By George Mgbeleke

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has expressed profound disappointment with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 2026 Democracy Day address, describing significant portions of the speech as repetitive, disconnected from the harsh realities facing Nigerians, and fundamentally defective in its approach to the nation’s worsening security crisis.

In a statement by the national cordinator of HURIWA, Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko on Friday, the group said that while acknowledging the President’s recognition of June 12 heroes and democratic values, HURIWA believes the speech failed to address the most urgent concerns confronting ordinary Nigerians, including terrorism, insecurity, the rising cost of living, mass unemployment, and the growing threat to education across several parts of the country.

Most troubling is the President’s continued insistence on keeping “the door of surrender open” for terrorists who have murdered thousands of innocent Nigerians, destroyed communities, abducted schoolchildren, and displaced millions of citizens.

HURIWA considers this position fundamentally flawed.

What exactly happens after terrorists surrender? Are Nigerians expected to continue witnessing a policy under which individuals responsible for mass killings are rehabilitated, reintegrated, and returned to society while victims and their families continue to suffer without justice?

The association firmly rejects any policy that appears to reward terrorism with rehabilitation while communities devastated by violence remain neglected.

Instead of repeatedly extending surrender offers, the Federal Government should deploy the full might of the Nigerian Armed Forces, supported by the best available intelligence-gathering capabilities, to identify terrorist enclaves and dismantle them completely through carefully coordinated military operations.

The primary responsibility of government is to protect law-abiding citizens, not to negotiate endlessly with those who have declared war against the Nigerian state.

Equally disturbing is the President’s failure to address the issue of sabotage within the nation’s security architecture.

For years, allegations have persisted that some insiders within the military and security establishments leak operational plans to terrorists and criminal networks, thereby undermining military operations and exposing personnel to danger.

HURIWA expected the President, as Commander-in-Chief, to announce concrete measures aimed at identifying, investigating, and rooting out such saboteurs. His silence on this critical issue represents a major omission.

The association is also alarmed by the President’s failure to present a comprehensive plan for securing Nigerian schools.

At a time when school abductions continue to traumatize families and force thousands of children out of classrooms, the absence of any detailed commitment to school safety is unacceptable.

Education is a fundamental human right. Yet many parents across Northern Nigeria remain fearful of sending their children to school because of persistent threats from terrorists, bandits, and kidnappers.

A Democracy Day speech that fails to address the protection of children and educational institutions cannot be considered complete.

Furthermore, HURIWA notes that the speech devoted extensive attention to government achievements and the distribution of national honours while offering insufficient acknowledgment of the suffocating cost-of-living crisis currently confronting Nigerians.

Millions of families are struggling to afford food, transportation, healthcare, housing, and education.

Inflation continues to erode purchasing power, while unemployment and underemployment remain at disturbing levels, particularly among young people.

Poverty, hunger, unemployment, and economic hopelessness are themselves grave threats to democracy.

A democracy in which citizens cannot afford basic necessities is a democracy under severe strain.

The association also observes that large portions of the speech closely mirror themes repeatedly presented in previous national addresses, offering little in terms of fresh policy direction or innovative solutions to the nation’s pressing challenges.

While national honours have their place in preserving history and recognizing sacrifice, governance cannot be reduced to the annual distribution of awards.

What Nigerians urgently require are measurable improvements in security, economic wellbeing, access to education, job creation, and public confidence in state institutions.

HURIWA therefore calls on President Tinubu to move beyond ceremonial declarations and provide Nigerians with a concrete, results-driven roadmap for defeating terrorism, securing schools, addressing economic hardship, tackling unemployment, and strengthening democratic institutions.

The sacrifices of the heroes of June 12 can only be truly honoured when democracy delivers security, justice, prosperity, and hope to ordinary Nigerians.

By Our Correspondent

THE ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) of the Moses Orshio Adasu University, Makurdi (MOAUM) which commenced on June 1st , 2026 has entered its third week unabated as many shifts the blame squarely on the inefficiencies and underhand dealings by the Governing Council of the state owned institution .

The ongoing strike unfortunately coincides with Democracy Day, but while the abduction of school children across Nigeria clearly shows government ineptitude to secure lives ,the nonchalant attitude of the Governing Council of MOAUM regarding the welfare of the university, the silence of the university Visitor raises bigger concerns and questions about the will-power to sustain the gains the university has made particularly in the last five years and the lip service by Government officials and education policy drivers.

While Investigations reveal that there might be more unions joining the strike , there are also allegations of abuse of established law books , style of governance ,appropriation roles and responsibilities of the university management and Senate against the institutions Council .

More worrisome is information that some staff are called from home at late hours or odd hours to appear before councils in most dehumanized manner that falls below standards of public institutions and as if it was the private business of the chairman of the council a development that has already triggered calls for his removal in other to save the university .

A Senior lecturer in the University told our correspondent on condition of anonymity that ,”
“the staff have gradually discovered that the leadership of the Council has been playing mind games with them. It is true that he started powerfully by borrowing money to clear their earned allowances. But the staff have come to realize that all was a façade. Before now, some of us carried out a background check on his person and were shocked to discover that he had issues with ICPC and EFCC regarding TETFUND Contracts. That was when some of us began to watch more carefully.”

A Professor spoke extensively on his disappointment with his colleagues who are internal members of Council and the Union itself. “Honestly, I wonder why we allowed this man to trick us for this long. Did we not notice when he was having issues with the former VC Prof. Tor Iorapuu. But most of us in our foolishness and because, ab initio did not want an ‘outsider’ as a VC, we did not pay attention to the fact that the Council was gradually destroying the system. It is clearly an attitudinal and a mentality thing. See where we are? The Council Chairman has taken over the responsibilities of the VC, the Management and the Senate. He is appointing directors, procurement officers, acting directors, swapping staff from one position to another, suspending staff at will. Which Council does that and what instrument of power does the Council have to do that without following the law books? Two topical issues on ground are the unilateral appointment of Prof. Ubwa as the Director of CEFTER; unlawful creation of the position of a Director of Research and grant writing without due process, and the interference in the appointment of a deputy vice chancellor.”

There are deeper issues. It would seem, not only the staff are unsettled. Council members are equally unsettled. It is on the lips of teaching and non-teaching staff that the last physical Council was quite volatile. Some council members may have woken up, expressed dissatisfaction on several issues. One of them was the handling of TETFUND contracts of
over 2 Billion Naira TETFUND annual allocation, 300 million Naira TETFUND Zonal intervention, 4 billion special Tetfund presidential fund for Medicine, dentistry, Nursing and Pharmaceutical Sciences.1 Billion Naira TETFUND counterpart fund for PPP, 1600 bed spaces hostel accommodation.

An administrative staff on account anonymity recounted that some external members of Council may have realized that they have been taken for granted. According to him, “the lies, the scams and the real identities of who is who have popped out. Suddenly, some Council members are courageous to voice out.” Probing further, he said, “some courageous council members are alleging that contracts are awarded without procedures.” Our findings show that, one specific matter mentioned was the attempts to twist or cover up abuse of procurement processes under an acting VC. In fact, Council Members want a probe how Tetfund Library funds were utilized. TETFUND needs to investigate this because its staff was mentioned in connivance with Ubwa. Efforts to get the University Librarian to confirm the information failed.
A visibly angry staff who also spoke on condition of anonymity said, “nothing is hidden under the sun. In this university, we know and hear about every decision taken in Council, who participates and who sleeps. We can tell you comprehensively that very few members of Council speak.

“The Chairman decides on anything he wants and they concur. Look, Council Members have information that the former VC, Prof. Tor Iorapuu had received over 2billion annual allocation for 2025, 300million Zonal intervention, and 4billion Special Presidential fund for the Medical School and I billion Naira as counterpart support for PPP students’ hostels. That the former VC made this information available in Council. However, every contract was awarded with speed withing months that Prof. Iorapuu was on forced leave. Council Members cannot explain how the decisions to award any contract were arrived at. The only thing Council members know is that the VC who succeeded Professor Iorapuu when he was on leave facilitated through one agricultural company account the sum of 1.7million Naira to the account of Council Members in December 2025. What is not clear is if internal Members of Council got the same amount with the External Members. Some other staff of the University like the Procurement officer got 800 thousand Naira. Now, here is a curious question.

“This Acting VC was no longer the acting VC, when Prof. Tor Iorapuu handed over. Is it not worrying that he was still involved with the administration to the extent of facilitating funds to Council Members?
The conversations regarding the strike are equally in the town. Indigenous contractors are warming up. Information filtering out is that there is sufficient displeasure that all the contractors are from Anambra.
For people who are quite familiar with ASUU strikes, will read the handwriting on the wall and act smartly. ASUU may as well be sending a message to the Visitor that the Council Chairman has no polling unit in Benue.
“This is not a threat; it is statement of fact and a warning. Fr. Alia who today is the Visitor should know better because he was a neighbour of the university.
“To end this strike, some of the issues raised here are critical. Fr. Alia as the Visitor needs to revisit his illusions. If your expectations have not been met, please act now. You are between truth and survival. Knowledge of the activities and operations of Campus unions is the beginning of wisdom. The truth is before you to unpack.”

By George Mgbeleke

The President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio, has called on Nigerians to embrace unity, vigilance, and active participation in nation-building as the country marks 27 years of uninterrupted democratic governance.

He commended Nigerians for their resilience and support for democracy despite some low moments.

In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, In a Democracy Day message signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity,Hon Eseme Eyiboh mnipr, Senator Akpabio noted that Nigeria’s democratic experiment is a testimony of endurance despite years of agitations.

“On behalf of the 10th National Assembly, I congratulate every Nigerian for the sustenance of democracy for close to three decades. Mistakes have been made in the course of this journey but we will surely get to the desired destination with your support”

He urge Nigerians to continue to believe in democratic governance and not give into attempts by elements of backwardness, whose sole aim is to derail the process.

According to him, “Democracy should extend beyond the conduct of elections and be anchored on accountability, justice, compassion and service to the common good”.

The Senate President called on the youth to participate actively in the nations political process stressing that the younger generation forms the fulcrum of leadership succession.

He said “As we commemorate June 12, I wish to encourage the youth not to sit on the fence but be active participants in the nation’s political activities. The youths constitute the fulcrum of those who will succeed us tomorrow.

“Let us therefore rededicate ourselves to the ideals of freedom, transparency and accountable government, social justice, and active citizen participation, especially the youths”.

On insecurity, Akpabio appeal to Nigerians to unite with one another and cooperate with the government to tame the monster that has befallen the nation.

He assured citizens that the President Tinubu administration remains committed to ending insecurity and securing the release of all persons in captivity.

“I urge every Nigerian to support the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in her efforts in fighting terrorism. We understand the pains you are going through but the government is not resting on its oars and hopefully we shall overcome this current challenge and all will be well with Nigeria.

Hon Eseme Eyiboh mnipr
Special Adviser, Media & Publicity and Official Spokesperson to the President of the Senate