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The Compromise Of Enugu Endsars Protest By Desperate Politicians.

Published

5 years ago

October 20, 2020

By Jeff Ejiofor

A great Russian philosopher, African Spir, said that when a man makes of his personal interests the mainspring of his life and he is greedy to make use of everything that can benefit him, he naturally enters into conflict with other persons, acting also in their interests, hence the disagreements that can become a hundred years old, and drive whole generations to mutual hate. This view captures what transpired in Enugu last week when, out of desperation, some selfish politicians, determined to undermine the goodwill of Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, hijacked a peaceful protest by Enugu youths against police brutality and turned it into a political witchhunt.

These self-serving elements went as far as hiring popular musicians of other extractions to mock the government and the good people of Enugu State. It is on record that the current EndSARS protests across the country have goals that have been collectively articulated by the initiators which cannot be localized by any means. The sudden appearance of some popular igbo musicians believed to be working for fifth columnists in Enugu State at the protest venue to disrupt the peace is most regrettable and condemnable.

Apparently, there is a limit to everything life, and It is obvious most of us are frustrated because of the nation’s economic challenges, but the pertinent fact we have refused to realize is whether the limited resources available to states now are sufficient enough to address the various problems of our people.

Nobody wants to consider this obvious fact. What we do is to sit down with our smartphones and ignorantly abuse those in government with so much disdain.

In Enugu State, for instance, Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi came into office when the country and the whole world were in an economic recession. Unlike his predecessor, Sullivan Chime, who enjoyed excess crude oil funds and huge federal allocations, he has been doing his best to pay the new minimum wage to state workers, which most states in Nigeria are yet to implement.

In spite of all that, he has carried out numerous developmental projects especially in the rural areas which are the primary focus of his administration. He has also continued to maintain existing facilities, service inherited debt, and keep the state peaceful and secure.

As a man with a conscience, Gov. Ugwuanyi ensured that those in the rural areas, who have the population strength of the state and are unfortunately not on social media to express their joy, were given a sense of belonging.

Despite doing all these, his administration has not borrowed loans to finance projects. Even the FG bailout funds given to the 36 states in 2015 were judiciously used in Enugu and the Senate confirmed it. Enugu under Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi has refused to play to the gallery by mortgaging the future of the next generation as some states like Ebonyi are doing with white elephant projects. Ugwuanyi does not want to create a problem for the next generation in the name of borrowing to finance projects that may be of no immediate economic value. He works within the framework of the current economic realities and he is achieving results.

The past governments did little in the rural areas of Enugu State in terms of development and that is the gap Ugwuanyi is diligently trying to bridge.

In this COVID-19 era, Ugwuanyi has demonstrated quality leadership in responding to the challenges of protecting the health of Ndi Enugu.

Nobody here can deny that the evidence is glaring for all to see. Enugu was among the few states that did not lose souls to security agencies at the peak of lockdown when some state chief executives exposed their citizens to danger in a bid to enforce sit at home order. Enugu is getting its first-ever Infectious Disease Hospital, courtesy Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.

His only sin is that he is concentrating development in rural areas where the population constitute the silent majority. Those that were abandoned for ages and had accepted their fate.

Even at that, the rural development policy of his administration has paid off and it reflected on his reelection victory last year, which he won with an overwhelming 95.54 percent of valid votes cast. However, this his good intention to remember the poor, long-neglected and lowly, did not go down well with the youth in Enugu city whose only hobby is to post and comment irresponsibly on social media, where they express their anger freely without knowing the socio-political implications.

Nonetheless, patriotic and well-meaning Enugu youths are aware of the gimmicks, and therefore urge our amiable governor not to be discouraged, but remain calm, undaunted, and focused in his determination to maintain peace and order in Enugu State. We implore him to continue providing dividends of democracy to Ndi Enugu irrespective of the provocation from any angle. We are with him, and we remain resolutely behind him.

For those selfish and desperate politicians bent on undermining the interest of Enugu people at any slightest opportunity, the time for reckoning is near. Phyno and Flavour, who allowed themselves to be used for such an inglorious dirty outing should also know that Nigerians are wiser and will pay them back in equal measures when the chips are down. Those seeking to politicize Peaceful protest designed by the youths of Nigeria to press home our collective grievances will not go unpunished, posterity will judge them someday. They should know that nothing is hidden under the sun, people are seeing them and all what they are doing in the name of activism. What a man sows, he reaps.

Enugu is in the hands of God Almighty

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From U.S. Alarm to Tinubu’s Validation

Published

2 days ago

November 22, 2025

The Gleamer

U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent decision to list Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” triggered a wave of reactions across diplomatic and political circles.

While many Nigerians viewed the designation as a national embarrassment and critics seized it as evidence of deepening instability, the development has taken on a surprising twist: it has become an unintended validation of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s ongoing reforms.

For global observers, Trump’s warning underscored the security and governance challenges facing Africa’s largest democracy. But within Nigeria, it cast renewed attention on Tinubu’s attempts to tackle the very issues that led to the U.S. designation from terror attacks and mass kidnappings to deep rooted economic distortions.

Political analysts note that long before Trump’s statement, Tinubu had already begun overhauling Nigeria’s security and economic systems, taking steps more far-reaching than those implemented by his predecessors. Trump may have amplified global concern, but Tinubu had already moved into the repair phase.

Upon assuming office, Tinubu inherited a nation strained by years of structural decline a costly fuel subsidy regime, an opaque multi-tiered foreign exchange system, rising insecurity, and widening regional imbalances. Instead of opting for gradualism, he pursued sweeping measures aimed at resetting Nigeria’s foundations.

One of his earliest actions was an overhaul of the security architecture. Tinubu dismissed and replaced the previous service chiefs, appointed field tested commanders, strengthened joint operations, and demanded measurable results. The armed forces intensified land and air offensives, resulting in major arrests, rescue operations, and the neutralisation of terror cells. Security improvements were coupled with community-level interventions to break cycles of violence and restore economic activity in long neglected regions.

Economically, Tinubu took two of the most contentious decisions in decades: removal of petrol subsidy and unification of the exchange rate. His administration framed the decisions as necessary to end fiscal leakages and curb entrenched rent-seeking. Though the reforms generated short-term hardships, they also freed revenue for federal and state governments and signaled to investors that Nigeria was ready for structural cleanup.

In governance, Tinubu implemented what analysts describe as an equity-driven restructuring of the federation. Every geopolitical zone now has a dedicated regional development commission a move designed to institutionalise fairness and ensure balanced growth. This expansion is widely regarded as one of the administration’s most strategic long-term decisions.

Meanwhile, Nigeria is witnessing what officials describe as a new wave of infrastructure expansion. Work is underway on the multi-state Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway, the Sokoto–Badagry Super Highway, major rail upgrades, power sector reforms, and the rehabilitation of key federal roads. Port modernization projects are also accelerating to position Nigeria as a competitive maritime hub.

International confidence appears to be responding to these reforms. Tinubu has pursued aggressive economic diplomacy, securing investment commitments from the UAE, Germany, Saudi Arabia, the United States, and leading multinationals. Government officials report that more than $30 billion in investment pledges were recorded during the administration’s first year.

The government has also launched a comprehensive tax reform effort aimed at curbing multiple taxation, expanding the tax net, and strengthening transparency a shift intended to help raise Nigeria’s historically low tax-to-GDP ratio.

As global reactions to Trump’s warning continue, Nigerian officials argue that the designation inadvertently highlights a turning point rather than a downward spiral. While the U.S. warning spotlighted Nigeria’s challenges, Tinubu’s defenders say the administration is already confronting those challenges with bold, long-term reforms.

In this framing, Trump’s alarm has become a backdrop that underscores the urgency of Tinubu’s agenda and, paradoxically, the evidence of its relevance.

Supporters of the president say the label “country of concern” is being transformed into a story of a country in recovery, driven by a leader intent on reversing years of stagnation. According to them, Tinubu’s approach prioritising difficult reforms over popular short-term fixes is precisely what positions Nigeria for renewed global confidence.

In a twist of geopolitical irony, what was meant to warn the world about Nigeria may now be drawing attention to an unfolding attempt at national renewal.

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