In Igbo, malaria is called ‘iba’ while the medicine for it is known as ‘ogwu iba’. Rivers State is perceived to be sick. President Bola Tinubu solely diagnosed the sickness to be political malaria. He said the major vector of it was the elected governor of the state, Siminalayi Fubara.
The President accused Fubara of not managing the political crisis in his state well. And that he has not been able to work together with members of the House of Assembly. He was also said to be unable to stop pipeline vandalism that occurred in his state recently.
Tinubu was silent on the role of the former governor of Rivers State and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, who was a major character in the crisis that has engulfed the state.
As a remedy, the President declared a state of emergency in the state on March 18, suspended Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and all the members of the state House of Assembly. He appointed Ibok-Ete Ibas, a retired Vice Admiral, to take over as a Sole Administrator.
Ibas has been administering his strange type of ‘ogwu iba’ to the embattled state. Unfortunately, the drugs this emergency doctor is giving appear to be causing migraine.
Recently, he sacked all political appointees and suspended heads of all Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government in the state. He also cancelled all pending procurement and tender processes these MDAs carried out. He dissolved the state Independent Electoral Commission and appointed a new Chairman, Dr Michael Odey, and some others as members. Apparently, most of the appointees are people opposed to Fubara.
The 23 local government areas of the state were not spared. He appointed administrators for all of them, an action that is against the order of a Federal High Court, Port Harcourt, which restrained him from appointing administrators for the local councils.
The Supreme Court had also ruled that it is illegal and unconstitutional for unelected officials to run local governments. Besides, against the apex court order that the Rivers’ monthly allocations be withheld, the powers that be released them to Ibas. Obviously, ours has become a lawless society where anything goes and nothing happens.
This could be why some disgruntled people, last week, alleged that Ibas summoned Fubara and Odu to his office for questioning. Reason? To explain certain appointments and other state matters and state why they should be re-instated as governor and deputy governor respectively. Ibas has denied this report, calling it false and misleading.
Whatever, it is unfortunate that a certain cabal feel they have a strong grip on power and nobody can stop them. But they are greatly mistaken.
History is replete with the sad end of many emperors and autocrats. The Roman Empire had such brutal emperors as Caligula, Nero, Caracalla and many others. Caligula, who reigned between 37-41 AD, was erratic, cruel and extravagant. He once ordered that those who led a bored crowd to boo him at a circus should have their tongues cut out and thrown into the arena to be torn to shreds by wild animals. He was assassinated by his bodyguards at the age of 28.
Nero (reigned 54-68 AD) was reputed to have played his music while the Great Fire of Rome raged in 64 AD. When the Roman people got tired of his murderous ways, they sentenced him to be whipped to death. But he eventually decided to cut off his own throat.
In Africa, there was Emperor Jean-Bedel Bokassa, the former President of the Central African Republic, who declared himself Emperor of Central Africa. He murdered schoolchildren and some other crimes. He was overthrown in 1979 and he died in 1996. Idi Amin Dada was also there in Uganda. He ruled as a despot from 1971 until his overthrow in 1979. Here in Nigeria, Sani Abacha ruled like an emperor. He was feared and his words were law. When he suddenly died in June 1998, citizens trooped out to celebrate.
In modern history, dictatorship is anathema in many countries. The recently sacked South Korean President, Yoon Suk Yeol, dished out unpopular policies and refused to apologise for his wife who accepted luxury gifts. He suddenly woke up on December 3, 2024 and declared martial law in his country, ordering his army to seize control. He said he did it to protect the country from anti-state forces that sympathized with North Korea. Though he cancelled his action after six hours, he had already incurred the wrath of the public, the military and members of the parliament. On December 14, 2024, the parliament impeached and suspended him from office.
The country’s constitutional court permanently sealed his removal from office on April 4, 2025. All eight judges severely criticized his authoritarian power grab and voted to remove him from office. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo is acting as interim leader pending a snap election to vote for Yoon’s replacement, which must take place by June 3, 2025.
The wings of governmental institutions may have been clipped in Nigeria. But there are some individuals and non-governmental organisations that still stand on the pedestal of truth. The current leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) is one of them.
Peeved by a series of undemocratic developments in Rivers State, the NBA relocated its 2025 Annual General Convention (AGC), earlier scheduled to take place in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, to Enugu. It said “retaining Rivers State as the host of its conference would amount to a tacit endorsement of constitutional violations and subversion of the rule of law.”
Ibas is not happy about this. He asked the NBA to refund the N300 million the state government gave to the association as hosting rights for the conference. “If the NBA truly stands on principle, it should demonstrate the same integrity by promptly returning these funds rather than benefiting from a state it now publicly discredits,” Ibas fired.
The NBA said the money was a goodwill donation by Fubara and not tied to any hosting rights for the AGC. It added that state governments, corporate organisations and public agencies traditionally gave financial support to the NBA as part of their corporate social responsibility.
The association had criticized the imposition of emergency rule in Rivers State. According to it, the action, especially the appointment of a sole administrator, was a violation of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution and a negation of the country’s federal structure.
If all the institutions in Nigeria could emulate the association, we will eventually sing the redemption song for Nigeria. My unsolicited advice to the NBA is to return the money only if the elected governor comes back and asks for it. It should not return it to the person the people did not elect as their governor.
I sincerely hope that justice will be served in the case instituted by the 11 governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against the appointment of Ibas. Whichever way the ruling goes, it is important to respect the sanctity of our democracy which our forefathers fought hard to enthrone.
Regrettably, the two main arms of government which should check the excesses of the executive have been pocketed. The legislature is a rubber stamp of the executive. The judiciary appears to be worse. Some judges give queer judgements that turn reason and logic upside down.
Today, a certain cartoonist has replaced the blindfolded lady with sword and scales, which represents the impartiality of the courts, to a lady holding a sack of dollars and a sword. It is pathetic, to say the least.
Ironically, Tinubu was among the people who fought to enthrone this current democracy. Now, his intentions appear suspicious, selfish and ignoble.
He appears to be using Ibas to grab the political structure of Rivers State with the 2027 general election as the ultimate price. But what does it profit him to gain the whole Nigeria and then lose the soul of our democracy?
At the appointed time, everybody must account for his deeds and misdeeds while in any given position. Ibas is probably feeling on top of the world today. He is giving orders and playing a dubious script under the guise of restoring peace to Rivers State. But he should remember that he will give account of the harsh drugs he administered on a state that had mild malaria. Then, Tinubu will not be there to defend him.
Happy Easter!
Re: Bring back our security
Yes! Casmir, bring back our once formidable security network that ensured security in all parts of Nigeria. With nostalgic feelings of sweet memories, we demand it. Prior to 1999, insecurity was not a problem in Nigeria. There were pockets of stealing and armed robbery incidents here and there. But one could sleep with both eyes closed. But not again!
Criminal acts like kidnapping and banditry were unheard of. Clashes between herdsmen and farmers were rare incidents. We lost it in 1999 due to religious intolerance by some northern governors.
Led by the governor of Zamfara, they introduced sharia that it was more lucrative than the flock business. Ribadu doesn’t understand that, ‘life which has no duplicate’ is at stake when someone is unfortunate to be in kidnappers’ den.
An absentee President/C-in-C or president in diaspora can’t implement your logically correct solutions. Strange is the fact that in spite of gates in most of our communities, in our houses and in most homes as burglary proofs, we still feel insecure. In the 80s, doors alone were sufficient. You are right; government should bring back our security now! This is the main reason they are in government.
–Mike, Mushin, 0816 111 4572
