proverb reminds us: “When the drumbeat changes, the dance must adapt”. The people of Rivers State deserve leaders who can adapt to the changing times, putting the interests of the state above personal ambitions. The future of Rivers State hangs in balance. Let us hope that its leaders choose the path of wisdom, for the sake of the people they serve.

    •Humphrey Ukeaja,Abuja.

  • Lent, Ramadan and the road to peace

    Lent, Ramadan and the road to peace

    • By Kene Obiezu

    Sir: With the Lenten season for Christians starting on March 5, four days after Ramadan started for Muslims on March 1, there is no better time to reflect on how far the country has come and focus on what binds the country together rather than on that which tears Nigerians apart.

    Unfortunately, and as if to truncate the beginning of these holy periods, some needless controversies have cropped up in different states. First, there was the far-reaching decision by some state governors in the North to shut all schools during Ramadan. Expectedly, strong reactions have greeted the decision, with many criticizing the governors for truncating education in their states with the needless closure.

    On March 6, the senate also let the sledgehammer fly in suspending Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of the four women in the senate of 109 senators. She was suspended for six months with all her privileges withdrawn.

    Furthermore, trouble appears to be brewing in Rivers State where the Supreme Court has nullified the local government elections conducted on by Governor Siminalayi Fubara. The court also reinstated the Martin Amaewhule-led House of Assembly, which, in a bid to make up for lost time has issued a series of ultimatums to the governor. The fear is real that if the situation is not brought under control and the stallions stomping for war bridled, peace will so evaporate from the state like vapor.

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    As a country, Nigeria has not known sustained peace in a very long time. The country always appears only a step away from the next disaster. Even when nothing is reported in the ongoing war against terrorism in parts of the country, it seems  only a matter of time before the next disaster strikes.

    Without peace, there will be no security and without security, prosperity will remain a mirage. Nigerians deserve a better country. Nigerian children deserve a country that works in peace, progress, and prosperity. This will not happen overnight but can be achieved if Nigerians can come together, walk together and work together.

    Peace may be a gift, but it is also the fruit of a lot of hard work. Nigerians must commit to work for peace and live in peace with one another. There is no alternative to peace as many people have found out to their cost.

    May Nigerians, especially Nigerian leaders and all warring factions in the country, find the strength and humility to make sacrifices necessary for lasting and sustainable peace.

    •Kene Obiezu,

    keneobiezu@gmail.com