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Tag: Francis Ewherido

  • My reaction to paternity fraud and other issues – By Francis Ewherido

    My reaction to paternity fraud and other issues – By Francis Ewherido

    I promised to share my perspective on paternity fraud this week.  I want to start with the various types of marriages prevalent in Nigeria and the implications.

    Traditional marriage: In Africa, we do traditional marriage. The man pays a bride price and the couple get parental consent and  blessings. Some Christian denominations will not conduct your church wedding without first of all doing your traditional marriage. Parental consent and blessings are that important. Thereafter, the couple are regarded as married.

    After then, traditionalists do not need any other marriage ceremony. In traditional marriages, the Urhobos and Isokos, to be specific, the wife makes a vow to be faithful to her husband. But the husband does not make this vow. This is because Africans practice polygamy. It means the husband is at liberty to marry more wives. 

    Usually courtship comes before marriage. Courtship is that period when the people involved get to know each other better to enable them to decide whether or not to go ahead with the marriage. Usually, courtship does not include premarital sex. We added sex to “knowing one another better.” Women who did only traditional marriage can’t accuse theirs husband of committing adultery because a side chick today can become a wife tomorrow. 

    Islamic Marriage ( Nikkah): Any woman married by Islamic rites must recognise that the religion allows her husband to marry four wives, if he so wishes. Side chick today, wife number two tomorrow. I am not versed in Islam, but I don’t understand the basis for a wife to accuse her husband of infidelity.  

    Civil Marriage: It legally formalises the union and goes with some concomitant legal obligations. 

    The couple exchange vows of mutual fidelity. There is no room for polygamy because you can be charged to court for bigamy ( Marrying a second person while still legally married to your spouse).

    Church marriage: This is conducted in a church and is often conventional. It involves the exchange of vows, including mutual fidelity. In some orthodox churches, you can’t be a communicant unless you’re your marriage is solemnised in the church. The church recognises civil and traditional marriages. Some will not even allow you to go ahead with your church marriage until you do your traditional marriage. They recognise the importance of parental consent and blessings.

    Having identified the various types of marriages in our clime, let’s delve into the issues raised last week. 

    Infidelity: I am reluctant to discuss infidelity because the Urhobo/ Isoko roots in me predominate my opinion. In the past, infidelity was something that was scarcely heard of in Urhobo land, nor published in the streets of Isoko land.  Shouldn’t it be obvious that a woman who gave birth to a child with a penis and scrotum rather that a slit private is a boy not a girl? A Christian leader once told me to accompany him to settle a case of infidelity.

    Unfortunately, the culprit was even an Urhobo woman. I  declined. I told him that “I don’t use my teeth to share a piece of meat I will not eat. Personally, I refer to it as a sin against the Holy Spirit (very difficult to forgive).” She literally stripped her husband naked in public. To the glory of God, they reconciled and are still together. As a Christian, I believe in forgiveness, but spouses should respect boundaries and avoid crossing the Rubicon. Don’t do what will make it very difficult for spouse to forgive you or for him/her to live with life long scars. 

    My firm Christian beliefs notwithstanding,  erivwin (punishment for those those who do things the society considers to be taboos) is real in Urhobo and Isoko. It was deadlier in the pre-Christian days.

    A woman must report a case of another man holding her hand or touching her buttocks or any trespass. Erivwin caught up with housewives who failed to tell their husbands. For those who told their husbands, the trespassers were made to slaughter a goat to appease the gods and the ancestors. For those who didn’t report, their children died first, then the women followed.

    We are not even talking of the real adultery yet. Someone I know at close range lost his two children. When it became obvious to the wife that she was next, she confessed. They are “Christians,” but I guess the glory of God departed from her which exposed her to the wrath of the gods and ancestors.

    Unfortunately, the “Christian brother” she committed the act with her was spared. It reminds me of the story of the woman in the bible who was to be stoned to death because she committed adultery before Jesus saved her. Don’t ask me why Jesus didn’t intervene  for the children. I am neither a bible scholar nor do I have deep understanding of tradition, but I know erivwin is real.

    But men don’t escape all the time. My mother told me the story of a man who desired one married woman, but she rebuffed his advances. He kept stalking her. One of those days, the woman was walking on a pathway and was pressed. She went into the nearby bush and urinated. After leaving, without her knowledge, the man went to the spot where the woman had urinated. Since he couldn’t get the real thing, he decided to console himself.

    He brought out the penis and touched the spot where the woman urinated. Shortly after, the woman fell ill. After divination, she was told to confess her transgression. She maintained that she’s been faithful. Then the necessary ritual was performed. If she was guilty of adultery (oderiabe), she would have died. But if she was innocent (oderiase), she would be healed.

    Shortly after she became well. Then the man became ill. He was getting bloated. When he saw death staring him in the face, he confessed. That was how the secret became public. He was fined a goat and some money. The goat was used to appease the gods and ancestors (ag’iye ke) and he recovered. 

    Yes, Christianity has watered down the potency of erivwin, but if you are an Urhobo/Isoko woman, it’s safer for you to stay away from adultery. Two Urhobo women were consumed by erivwin due to adultery in the last two years. They were “Christians,” one married to a man who is a very committed Christian.

    Some of these things are mysterious to me, but many Urhobo and Isoko people know erivwin is real. Leave Christianity, Islam or whatever religion you subscribe to out of it. In the Bible, God allowed the Israelites to be defeated and exiled due to their infidelity. God is the same yesterday, today and forever. “So, don’t play or you are going to learn…” 

    The point is, if a married man did only traditional marriage, or Nikkai, you can’t accuse  him of having side chicks or having children outside marriage. The women can easily become wives and the children, step-children. But if after your traditional, a man voluntarily decides to do civil or church marriage and exchange vows of mutual fidelity.

    Any sex outside marriage by either party is adultery. There is no African man in the matter. Vows are meant to be kept. Nobody forced you to take them. If you want to be African man, stop at traditional marriage. That said, when a Christian woman decides to “retaliate” because the husband committed adultery, is that what the bible says? I am not by any means encouraging adultery by men who took vows of fidelity to break them. These are vows, not hollow rituals. Vows are meant to be kept. I rest my case.

    Paternity Fraud: Infidelity results in passing on other men’s children to your husband as his. None of the four types of marriages allows adultery by wives, so deceptively passing on other men’s children as your husbands’ cannot be justified. For me that is a total no-no. It’s not just the infidelity, but the deceit and wickedness.

    This is totally different from a man who fathered children outside civil or church marriage. I have no problem with raising other people’s children or adoption. These are based on truth, not falsehood. We remember the case of Nedu whose wife got married to him knowing she was carrying another man’s baby. Her defence was that she never told Nedu the pregnancy was his. What kind of mumu defence is that? This is pure deceit. Did you tell him you were carrying another man’s pregnancy before he married you? 

    IVF and swapping of children: Owners of clinics that swap babies or use sperms other than the husband’s to fertilise the wife without his knowledge should be sued. That is ethical and professional misconduct. If a man is infertile and agrees to use donated sperm, that’s his business. I withhold my personal opinion on IVF. It’s their personal decision.

    IMPOTENCE: A man who is impotent cannot go into a marriage. For any marriage to be valid, it must be consummated, that is, the man must insert his penis into his wife’s vagina and have sex. A flaccid penis cannot penetrate the vagina and have sex. So the marriage is null and void ab initio because it’s not consummated. couples who engage in such deceits are not husbands and wives but companions.

    These are my thoughts from  and my reaction to my article last Saturday.

  • Gender perspectives on paternity fraud – By Francis Ewherido

    Gender perspectives on paternity fraud – By Francis Ewherido

    A Lagos-based DNA testing centre, Smart DNA Nigeria, released its 2025 Annual DNA Testing Report last Sunday, revealing that DNA testing surged to 13.1 per cent in 2025. It showed that 25 per cent of paternity tests returned negative, that is, one in every four fathers are not the biological fathers as presumed. The outcome is a slight decrease from 27 per cent in 2024.

    DNA tests have unearthed many buried secrets (breeze blow, fowl yansh open). Therefore, this result was not really surprising to me. I wrote about paternity fraud in the past and would not have revisited this topic, but the news item came to our table and the opinions were divided mainly along gender lines. Even those who refused to comment are not left out because silence here is consent. The today actors/actresses are between 58 and 64 years.

    The group comprises people in their 50s and 60s. There might be a few ancestors because our Winch Doctor changes members’ dates of birth, so even members are now confused on their date of birth. She manufactures a birth certificates proclaiming members teenagers, depending on the number of cows you used to bribe her. She openly confesses that she collects bribe to falsify ages of members and give them new dates of birth.

    Winch Doctor said she doesn’t care if I mention her name in this article: “You can mention names. I’m too old to fear scandals and such things.” Madam Fone, another member, responded with “inukwa (what is it)” and “just negodu (look at this)” GIFs. But I won’t mention their real names. These rugged oldies will be unfazed.They are like a kpons (an old prostitute). No size of the penis scares a kpons. Which size has she not seen before? The discussion kicked off with, the most troublesome member and yabis master, Oga.

    (Oga): “I want to hear from our smart women about this (the DNA results) o! Men, we foolish sha!”

    Young grandfather: “Ah! Most (women) would pretend not to (know about) it. No be today nau.”

    Winch Doctor: “In traditional Igbo society,  any child born by a woman whose bride price you paid is your child; If your legitimate wife runs to Kafanchan and returns with children,  they are yours… Thank God that this law was made by men; otherwise women would be accused of making rules that favour them.” Her male apprentice wizard, Prof Eteh, concurred.

    Prof Eteh: “It is the same culture in Akwa Ibom (State).”

    Oga: “Well done, ma. Men, we are truly the foolish ones. I want to hear women talking about infidelity and blaming men as usual. Women are the masters of the game.”

    Madam Fone: “See, what is bad is certainly not good. But I wonder why men feel hurt when served a dose of their own medicine. Truth be told, if men too could carry a pregnancy it would have been a 1-1 goalless draw. Do me, I do you. As it is, their own secret usually comes out when they are being dropped six feet below. Suddenly someone (or some people sef) show(s) up with his carbon copy(ies) and accompanying birth certificate, wanting to claim rights in the family. Imagine o! And the woman will be expected to have a “large heart”  and accommodate them.

    “Be that as it may, there are other reasons why paternity may be questionable. Some IVF procedures use borrowed sperms. It now depends on whether the man was aware or not. Then there’s this latest Crypto pregnancy which is completely 419. Many parents don’t know that neither of them are the biological owners of those children. It’s a complicated arrangement meant to help those with fertility issues. Unfortunately, many have been deceived into believing they conceived and delivered whereas na BIG LIE!!!!!

    “But for those ladies who intentionally or even mistakenly caused a man to (be) father another man’s child, what can I say? Dem no try, but father na father nah. They should move on which ever way they can, the way we (women) take up their own load too with our ‘large heart.’  Shikena!”

    Oga: “Women! Madam Fone, et tu!!! Excuses raised to power infinity.”

    Bendel Babe: “Fertility treatment involves both the man and the woman. No sane or qualified doctor will treat only one of the couple. So, it’s not possible for a married woman to receive sperm donation without her husband’s consent…But this is happening, particularly in Nigeria, where fertility clinics are unregulated, plus, child swapping and stealing in the maternity wards. There are many reasons why this happens (paternity issues). Again, not making excuses for deliberate wickedness and deception.”

    Winch Doctor: “IVF clinics often use viable sperms without informing the couple.  They compete in the area of announcing successes that many breach protocols.  I read the case of a clinic owner who used his sperm extensively before people knew what was going on. You men should stop this noise and tear-shedding, I don’t see what the fuss is about.  Bring up every child in your house while your neighbour does the same. Let’s hear jare!!!!”

    Triple Chief: “What is bad is bad. Whether the man is the one having babies outside or the woman defrauding the man by passing on a child that’s not his, it’s all bad.”

    Here, I interjected.

    Triple Chief responded to the Winch Doctor’s earlier post: “Only you can say this. If you allow this, we all go into a pit.”

    Winch Doctor: “It’s because I am the only confirmed winch doctor (here). The noise is much. Men should allow us hear.  Women have endured their excesses since the world was created without too much noise,  let them reciprocate. Do men ever bother to ask themselves why the women they married are reluctant to give birth to children through them? Are we aware that many of these women deliberately choose not to be impregnated by the men they married? They have their reasons.  Due to my perceived somewhat eccentric nature,  I get told a lot of secrets. Men! Men! Men! Go organize a conference to sort yourselves out.”

    Triple Chief: “Lol….Odi egwu o (amazing)!

    Oga: “The only conference men need to organize now is men liberation movement. Our mumu don do. Imagine Winch Doctor temerity and Fone amalgam of excuses”

    Bendel babe: “Why are you waiting for us to validate your belief? You know what you believe already; hold in to it (or) go to court… Men always feign to be the aggrieved party in this matter (paternity fraud), but are okay with having side chicks and multiple wives and partners. While not making excuses for deceptive women, you guys are crying like a hen that a hawk just took it’s chick. Is it not another man that fathered the said child? His wife may also do to him what he has done to another man. Equation balance! Next topic, please!”

    Bendel Babe:  reacting to my comment on deceit:“No one enjoys being deceived. It’s, however, the reality of life. After all, we take care of the maids/helpers that we hire. It hurts; but let’s move on. Otherwise, one is courting premature death. If the man can’t bear the deception, then he should remove the child from his inheritance.”

    My Urhobo brother (Agbaya): Una don conclude the debate? So, no winner, abi ? Both sexes are guilty? Ok oo, I just dey look una, dey enjoy the debate. But sha, women can be wicked oo!”

    Natural comedian miss road: “Don’t mind them! They are neither victims nor villains in the matter. They just dey theorize! Very bored old people!”

    NB: I am unable to add my contribution and share my thoughts on all the issues raised due to space constraints, but I will in a later article. But, jokes apart, this gives you an idea of what some men and women think about paternity fraud. Food for thought?

  • Youths, blame game is unhelpful – By Francis Ewherido

    Youths, blame game is unhelpful – By Francis Ewherido

    Last Tuesday was International Youth Day. The 12th of August every year is a special day to draw attention to issues concerning youths worldwide, but I want to focus on Nigeria. The Nigerian youth faces clear and present dangers. Some of these dangers are societal while others are self-inflicted.

    Let us start from the society, which must necessarily start from the home.

    Parenting is a set of deliberate actions parents/guardians take to bring up children who will be useful to themselves, pride to their families and assets to the society. What kind of youths are families sending to the larger society? Some parents do not even understand what parenting is all about. And that is one of our major problems today.

    Some parents do not have the requisite skills for parenting. They are no good role models to copy. Parenting needs time, knowledge and dedication. Reasonable financial resources are also important. That is why people must give birth to the number of children they can adequately take care of.

    Many animals are dedicated parents and only leave the their offspring after they have raised them and taught them how to survive on their own. Yet human beings who are higher beings are failing in this area. No one chooses his/her parents, so you can’t blame youths for the kind of parents they have. All youths, like the rest of us, are a combination of nature and nurture.

    Nature are “inherited traits and predispositions we are born with,” while nurture refers to “environmental factors on our development.” Nurture starts from the home but stretches beyond the home front to the school you attend(ed), the people you interact with and other environmental factors.

    Who is a youth, by the way? The definition of a youth varies, but the Nigerian new youth policy defines a youth as someone between 18 years to 29 years (I don’t mind pushing it to 40 years).

    This is a very critical period because some of those who went to secondary school would have graduated. Within this period, you make the critical decision of either learning a trade or proceeding to a higher institution.

    If it’s a trade, what and who guides you in your decision? Before you proceed to a higher institution, you also have to decide what you want to study. These decisions  are very critical because they should based on your natural gifts and passion, not what is available or trending.

    Every youth needs to go on a journey of self-discovery, but where are people to guide them? This will help them to have clarity about their their natural gifts and talents. These will also help them to find their purpose in life. No one is an accident. God created every person for a purpose.

    Life is a matter of choices. The choices you make can make or mar you. If you were born into a dysfunctional home, for instance, it is possible to choose to walk a different path.

    That is why some youths whose fathers were drunks and wife-abusers loathed their fathers for those vices and chose to walk a different path. That is also why youths raised in very functional homes end up being deviants. Year 18 upwards is majority, that is, you are an adult and responsible for your actions. If you walk on a road and find out that you are on a wrong road, retrace your steps.

    A wrong road cannot lead  you to your destination. You might find out the destination is different and even “better,” as Christopher Columbus did, but that’s still not the destination you intended.

    I met a couple of undergraduate teenagers recently. They have made millions from online trading. What fascinated me is their ability to juggle studies and trading and the amount of money and time they spend on training and personal development.

    They have no cars and other flashy stuff  beyond the fact that they look well dressed and well kept. But their laptops and phones are worth millions because those are the tools they use in making money. It is the same tools their age mates use in committing internet fraud and other internet-related crimes. What’s the difference? Partly, the choices they made.

    The youth unemployment rate in Nigeria is crazy. It ranges from 30 per cent to 55 per cent. Every Nigerian youth should be aware of this unacceptable figure. Notwithstanding whatever efforts the various governments are making to redress the situation, put your future in your own hands as these two undergraduate “millionaires” I highlighted above did.

    There is a huge difference between “my own” and “our own.” There are others in higher institutions who are already making money. One told his parents to keep their money that he would pay his way through school from third year. Some sell clothes, cosmetics, and other accessories. Some do haircuts, catering services, laundry, even transportation to earn extra income. They are already honing their entrepreneurial skills.

    Which brings me to the next fundamental decision you must make as a youth. Through, your journey of self-discovery, you will know whether you are suited for entrepreneurship or paid employment. This knowledge will substantially define your financial future.

    You better get it right. If it’s entrepreneurship, you can work in a company in a sector you want to delve into and get valuable experience before going on your own. If it is paid employment, start anywhere that is available to get the almighty “experience” employers always ask for during interviews, but end up in an organisation where you are not only regularly or/and reasonably paid, but you are part of the compulsory pension scheme and there is gratuity after you retire.

    That way, you can retire into relative comfort. If they offer mortgage to enable you to acquire your own property, that is icing on the cake. Japa out of conviction, not herd mentality, is also an option. But ensure you take the right decision so that your wrong choice does not haunt you until you die or your children/family are able to rescue you. Let me give you an advice.

    There was a time motivational speakers and writers were advising employees to “sack your boss.” In order words, start your own business. Some people in my generation did and derailed. Some never recovered. Only those with entrepreneurial skills or are so inclined can “sack their bosses.” Others must get a stable employment and work until they retire, as I said above

    I have said it before and I will repeat it. The curricula of our higher institutions need urgent review. We can’t continue to produce graduates who are either not suitable for employment or are unemployable. Let’s produce graduates who can fit into the current labour market or stand on their own.

    We graduated in the late 80s to meet unemployment. We pounded the streets of Lagos looking for jobs before we got one. I have school mates who graduated in 1988, but never got jobs. They were still scrapping as at the time I lost contact with them.

    Every youth must be deliberate in planning his future in spite of the environment. At the end of the day, where problems and challenges abound, opportunities are also abound because solutions are needed to solve these problems and challenges.

    That’s what I tell my children. Two young Nigerian engineers, Maxwell Maduka, 23 years and Nathan Nwachukwu, 22, are building autonomous security systems powered by artificial intelligence and drones in Abuja. What is the motivation? To help Nigeria combat its security challenges. They were featured on CNN recently.

    There are other youths who are providing solutions and smiling to the bank. Quit your lamentations, package yourself and unleach your enormous youthful energy to make a positive impact.

  • Super Falcons and D’Tigress deserve their rewards – By Francis Ewherido

    Super Falcons and D’Tigress deserve their rewards – By Francis Ewherido

    One Urhobo leader of his town’s union sometimes exclaims when things get heated up with his people, “Urhobo be suoor” (Urhobo people are difficult to lead!). I would burst out into uncontrollable laughter.

    What do you expect from people who are republican by nature, where virtually everybody, trained and untrained, is a lawyer, where a poor person will ask a comfortable man during an argument, “wetin dey do you? Na you dey feed me?”

    But it’s not about the Urhobos only. You can actually say, “Nigerians be suoor.” When issues come up, especially national, ethnic or political matters, go to the comment section. You will be alarmed, angry, disappointed or elicit other emotions. Some people will even dispute my assertion that Nigerians are difficult to govern.

    I am no longer surprised. Freedom of speech is entrenched in our constitution and Nigerians exercise and sometimes abuse it. Recently the national female team, the Super Falcons, won their 10th championship. Only two countries, Equatorial and South Africa have won the trophy twice and once, respectively.

    The federal government in appreciation of the feat honoured and rewarded the players and coaching crew with the national honour of Order of the Niger (OON). In addition, each player and member of the coaching crew was rewarded with a three-bedroom flat, and an equivalent of $100,000 dollars and $50,000 in naira for the players and coaching crew, respectively. The exchange rate at the time of writing was N1526.80 to a dollar.

    And just last Sunday, the national female basketball team, D’Tigress, won the African title for a record seventh time and fifth consecutive time. They got the same reward as the Super Falcons.

    The reactions to the largesse have been mixed, but I will discuss the only ones I disagree with. Our highly revered General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, unusually joined the fray. He has no problems with the largesse, but he felt the coaching crew should have received the same cash reward as the players. Daddy G.O., the salaries of many players in Europe is more than that of their coaches.

    What the federal government did is perfectly normal to me. But I would not have complained if the cash reward was the same. But the equivalent of $50,000 in naira is N76,340,000 as at the time of writing. With the house given to them in Abuja, N20m of that money can build a very decent retirement bungalow in their villages for those who don’t already have one. If the balance is well invested, the returns can give them a steady second income stream. They can also use part of the money to sort out other areas of their lives that need money. If they choose to rent out the Abuja house, that is another stream of income.

    We know some former coaches and sports administrators who were ill or died poor. If they had this kind of largesse in their active years and managed it well, the story could have been different. The same applies to some of these retired sportsmen.

    Also, I saw videos of policemen and soldiers speaking that the largesse to our heroines is undeserved. I see things differently. One said they did a three-week competition and are getting so much reward. That is not true. Some have put in a decade or more to get to where they are. These ladies have brought honour and happiness to Nigerians and deserve all that they got.

    But I agree that the police and the military play a critical role in Nigeria. Without them Nigeria will be in total chaos. Every labourer deserves his rewards, so the welfare of our security personnel is something the government needs to look into: their wages, conditions of service and gratuity, etc. But the government also needs to focus on the hierarchy. Some of them complained about their superiors. Was N2m and N8m actually the gratuity after 35 years of service as some retired police men and women alleged? That is servitude not service and should be remedied.

    Nigeria is practically at war with bandits, terrorists and kidnappers. Every policeman or soldier who goes for operations puts his life on the line because some of their colleagues who went never returned to their families. It’s a risky job and anybody who is in it needs to be well motivated. Those in service should well paid while families of the fallen ones should be paid their death benefits. The compulsory group life insurance policy binding on employers with three or more staff should be well implemented with the benefits paid to the next of kin as stated in the Group life insurance contract.

    I can listen to such arguments. But I disagree with the comparisons in terms of rewards. Peter can be paid his dues without robbing Paul. We know that all over the world sportsmen and women earn big money from various sources, including rewards after winning a major tournament. How many Portuguese military personnel or police officers are as rich as Ronaldo and other Portuguese players?

    How many earn the kind of salaries Messi and other Argentine players earn? Coming to England, the home of football, how many soldiers and Policemen earn the crazy salaries of British and foreign players who play in the premiership earn? Everything is not politics. Let’s call a spade a spade.

    I maintain that the reward is well deserved. In a world, where every Nigerian is guilty until you prove yourself innocent, this goes a long way in redeeming our image. In Africa, the case of Nigerians is different.  The major problem Nigerians have in Africa is ENVY. If not, how can adult men go on demonstration because Nigerian men are taking over their women?

    How can traders go on demonstration because Nigerian traders sell at lower prices because the Nigerian traders rely on volume to make sales and profit. Meanwhile the natives want to sell a few items and make huge profits. Even their fellow citizens are abandoning their shops and patronising Nigerian traders.

    Meanwhile many other Africans are also involved in the crimes Nigerians are being accused of. Our large population probably means that more Nigerians might be involved because we are also adventurous and travel more.” But all have sinned and come short…”

    Sports and music are partly what Nigerians are using to shut up the rest of Africa. We are far ahead and they concede, their hatred and hostility notwithstanding. If you are active on social media and you want to pepper them and shut them up, these are powerful tools. And you tell me that some of the people who provide us these powerful weapons should not be adequately rewarded? Biko tota ofa (Please say something else).

    I stopped following music trends almost 20 years ago. But right now, I am a follower of Nigerian music. Why? It’s because our musicians also provide powerful weapons to fight and pepper them on social media.  I am omo Naija to the core. On the reward for the Super Falcons and D’Tigress players, I am 100 per cent with the federal government.

  • “Nigeria must go,” Ndigbo Eze of Ghana and other matters – By Francis Ewherido

    “Nigeria must go,” Ndigbo Eze of Ghana and other matters – By Francis Ewherido

    I am not surprised about the recent “Nigeria’s Must Go protests in Ghana and the backlash against Chief Chukwudi Jude Ihenetu, aka Eze Ndigbo in Ghana.  This matter has been on for a while now. I have been following it on social media. I decided not to write about it because it had not reached the traditional media.

    But I did write a two-part article in 2024 where I highlighted the negative activities of Nigeria YouTubers based in Ghana (Reaction to Nigerian Youtubers based in Ghana (1) – Vanguard News and Reaction to Nigerian Youtubers based in Ghana (2) – Vanguard News). All they do is to denigrate Nigeria and engage in mumu propaganda.

    I cautioned them to promote and celebrate Ghana without denigrating Nigeria, but it fell on deaf ears. I even interacted with one of them and advised him, but he said he has to hustle and put food on the table. They have no formal training, but no excuses for denigrating your country.

    Those of you segregating on social media along ethnic lines should remember that you are all carrying the Nigerian passport. The same water washes the penis and the scrotal sac. Make una dey play. Majority of their subscribers are Ghanaians going by their names and comments.

    My only joy is that some Ghanaians don’t even know they exist. Some of those who know have also realized that they are just hustlers throwing Nigeria and Nigerians under the bus to get views and subscribers from haters and negative minds like them to make money. One neutral YouTuber went to interview students in a university campus.

    Their responses were positive, centred on Nigerian music and movies. They acknowledged that Nigeria was way ahead.  Of course, they voted Ghana jollof. The best jollof has become a banter, so no problem. But these are young minds these evil YouTubers could not penetrate with their pernicious propaganda.

    There are Ghanaian YouTubers whose channels are devoted mainly to dragging and denigrating Nigeria and Nigerians. I used to tackle them on their turf until I realized that their cases are hopeless and stopped wasting my time. They blame Nigerians for every crime in Ghana.

    There was a particular robbery that was being filmed live. One of them vowed that the robbers were Nigerians. It turned out they were Ghanaians, but did he come back to tell his audience that he misinformed them. Why should he? But some Ghanaian YouTubers are objective and also devote their channels to promoting Nigeria. But you know what? Ejayeta (let them talk ).

    Have you ever seen people throw stones at a barren tree? People only throw stones at fruitful trees to pluck fruits. Right now, Nigeria musicians are on world tours, selling out one big arena after the other. Nigeria Super Falcons just won the Women African Cup for a record 10 times. Yesterday (Sunday, August 3, 2025) our female basket team, D’Tigress, won the fifth consecutive FIBA Women’s Afro Basket title. These achievements are corrosive acid to the hearts of haters. Continue hating. 

    There are some Nigerians in Ghana who are into crime. Some have been involved in robbery, kidnapping, human trafficking and rituals, but so are Ghanaians. They always taunt us that their police are far better than ours and I tell them that their efficient police should track down the bad eggs in their midst and prosecute them.

    What is bad is bad. These wrong behavior is punished in Nigeria. Why should it be different in Ghana? My argument is that all Nigerians should not be stereotyped and Nigeria should not be dragged. Ghanaians have been caught in Nigeria for oil theft, gunrunning and smuggling. Nobody dragged Ghana. Among the terrorists trying to destabilize Nigeria are Nigeriens, Cameroonians and Chadians. We do not drag these countries. We expect our security agents to crush them and protect lives and properties in Nigeria. 

    These YouTubers and a couple of opposition Ghanaian Politicians are among the people who put fire on the tense situation that led to the “Nigerians must Go” protests. Before now there were issues between Nigerian and Ghanaian traders. They accused Nigerian traders of breaching their law which reserved retail trade for Ghanaians.

    There was a recent case of a Nigerian who was prevented from selling her wigs by Makola traders because she was selling below the price of the Ghanaian traders. As expected, the locals took side with the Nigerian trader because her products were cheaper. For me, if you are forbidden from engaging in retail trade of any item, respect their law, even though it looks strange to the average Nigerian, including me.

    On the Eze Ndigbo issue, it’s true he actually said in 2013 that he had acquired land to build an Igbo village in Ghana, but he abandoned the idea because he had issues with the land acquisition. Whoever dusted up the 12-year-old video was up to some mischief. Resentment had been building up against him because he carried himself as a royal rather than the leader of the Igbos in Ghana.

    The prestige and grandeur of royalty probably was too much for him to resist. There’s apparent self-aggrandizement, and his Ghanaian wife also lapped it. Difficult as it is, he has to leave royalty out of it and just be the leader of the Igbos in Ghana. In America, which is not used to monarchies, there are Igbo and Yoruba traditional rulers and villages which are tourist attractions. This is Africa with a different mindset. He should follow the wishes of his hosts and have his peace. 

    But truth be told, there is a tinge of envy and pettiness. Some Ghanaians are apparently not happy that he has access to their presidents, former and current; other top politicians, royal fathers in Ghana, and the high society of Ghana. 

    Some claim he started life in Ghana as a cassette seller before he became rich. Nigerians are used to rag to riches stories. Former President Goodluck Jonathan said he went to school on bare feet. Multibillionaire Cosmas Maduka always tells his rag to riches story.

    There is no shame in starting as a nobody. In fact, it is an inspiration to many from humble backgrounds. Some accuse him of human trafficking and all types of crimes. Hate blinds people. They are indirectly saying their security architecture is poor. They are also accusing their president and Ghana high society of associating with a criminal. It’s terrible when you give a dog a bad name to hang it.

    They also accused Nigerians of being too loud and extravagant. This one weak me. People should live their lives the way they want as long as it’s within the law. When I was in London, there was this house in the next street where they played loud music and partied all night. It was apparently noise pollution and I was shocked it was tolerated in London. But as they say, when in Rome, do as Romans do, Nigerians in Ghana, your hosts say you are too loud. Please tone and calm down.  

    Lastly, they complain about Nigerians and proliferation of prostitutes in Ghana. I refuse to comment on this until I am informed that only Nigerian men patronize these Nigerian prostitutes. If Ghanaian men also do, that is hypocrisy and I refuse to condemn them as Jesus also refused to condemn the woman who was caught in the act of adultery. Unfortunately, I don’t even have the powers to tell them to go and sin no more. By the way, is prostitution in the list of items non-Ghanaians are forbidden from retailing?

    My parting shot to Ghanaians is that the world is now interdependent and a global village. We also have an ECOWAS treaty that Nigeria and Ghana are signatories to. Calm down.

    Francis Ewherido is a Newsguru Columnist.

  • Filmmakers, una don start again o! – By Francis Ewherido

    Filmmakers, una don start again o! – By Francis Ewherido

    If you look at the sectors that put Nigeria on the global map, Nigerian films take a front seat. The Nigerian film industry dates back, but it wasn’t until Nollywood debuted that the rest of the world took notice. Some African countries even describe it as cultural colonialism. But many of the early Nollywood films were double-edged swords.

    They made Nigeria more popular. At the same time, the storylines were mainly good triumphing over evil (ritual killings, cultism, evil uncles, stepmothers and business partners, etc) at the end. Unfortunately, many of these films had parts one, two, three and sometimes four.

    Evil will linger from parts one to three and only a quarter of the final part will be devoted to the good. While the videos made Nigerian films popular in Africa, people seem to see or remember only the rituals and other evils. Nigerians got stereotyped and stigmatized.

    That was Nollywood in its infancy. Now Nollywood churns out mind-blowing films with great plots, storylines and quality. I no longer watch movies as I used to in the past, but in 2021, I spent an unplanned nine months abroad.

    Sometimes, I watched Nigerian movies with my host on Netflix. What I saw blew me away. The Nigerian film industry has evolved. No wonder it dominates Africa and it is a force to be reckoned with globally. The production quality, casting, storylines and other attributes that make movies great have improved tremendously.

    But a recent trend is getting me worried. I have been seeing many short, low-budget films with the same story lines: kidnapping for rituals, putting poisoned substance in syringes and emptying the contents into drinks to kill husbands, wives, siblings, business partners, etc.

    At the end of the day, good overcomes evil, but these storylines are crap. They do not reflect who we are, our current realities, our dominant paradigm and our true societal problems. We know what our problems are. These days, people kidnap mainly for ransom (money), not for rituals. Kidnapping for ritual killings has reduced drastically. In fact, some youngsters and spouses organise their own kidnap to get ransom money from their spouses, parents and other family members.

    This is our current reality.  Banditry in Nigeria is fueled by land grabbing, genocidal reasons, ethnic cleansing and other evil intentions. Internet fraud is fueled by the get-rich-quick syndrome and desire for wealth without sweat. These and other challenges known to many Nigerians are our major problems.

    These low-budget, short film producers should not drag us back, I appreciate your Nigerian hustling spirit, but it should reflect our current realities. It should criticize positively or proffer solutions, not denigrate or diminish Nigeria, or create non-existent problems.

    We have achieved many milestones with our music, quality movies, skits, comedies, sporting triumphs and in other spheres of life. Our artistes more than artists from other countries have put African music on the global scene. We have the most educated immigrant African community in America. Our doctors are among the best in the world.

    If you travel to Europe and America, there is a high possibility that you will attended to by medical personnel of Nigerian origin. Our Super Falcons just won the Africa Nations Cup for a record 10th time. Only two countries have won it South Africa, once an Equatorial Guinea, twice. These are monumental achievements, but only negative news about Nigeria trends.

    Right now, Nigerians are not the most liked people in Africa. The reasons are many: our self-confidence, aggressive business drive and acumen, envy, pettiness, hatred, etc. But part of it is also self-inflicted like these short films.

    Some Nigerians who travel out of the country have ulterior motives to be involved in criminal and illegal activities. I always insist that criminality has no nationality or ethnicity. Foreigners get involved in crimes in Nigeria too. We don’t drag their countries. We simply arrest and persecute them. That is what we expect from other countries. Do not stereotype Nigerians. Do not use one brush to paint all us of us.

    When it comes to Nigeria, African countries cherry pick. Right now, there are demonstrations of “Nigeria must go” going on in Ghana. They blame Nigeria for the rising crime in Ghana. Yes, some Nigerians are involved, but the fabled Ghana Police should pick out the bad eggs and prosecute them. Ghanaians are also involved in crime. FBI came to Ghana recently and arrested some Ghanaians for internet fraud. Cars stolen in Canada were traced to car shops in Ghana.

    Nigerian banks revolutionized banking in Ghana. They will never acknowledge that. They won’t acknowledge hundreds of thousands of Nigerians contributing immensely to Ghana’s economy. Nigeria has many traders doing business there, but they discriminate against them and accuse them of undercutting Ghanaians traders in pricing.

    But honest Ghanaians acknowledge that their traders do huge markups while Nigerian traders rely on the strategy of small markups and huge trade volumes. If your strategy is defective, you change it, not blaming competition.

    Nigerians based in Ghana are also a major part of their problem in Ghana. On social media, they DENIGRATE Nigeria. I once cautioned one of them, a YouTuber. She threatened to block me; a small girl who was not yet born when I started my media journey 41 years ago as an undergraduate of mass communication (SMH).

    You can celebrate and promote your host country, but you don’t DENIGRATE Nigeria. You travelled there courtesy the Nigerian Passport. Pikin when dey use left hand dey point to im papa house, nor be slave im be? (A child who uses his/her left hand to point at his father’s house for a stranger is akin to a bastard or slave).

    Every Nigerian leaving our shores has an obligation to be a good ambassador. I can never support Nigerians who go to other countries to commit crimes. They should be arrested and prosecuted. At the same we should not be intimidated.

    God did not create Nigerians with a spirit of timidity. There are millions of foreigners, including Ghanaians, going about their lives without let or hindrance in Nigeria. Only those who break our laws run into problems. The foreign terrorists amongst us be given the treatment terrorists deserve.

    Short film makers should engage in intellectual rigour and come up with better stories. I won’t comment about the quality because as the Urhobos say, it’s penis the you have that you use to impregnate or have sex with your wife. You don’t borrow or rent a penis from a neighbour. You have a limited budget and I empathise with you, but the storylines should change.

    Sometime ago, they interviewed people from other countries of what they knew about Nigeria. Some responded that we are ritualists and very fetish. When the interviewer asked them how they knew, if they have ever been to Nigeria. They answered in the negative. So how did they come to that conclusion. They said it’s from our movies!

    Now that the narrative is changing because of our blossoming entertainment industry, sports and other sectors, don’t set us back. Don’t amplify our negative image and tell the world what we are not. Please.

  • Delta State: What is good is good and what is bad is bad – By Francis Ewherido

    Delta State: What is good is good and what is bad is bad – By Francis Ewherido

    Each time I drive through the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, I remember the late President Muhammadu Buhari for good even though I got fed up with his government since a little over two years into his first term.

    I remember him for good because I can never forget the ordeal I went through before he completed the reconstruction of that road. The frustration was unbelievable. You will see the sign indicating 25 kilometers to Lagos. You would assume that even with a heavy traffic, you would arrive at your destination in an hour.

    But you might still be on the road after four hours. I once missed a very important 75th birthday celebration in Ibadan though we left Lagos by 8am. We arrived Ibadan between 5pm and 6pm when the ceremony was over. The most painful part was that we were carrying gift items to be distributed at the party. My wife couldn’t hold it. She burst into tears. She had spent days and sleepless nights preparing the gifts.

    I cherish good news, though we were taught in the university that bad/odd news sells faster, but there is so much bad news now that I look forward to good and heartwarming news. It in this regard that I was jubilating earlier in the week when I read two major good news items from my state, Delta.

    One, the approval of Otovwodo flyover on the East-West Road in Ughelli North Local Government Area, my place of birth, by the Delta State Governor, Elder Sheriff Oborevwori and the Delta State Executive Council. Many lives have been lost at this critical junction that links Ughelli North in Delta Central Senatorial District to Isoko North Local Government Area in Delta South Senatorial District.

    Overtime accidents became rampant with increased traffic to and fro Asaba, the state capital. Deltans from at least 10 local government areas use that route to Asaba.

    The federal government should have done the flyover during the reconstruction of the East West Road, but didn’t. The Delta State Government approved this flyover and another critical flyover at Uromi Junction in Agbor, headquarters of Ika South LGA.

    I have been agitating for the construction of the Otovwodo flyover for many years. My hometown, Eghwu (Ewhu), is off the East-West Road, so I am forced to pass through Otovwodo junction when going to Ewhu with trepidation. Some articulated vehicles pass through the junction as if it is part of the less busy portion of the East West Road, thereby endangering the lives of other road users.

    The second good news is putting a bite on the Delta State Electricity Power Sector Bill, 2024, which Governor Oborevwori signed into law some time ago. According to the Delta State Commissioner for Economic Planning, Mr. Sonny Ekedayen, “we now have a clear pathway towards providing reliable and steady electricity supply to Deltans at competitive prices.”

    The commissioner further said that the state government had adopted a mini-grid model that will allow multiple independent operators to provide end-to-end electricity services in various locations across Delta State.

    The Delta State Government embarked on such a project in the past but it was abandoned. One thing you must give to the current administration is that no project gets abandoned. In fact, uncompleted and abandoned projects by the past administrations have either been completed, work is going on or there are plans to complete them.

    I said in a previous article that the power project is a game changer. There is currently an army of unemployed young men and women in Delta State. Some of them want to engage in useful economic activities. Stable and affordable electricity supply is just what some of them need.  The other critical factor is making Delta State safer. We need improvement in security. This will naturally attract more investors and make our people go back to their farms unhindered.

    I commend Gov. Oborevwori while awaiting these projects to commence. Some people would say, “why you dey thank am? Nor be im work?” Definitely. That is why he ran for the governorship. He is only doing what he was elected to do.

    But in Urhobo land, when someone comes from his own farm or work, you greet him/her “doooh” which can mean welcome or you have done well. That’s all I am doing.  But if I may ask, what about his predecessors who should have done some of the projects being done in the state but didn’t or abandoned them?

    What about the federal government that should have constructed the Otovwodo flyover but didn’t? The second Niger Bridge was first proposed in 1958, then resurrected in 1970, but Buhari did it from 2018 to 2023! Even if you hate Buhari, you can’t deny him his flowers for the second Niger Bridge. Criticise when necessary, but also acknowledge even if you don’t want to praise people for doing jobs they applied for.

    This brings me to the local government areas. During my last visit to Delta, I saw that the state government was doing a lot. Even in my Eghwu (Ewhu) Kingdom, work has gone far on the Orere bridge, although I consider the pace of work slow.

    The state footprints are in many local governments, although a lot of grumbling is still going on. What are local government area chairmen doing? Your humongous monthly allocations can do a lot for our people. This is no time to put your light under the table. Showcase your activities.

    You are closest to our people. Are there still pupils in your primary schools sitting on the floor? Do they study in classrooms with leaky roofs? What is the state of your primary health care facilities? Deltans’ lives matter. Can your primary health facilities provide basic services or stabilize a patient in a critical condition before being transferred to a state government hospital nearby? If not, you are failing. Local governments must complement the state government.

    I have not been to a Delta State government hospital recently, but I learnt that the government is upgrading infrastructure and providing equipment. Ekedayen also said new hospital equipment will be purchased. But youths in Udu Local Government Area protested recently about the alleged neglect of their local government.

    The videos of the Udu General Hospital I saw do not look good. The premises were flooded. The commissioner for health. Dr. Joseph Onaejeme, needs to look into it. I will try to visit a state government hospital the next time I am in Delta. In Lagos, the state government has gone far in terms of infrastructure and equipment for hospitals. That is where my family uses for dental related-matters. The Nigerian factor is there among the staff, but the equipment and dentists are good.

    EWHU GRAMMAR SCHOOL

    Let me go back to my hometown. Ewhu Grammar School is the only government secondary school in the town. There are some challenges which need to be sorted out. An ICT centre was put in place by the Nigerian Content and Development Monitoring Board.

    I leant that the project was facilitated by the immediate past Deputy President of the Senate, HE Ovie Omo-Agege. A few computers in the centre and all the batteries powering the inverters need attention. I urge our current senator, Okakuro Ede Dafinone’s office to sort out the matter.

    To our commissioner for Secondary Education, Mrs. Rose Ezewu, the science laboratories are outdated. The old students, I learnt, volunteered to intervene, but work has stopped. Please intervene because the science students are greatly affected. Let them resume the new session with upgraded laboratories. Also, water is a problem.

    The school has a borehole, and generator, but buying fuel continuously is a challenge. It needs a solar system installed to power the pumping machines and save the school money to continuously buy fuel. They also need a new water tank.

    Also, some classrooms in the school do not have doors and windows while the ceilings are broken. Finally, there is a teachers’ shortage. Those posted there do not stay due to lack of accommodation for teachers. The solution is to build teachers’ quarters or post only indigenes to the school. Ewhu has the manpower. Just recruit more indigenes to teach in the school.

    NB: I am not representing or writing on behalf of any constituted authority in Ewhu. I am writing as a concerned Ewhu son, sent by some other concerned Ewhu sons. I could have gone the official route, but the Ewhu people who sent me need to know that I delivered their messages.

  • UNN, restore the dignity of students – By Francis Ewherido

    UNN, restore the dignity of students – By Francis Ewherido

    “To restore the dignity of man” is the motto of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN). Some people who follow this column know that I studied at UNN. It’s a badge of honour I wear with tremendous pride for two principal reasons.

    One, I spent four unbelievable years there. I was taught by some of the best brains all over Nigeria and the world, I dare say. I acquired topnotch education. They made positive impact on my life. I also cultivated wonderful friendships that have endured till date.

    Two, only four universities offered mass communication in 1984. The University of Lagos offered admission to only students with advanced levels certificate. Bayero University, Kano and University of Maiduguri were considered too far by my parents for someone of my age then. The only option left was UNN.

    I had applied to UNN when later I read the JAMB brochure again and found out that every prospective student needed to have at least a credit in one science subject or mathematics. I had none. I registered for WAEC again on the closing date for registration. That done, I looked at all the science subjects and mathematics to see which one I could study and get a credit within the limited period. I was an arts student through and through. The lot fell on biology.

    I started studying biology with little attention to the other courses. I had previously been denied admission to the University of Benin in 1983 because I didn’t write literature in JAMB, though I scored 279. I didn’t want to stay at home for another year. When the results were released, I scored As in the art courses I wrote but C6 in biology. It was a narrow escape, but that was how I got admitted to Nsukka.

    In 1984 when I arrived in Nsukka, the civil war had ended 14 years earlier. The university was greatly affected by the war. The effects were still very visible. There were prefabricated structures everywhere unlike the other three first generation universities which had many permanent structures, but the four universities were all top notch academically and among the best worldwide.

    I remember my late brother, Sen. Akpor Pius Ewherido, wrote a letter to me with beautiful pictures of the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), asserting that it was the most beautiful university in Nigeria. It was a case of res ipsa loquitur (the thing speaks for itself), as far UNN was concerned, but I responded that UNN was the best in academics. He said it was for Ife. It was a case of my father’s farm is bigger than yours, so we left it there.

    I also remember how my dad told us when we were younger that the University of Lagos (Unilag), his alma mater, was the best university in Nigeria academically. He was particularly hard on UNN in terms of the standard of education because his contemporaries who went to UNN. He said their English was atrocious. He forgot that he studied English, which gave him an edged, while the others studied agriculture, geography and other disciplines.

    It was payback time when my brothers and I entered the university, Besides Pius and myself, Ufuoma was in the University of Benin. We ganged up against my dad. We told him that Unilag was Eko for show, nothing more. About 40 years later, I vividly recall the bemusement (obegheri in Urhobo) in his face. The great Akokite (what graduates of Unilag are called) couldn’t come up to terms with our onslaught until he died in 1988.

    All the above are preambles. The current state of physical structures in UNN is my focus today. In 1984, the civil war was a very genuine reason for the poor physical infrastructure, but not in 2025. I saw a video of UNN recently. I was numb and enraged simultaneously. Things have simply gone from bad to worse. Zik’s Flats, where I stayed in my first year, has been completely abandoned, but that is not the problem of UNN because it’s owned by the late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe.

    I spent my second to final years in Franco Halls, Room 3A, Eni Njoku, to be specific. It was a very beautiful hall. The only problem was the non-availability of water in the toilets. I don’t want to torment you with what it was like, but how much would it have taken to fix the problem or sink a borehole, if necessary? Today, not much has changed. If anything, Franco Hall is now rundown. You won’t believe students still live there.

    A room was initially meant for two students. By the time I was there, we were four, which was better than Ife and Benin, where my brothers shared a room with seven other students. Now, I learnt eight students share a room in the most inhuman conditions. The fate of hostels up campus is no different. The only change is that only female students now live up campus.

    When I was there, there were male and female hostels. The only addition to the male hostels is the one donated by an alumnus and the former governor of Rivers State, Dr. Peter Odili. I hate to think of what it would be like living these hostels now. Some other Nigerian government-owned university hostels are like that.

    Two things are on my mind. One, why hasn’t UNN considered allowing private investors to build and run hostels like other universities do (I learnt there is one uncompleted hostel due to litigation)? Mind you the children from less privileged background might not be able to afford them, but children from rich homes can. With the stability in the school calendar, some well-to-do people now send their children to government-owned universities.

    Academically, some of these government-owned universities are way ahead of some private universities in some courses. But privately-owned hostels doesn’t take away the onus on the university authorities to make their hostels habitable. All school administers should ask themselves whether they would allow their children to live in such sub-human conditions. If not, why allow other people’s children to live there?

    The UNN library was an abandoned project when I graduated, but it has been completed. The exterior of the “new” library looks good in the video, but the interior looks dirty and unkempt. We used to have a chief librarian. Has the position been scrapped? Virtually all the buildings in the video, including ones built after I left are looking decrepit.

    The sorry state of the sports complex brought me to tears. There was a department responsible for maintenance while I was there. What happened? The whole environment looked unkempt with overgrown grass and filled with untarred roads. Nsukka soil is red, making the sight very ugly. Is it in this type of rundown environment we want “to restore the dignity of man (the students),” or produce lions and lionesses (graduates of UNN) who can roar with pride?

    Another matter that disturbs me and this applies to many federal government-owned universities, is the appointment of new vice chancellors. It is like a governorship election. What is the “war” about? Is it for personal aggrandizement or to move the university forward? It looks like the former. I saw the country home of one Vice Chancellor recently. Even the country homes of these Igbo billionaires do not compare.

    Some VCs send their children abroad to acquire first degrees. One vice chancellor even put the graduation photograph of his son in the newspapers. Oga VC, it’s “your money,” but putting the photo in the newspapers is thoughtless and insensitive to your students. What message are you sending?

    Government funds universities. I was shocked to find out that UNN was the highest funded federal university in 2025 with N44.4b! We might argue that universities are under-funded, but how do they utilize these funds from government and the internally generated revenues?

    What exactly are some of the governing councils of some these government-owned universities governing? Government universities are set up in Nigeria to make even students from lowly backgrounds have access to education. That is why tuitions have been low from the beginning. Government-owned university hostels should also be livable. Do not remind students of their poor backgrounds.

    Just in case you are thinking, “what about presidents, governors, ministers, and other top government officials who also send their children to universities abroad?” Today, my focus is on the servant (vice chancellors and other school administrators) who got only talent from the master (Matthew 25:14-30). I am interested in what they did with the one talent.

  • Delta State nor dey carry last – By Francis Ewherido

    Delta State nor dey carry last – By Francis Ewherido

    When we say DELTA STATE NOR DEY CARRY LAST, we are not saying we are perfect people. We are simply saying we naturally crave for excellence. It didn’t start today.

    In the Midwest Region which was renamed Bendel before Delta State and Edo state emerged from Bendel State, we dominated in sports and academics. In the last National Sports Festival which was held in Ogun State, Delta State came tops on the medals table. This has been a frequent occurrence.

    Anyway, the matter today is different. Secondary school students from Delta State who represented Nigeria emerged champions at a recently concluded World Schools Debate Championship held in Doha, Qatar. But that is not the real news to me.

    Deltans are used to winning. The real news for me is that the Nigerian team, made up entirely of Delta students, who outperformed top contenders from the State of Chicago, USA, and Qatar to clinch the coveted global title are students of public schools!

    “In a gripping contest, they secured a 2–1 victory in the first round and followed it up with a flawless 3–0 performance in the final round, sealing the championship with an emphatic 5–1 aggregate score!”

    These gems are Wisdom Chukwuma (Government College, Ughelli), Otorvo Uyoyou (Alegbo Secondary School, Effurun), Abraham Honour (Okpaka Secondary School, Okpaka), Ekhamateh Splendour (Government Model Secondary School, Asaba), and Alika Daniel (Utagba-Ogbe Grammar School, Kwale).

    Of these schools it’s only Government College, Ughelli and Government Model Secondary School, Asaba, that are “reputable.”

    Government College, Ughelli, was established in 1945 and has produced many great men in many spheres of life in Nigeria. Government Model Secondary School, Asaba, is comparatively recent and it is a model school as the name connotes.

    Alegbo Secondary School is just there as a secondary school. The only renowned secondary school in Effurun in my time is my alma mater, Urhobo College, Effurun, which was established by the apex cultural body of the Urhobos, Urhobo Progress Union, in 1948, before government took it over.

    Okpaka Secondary School is in a village near Effurun. The only reason I knew Okpaka is because my wife’s first cousins are paternally from Okpaka and my wife used to call one of them who is now late Okpaka. Now you can call Okpaka a town because of the rapid urbanization going on in that axis. Kwale was already a big town when I got to know it in the early 70s, but I am not sure when the school was established.

    Why am I going into all these analyses? I was born and did my primary and secondary school in government schools in Delta State. Children of the rich and poor, even those whose parents lived abroad, all went to government-owned schools.

    There were either no private schools or they were unpopular. The military governments neglected these schools and deterioration started. Entrepreneurs saw the lacuna and started establishing private schools. Government schools were also not enough to accommodate all students as population grew. All my children went to private primary and secondary schools. The same applies to many others who could afford. Now, mainly those who cannot afford private schools send their children to government-owned schools.

    Unfortunately, most of the presidents, governors, senators and other top government officials, including ministers and commissioners of education, went to government-owned schools. Yet, we neglected these schools. But you know what? God is not man. He blesses those he wants to bless. These very intelligent students from government-owned schools, some of whom are probably from poor homes, have shone on the global stage.

    This should prick the conscience of those responsible for education to invest in education. The schools are dilapidated. Fix them. Look at our primary school. Local government chairmen, what are you doing with your humongous federal allocations and internally-generated revenues?

    Sometime ago, the wall of a primary school in my town, Ewhu, fell on a pupil and killed him. The Local Government Chairman of Ughelli South, Dr. Lucky Avweromre, visited the family of the bereaved to condole with them which is commendable.

    I was at home last month for the burial of an aunt. I went to see the primary school. New classroom blocks are being built, but I don’t know who is building them. There are four kingdoms in Ughelli South LGA. Let’s one or two primary schools in each Kingdom that make Ughelli South LGA? If you are already doing that, wonderful. If not, look into it, please. Until you became the local government chairman, you were a lecturer, so education should naturally be dear to your heart.

    Also, pay attention to primary health care centres in the local government. My late eldest brother and only sister were born in Ewhu Maternity in the 50s. That was before independence. The colonialists knew the importance of primary health care. It should not be different in 2025. Maintenance and upgrade should a continuous process.

    The state government did some upgrade and provision of facilities in the past. I am only using my town and local government as examples. This should apply across the federation. Local governments are closest to the people. They should serve the locals. That’s why they were created and named “local government area.”

    Congratulations to the Delta State Governor, Elder Sheriff Oborevwori and his predecessors on the feat in Qatar by Team Delta. The feat is not by accident. Coincidence occurs, but give people their flowers. Your Excellency, you worked for it. It is a deliberate effort by the Delta State Government. I just urge you do more. I was home last month.

    I passed through secondary schools that need attention. I also saw schools where constructions/renovations were going on. Please continue to invest in education. But you cannot be everywhere, so ensure that your commissioners of education and ministry of education officials are on their toes. Many teachers and heads of schools are playing truancy. Whip them into line.

    There is nothing wrong with teachers having other streams of income. My father was a classroom teacher and later principal. We had farms and we were almost self-sufficient in food production. But his teaching job came first. A situation where teachers use school hours to pursue personal enterprise and neglect students is unacceptable.

    After school hours, weekends and holiday periods are enough time for personal hustles. Some of these teachers have their children in private schools, so they don’t care. God is not a man o! Who told you your children in private schools will do better in life than the ones you are neglecting in public schools. The performance of Team Nigeria comprising Delta State students should be an eye opener to you.

    There is nature and there is nurture, Nurture is on the concurrent list between God and man, but nature is on God’s exclusive list. Man cannot do anything about it. That is why the son of a poor man will one day sit on the same board with the son of a rich man. The son of a poor man might even be the employer of the son of a rich man. God’s ways are not ours and He only understands.

  • Power and short fuse – By Francis Ewherido

    Power and short fuse – By Francis Ewherido

    I got a call from my office last week that the power distribution company that provides us electricity had cut off our power supply. It didn’t make sense to me because we have been using prepaid meter since 2019. I asked to speak with the official, but he refused.

    Later they reconnected us and left a notice of disconnection. They told us to report at their office last Monday. There has been a dispute about a “nebulous” outstanding bill of N202,150.11. I say nebulous because they never told us when this bill was accumulated.

    We cleared all outstanding bills before the prepaid meter was installed and one more bill after the installation. We had previously explained to them when the issue came, but it remained unresolved. It was their problem because of poor record keeping. But we kept our records, so I wasn’t bothered.

    Anyway, why did they disconnect our office? The first official we met on Monday he said my colleague was recording him and he got angry. His mission was only to drop the disconnection notice, but he lost it when my colleague started recording him.

    I also would not want to be recorded without my consent and I told him. But inwards, I said to myself that “you didn’t have the power to disconnect, but you did because you were extremely angry?” That is the connection between power and short fuse we are talking about today. Matters you should easily walk away from become issues because you have power to do and undo.

    As I thought about it, it occurred to me that it was a trend I have observed from childhood. We had a neighbour who was very poor in the early 70s in Ughelli, Delta State. Their youngest brother, Vincent, was living with her. I don’t know what the underlying issue was, but her younger sister, who was married to a rich man, would come around, beat her and their younger brother up.

    Sometimes, she would repossess the clothes she had given to both of them. She would tell them the most hurting words the Urhobos call “etarosonor” (to put it lightly, denigrating words) before leaving both siblings in tears and despair. Their only crime, as the older people said, was that they were poor and helpless. Power and short fuse.

    We also had an amateur boxer, one of those overaged students in Ekwerigbe Primary School, Ozoro, Delta State, where I completed my primary education. His grades were very poor. I can’t remember the problem he had with the class monitor, but he always tormented him.

    I heard boxers are advised to exercise restraint when dealing with bloody civilians like the class monitor, but he never did, maybe, power and short fuse. The class monitor was at the receiving end of the pugilist’s superior strength. On one occasion, he redesigned his face. I don’t know what he told his parents that made them not come to the school to lodge a formal complaint.

    Away from the past, some husbands who have lost their capacity to provide for their families are in hell in their houses (you can’t call theirs homes anymore. A home is where you have peace of mind).  For those who are incapacitated temporarily or permanently I can understand.

    If it is temporary, I wish you quick recovery so that you can reclaim your role as chief provider. Whether by divine or by tradition, that is what it is. A wife is a helpmate. For permanent disability, may God grant you the grace to take every shit thrown at you if your family (wife and children, especially) are not benevolent.

    “Etarosonor” has become a constant companion. Times are hard. The economy is harsh, but I beg all men to do all within their power to provide for their families. Hell hath no fury like a mother whose children are hungry, whose children are at home while school is in session due to inability to pay the children’s school feels.

    The ones whose mouths are like faulty taps can vomit all the etarosonor in this world.  The unscrupulous ones can do anything to raise money and the husbands are expected to shut up or acquiesce. Why won’t some men not die young or suddenly? Power and short fuse

    When unrestrained wives are breadwinners, the husband can easily be demoted to a “houseboy.” I have seen this happen over time. Mind you, I believe husbands who are unemployed should make contributions to the home front in kind. The children are also yours. Get them ready for school. Do school runs. Help them with their school assignments.

    Some husbands who provide for their families also perform these roles. Last week, I advised men to go beyond paying bills to be in their children’s lives. Attend their school activities. In the 90s, I followed my MD to his children’s school function in Ikoyi. I saw at least three bank MDs, other captains of industry and some other great personalities I had only seen on television prior to that day also came for the event for their children. And then you unemployed husband feels school matters are for women only? Make you dey fool yourself.

    Honour the wife who magnanimously provides for the family without a fuss when you are financially low. There is nothing wrong if you prepare dinner for the family. That’s for men who know how to cook. When my children were younger, there were times they specifically requested me to prepare a particular delicacy for them and I gladly did. I even prepared dinner for my wife when I got home earlier than her. I did it out of love and it never diminished who I am.

    My problem is with women who use their husbands to do yeye (disrespect their husbands). I maintain that if you can’t respect your husband, leave him alone. Some of these deaths of men in their 40s to 60s you are hearing were caused by “see-finish” and etarosonor from their wives and children. There are recent cases. These sons teaming with your mothers to rubbish your fathers, I just dey look una. “When I go reach there nor far as you see am o!” Make una dey play.

    My maximum respect to these three women and all women who fall within these groups. You earn big and consistently. Your husband also earns big but erratically. Every month, you pay your salary into the joint account and insist that your husband should take a lead in discussing the expenditure for the month. Your husband cherishes you and you know it.

    Second, madam, you are helping to keep the business of your sick husband alive and also doing your little business to bring in extra income. You also continue to play the role of nurse and caregiver. God bless you. Finally, your husband, who loves dressing nice, has been out of job, but you refused to make him look broke. He still looks cute in the midst of his friends while you continue to maintain the home front. God bless you for making him maintain his dignity. He could easily have been dead by now.

    Just in case you are still interested in my story with my electricity distribution company, we left their office near my office for their zonal office, the same rundown building they inherited from NEPA, but the inside was neat and air conditioned.

    We met friendly staff contrary to the hitherto NEPA staff with sadism written on their faces. We gave them the meter number. When they entered it into their system, they realized that after we cleared the outstanding bill and got a new meter installed, they continued sending monthly bills based on the old meter which they retrieved. We are waiting for their response. But you know this story is not about me only. It is the story of millions of Nigerians in many variants. That is why I am writing about it.