By George Mgbeleke

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) restates its principled position on the urgent need for decisive action against politically exposed persons facing corruption allegations such as Ifeanyi Okowa, former governor of Delta state, Abubakar Malami, former Attorney General of the federation and minister of justice under Buhari, Mr.Salleh Mamman, just convicted for theft of N34 billion from ministry of Power, amongst a plethora of many accused persons including immediate past Kogi state governor Mr. Yahaya Bello facing charges of alleged theft of N80 billion from Kogi State treasury, who have all picked forms to run for political offices under All progressives Congress (APC) and the EFCC is conspiratorially silent and unwilling to name and shame them.

HURIWA stated emphatically that the EFCC could so so much to stop these persons from vying for public offices by naming and shaming them through direct correspondence to the All Progressives Congress, ADC and all other political parties, reminding the parties about the charges of corruption levelled against these persons. “EFCC is acting the play book of APC by refusing to take preventive, proactive steps to sensitise Nigerians through the media about the individuals who are facing charges of corruption.

Specifically, in line with its earlier public demand issued within the last seven days calling for transparency, accountability, and accelerated prosecution of such cases, the Rights group stayed that it is disappointing that the EFCC deliberately appears helpless but this same EFCC will be on the media spaces with photos of youngsters who are facing less criminal charges of advanced fees fraud compared to the massive thefts cases that the EFCC have presented against these politically exposed persons who are now buying up forms to contest for elective offices in the next election.

The prominent pro-democracy and civil rights advocacy group HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) notes with concern the recent defence advanced by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which argued that it lacks constitutional authority to prevent individuals under investigation from participating in elections.

While HURIWA acknowledges the legal limits of administrative agencies in electoral disqualification, it firmly maintains that this explanation does not address the deeper institutional failure at the heart of Nigeria’s anti-corruption enforcement system.

The core issue is not eligibility for elections in isolation, but the persistent failure to ensure timely, diligent, and publicly accountable prosecution of corruption allegations involving politically exposed persons. Where investigations and prosecutions are unduly delayed, suspects are effectively granted unrestricted political mobility, enabling them to continue participating in governance processes while their cases remain unresolved.

HURIWA observes that this pattern undermines public confidence in the justice system and creates the impression that anti-corruption enforcement is selectively applied depending on political status. This perception is dangerous for democracy, as it weakens deterrence and reinforces elite impunity.

The civil rights body HURIWA recalls that its earlier position specifically highlighted the risk of allowing individuals with unresolved corruption allegations to assume or seek public office, particularly legislative positions that may grant them oversight authority over the very anti-corruption institutions investigating them. This creates an inherent conflict of interest that threatens the independence and credibility of agencies such as the EFCC, ICPC, and Code of Conduct Bureau. Politicians like Godswill Akpabio was once investigated by the EFCC over alleged diversion of humongous amounts of public funds but due to deliberate administrative bottlenecks, Akpabio’s case despite the massive publicity, never made it to the courts thereby letting Akpabio run for public office and has since become the number 4 citizen of Nigeria. Many prominent Senators and former governors have been indicted by EFCC but the EFCC doesn’t want to prosecute these persons for political considerations.

HURIWA is especially concerned that prolonged investigative delays have, in several past instances, enabled politically exposed persons to re-enter public office and acquire strategic influence before judicial determinations are reached. In such circumstances, the pursuit of justice becomes structurally weakened, as accused individuals may indirectly influence institutional processes connected to their own cases.

The Rights group cites the case of former Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, alongside other politically exposed individuals whose cases have generated significant public concern but remain within prolonged investigative or pre-trial stages. HURIWA stresses that such situations should not persist without clear, transparent timelines and public accountability from the responsible agencies.

HURIWA further expresses concern that the recurring reliance on procedural or jurisdictional explanations risks obscuring the broader responsibility of the EFCC to act proactively, decisively, and transparently in the discharge of its mandate. The Commission is expected not only to investigate crimes but also to ensure that investigations lead promptly to prosecution where evidence exists.

HURIWA maintains that effective anti-corruption enforcement requires urgency, consistency, and equal application of the law, regardless of political affiliation or status. Any system that allows corruption cases to linger indefinitely while suspects actively participate in electoral politics risks normalising impunity.

HURIWA therefore calls on the EFCC to strengthen transparency by publicly disclosing the status of high-profile corruption investigations involving politically exposed persons, including timelines, procedural stages, and prosecutorial decisions already taken. This is necessary to restore public trust and demonstrate institutional seriousness.

The civil rights organisation HURIWA also urges Nigeria’s broader democratic institutions—including the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the judiciary, and civil society actors—to remain vigilant in safeguarding electoral integrity and ensuring that governance is not compromised by unresolved allegations of public fund diversion.

HURIWA reiterates that Nigeria’s fight against corruption cannot succeed if enforcement mechanisms are perceived as slow, selective, or politically influenced. The credibility of anti-corruption agencies depends not on rhetoric but on demonstrable action and timely justice.
Ultimately, HURIWA stresses that public office must not become a refuge for individuals with unresolved allegations of financial misconduct, and that the integrity of Nigeria’s democracy depends on restoring accountability to the centre of public life.

By Ignatius Okorocha,Abuja

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) expresses grave concern and mounting outrage over the persistent pattern of foreign travels by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, describing the trend as economically wasteful, strategically questionable, and dangerously disconnected from the urgent realities confronting Nigerians at home.

HURIWA particularly expressed shock that the leader of Nigeria facing horrendous attacks from terrorists and bandits with over 300 citizens held as hostages of Islamic rebels in parts of North East and North Central state of Kwara, yet the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed forces has left to spend two weeks gallivanting around Africa and Europe attending less fancied and irrelevant functions instead of staying back to lead the counterterrorism war from the frontlines.

At a time when the nation is reeling under crushing inflation, a volatile exchange rate, rising unemployment, deepening insecurity, and widespread social discontent, HURIWA finds it troubling that the highest office in the land appears increasingly preoccupied with external engagements whose benefits remain unclear, unquantified, and largely invisible to the average citizen.

In a statement signed by group’s National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko, the Association questions the policy logic and cost-benefit value of the President’s repeated overseas trips. What concrete investments have been secured? What binding agreements have translated into jobs, infrastructure, or economic relief?

It further questions,”How many of these diplomatic outings have yielded measurable outcomes capable of justifying the enormous expenditure of public funds? Did President Tinubu not spend days in South Africa? Why are Nigerian citizens been attacked and killed by Black South African government appears complicit in the Xenophobic Violence against Nigerians and other blacks in South Africa.”

HURIWA notes that each foreign trip undertaken by the President entails significant financial implications—including the deployment of presidential aircraft, heavy security logistics, accommodation, estacodes, and large entourages—costs ultimately borne by Nigerian taxpayers already stretched to the limit. In the face of subsidy removals, rising energy costs, and declining purchasing power, such expenditures, the group argues, are not only insensitive but indefensible.

Even more concerning, according to HURIWA, is the perception that Nigeria is gradually being governed from abroad while critical domestic challenges worsen. From persistent security threats across multiple regions to policy inconsistencies and economic instability, the country requires a President who is visibly present, fully engaged, and relentlessly focused on internal governance.

HURIWA emphasizes that effective leadership, especially in times of national strain, is not symbolic—it is practical, visible, and grounded in direct engagement with the people and institutions that drive change. Nigeria, the Association insists, cannot afford a leadership model that prioritizes international optics over local impact.

The group further questions the diplomatic reciprocity of these engagements, asking how many world leaders have deemed it necessary to visit Nigeria in return, and what this imbalance says about the strategic value of such travels.

HURIWA is not opposed to international diplomacy. However, it insists that foreign engagements must be purposeful, limited, and directly tied to clearly defined national interests with verifiable outcomes. Anything short of this, the Association warns, amounts to governance by optics rather than results.

In light of the foregoing, HURIWA calls on President Tinubu to immediately recalibrate his approach to governance by drastically reducing non-essential foreign trips and redirecting his energy toward resolving Nigeria’s pressing internal crises.

The country needs bold economic reforms, decisive security interventions, and coherent governance—not an endless cycle of international appearances.

“The mandate given to President Tinubu is clear: to fix Nigeria. That responsibility cannot be outsourced, postponed, or pursued from foreign capitals. It requires presence, commitment, and sustained domestic focus,” the statement stressed.

HURIWA reiterates that history will judge leadership not by miles travelled across continents, but by measurable improvements in the lives of citizens. At this critical juncture, Nigeria demands results—not rhetoric, not symbolism, and certainly not excessive globetrotting.

The Association reaffirms its unwavering commitment to advocacy, accountability, and the protection of the collective interests of Nigerians.

By George Mgbeleke

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has issued a blistering condemnation of the ongoing teachers’ strike in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), describing the situation as a direct consequence of what it termed the “insensitive, arrogant, and anti-worker disposition” of the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, towards the welfare of staff under his supervision.

In a statement signed by the National coordinator of HURIWA, Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko the stated that it is both shocking and unacceptable that in Nigeria’s capital city—one of the most expensive urban centres in Africa—over 98 percent of public sector workers, particularly teachers, continue to earn wages that are grossly inadequate and disconnected from economic realities.

The Association expressed outrage that while teachers who shape the intellectual and moral foundation of society are left impoverished, the FCT Administration appears more preoccupied with “cosmetic infrastructure projects such as flyovers and highways,” which it described as “politically convenient but socially disconnected from the urgent needs of the people.”

According to HURIWA, governance must not be reduced to “concrete and asphalt politics” at the expense of human capital development.

“Sovereignty belongs to the Nigerian people—not to appointed officials. Those who occupy public office derive their legitimacy from the people and must act in their interest, not in contempt of their welfare,” HURIWA declared.

“YOU CAN’T BUILD FLYOVERS ON BROKEN CLASSROOMS”
HURIWA accused the Minister of repeatedly making statements that suggest a troubling preference for infrastructure expansion over staff welfare, warning that such a mindset is dangerous and unsustainable.

The group stressed that no society can achieve meaningful development when its teachers—the very backbone of education—are neglected, demoralised, and pushed into industrial action.

“You cannot build flyovers over a collapsing education system. You cannot pave roads into a future where children are locked out of classrooms because their teachers are unpaid,” the statement added.

DOUBLE STANDARDS, ELITE PRIVILEGE, AND MORAL FAILURE
In a scathing critique of what it described as elite hypocrisy, HURIWA pointed out the glaring contradiction between the lifestyle choices of public officials and the realities faced by ordinary Nigerians.

The Association noted that while top government officials—including the FCT Minister—send their children to some of the most expensive schools abroad, children of poor Nigerians are left to suffer the consequences of underfunded and poorly managed public education systems.

“Why are the children of the political elite educated in elite institutions overseas, while Nigerian children are denied quality education at home due to unpaid teachers?” HURIWA queried.

“This is not just unfair—it is unjust, immoral, and a betrayal of public trust.”

CALL FOR TEACHERS TO BE PAID LIKE DOCTORS
HURIWA made a bold policy demand, calling on the Federal Government and all subnational authorities to urgently review the remuneration of teachers nationwide.
The Association proposed that teachers should be placed on a salary structure comparable to that of medical doctors, given their foundational role in shaping future generations.
“Teachers are nation-builders. Without them, there would be no doctors, engineers, lawyers, or leaders. Paying them poorly is equivalent to sabotaging the future of Nigeria,” the group stated.

IMMEDIATE DEMANDS
HURIWA issued the following urgent demands:
• Immediate payment of all outstanding salaries, allowances, and entitlements owed to FCT teachers
• Urgent engagement with teachers’ unions to resolve grievances and end the strike
• Comprehensive review of teachers’ salary structure to reflect current economic realities
• Balanced prioritisation of infrastructure development and human capital investment
• Institutional reforms to guarantee workers’ welfare as a non-negotiable governance obligation

WARNING: EDUCATION COLLAPSE BREEDS INSECURITY

The Association warned that prolonged neglect of the education sector could trigger far-reaching social consequences, including rising youth unemployment, criminality, and insecurity.
“Education remains the most effective weapon against poverty, extremism, and crime. Denying children access to education is equivalent to fueling future instability,” HURIWA cautioned.
FINAL POSITION
HURIWA called on the FCT Administration to act with urgency, responsibility, and humility, warning that continued indifference could provoke widespread public backlash.
“The time for excuses is over. Pay the teachers. Reopen the schools. Restore dignity to the workforce. Anything short of this is unacceptable.”