Editorial
The Impact of Inadequate Citizenship Education on Political Performance and Government Fund Mismanagement: A Case Study of Burutu Local Government, Delta State
By Engr John Perede Akpoyibo
The connection between citizenship education and effective political governance is undeniable. In regions where this foundational pillar is neglected, the repercussions are evident in political performance and the stewardship of public funds. This article examines the relationship between deficient citizenship education and its subsequent effects on political efficacy and financial mismanagement within Burutu Local Government Area (LGA) in Delta State, Nigeria.
The Role of Citizenship Education
Citizenship education is designed to equip individuals with the knowledge, skills, and values necessary to participate actively and responsibly in civic life. It encompasses understanding political processes, recognizing the significance of the rule of law, and appreciating the importance of accountability and transparency in governance. Informed citizens are better positioned to make sound electoral choices, engage in policy discussions, and hold public officials accountable.
The State of Citizenship Education in Burutu LGA
In Burutu LGA, like many other parts of Nigeria, the state of citizenship education is alarmingly inadequate. Schools often lack the necessary resources, qualified teachers, and comprehensive curricula that address the critical aspects of citizenship. Consequently, many residents grow up with limited understanding of their civic duties and rights. This educational gap creates a populace that is ill-prepared to participate effectively in democratic processes.
Political Performance and Its Consequences
The deficit in citizenship education directly impacts political performance in Burutu LGA. Voters who are not well-informed are susceptible to manipulation, making them easy targets for corrupt politicians who exploit their ignorance. The result is the election/selection of leaders who may lack the competency and integrity required to govern effectively. Such leaders are less likely to prioritize public welfare, leading to poor policy implementation and ineffective governance.
Moreover, the absence of a robust civic education framework fosters political apathy. Many residents, disillusioned by the lack of meaningful political engagement, opt out of the electoral process altogether. This disengagement further entrenches ineffective leaders and stymies efforts to achieve political reform.
Financial Mismanagement and Government Funds
The mismanagement of government funds in Burutu LGA is a symptom of broader governance issues exacerbated by poor citizenship education. Public officials, aware that the populace lacks the knowledge or will to hold them accountable, often engage in corrupt practices with impunity. This includes the embezzlement of funds meant for public projects, leading to a lack of development and persistent poverty.
For instance, projects intended to improve infrastructure, healthcare, and education frequently suffer from underfunding or are left incomplete. Funds that should be directed towards these vital services are diverted for personal gain, with little fear of repercussion due to the weak enforcement of accountability mechanisms. The impact is felt most acutely by the residents, who are denied the benefits of development projects that could improve their quality of life.
Addressing the Educational Deficit
To remedy these challenges, a concerted effort to bolster citizenship education in Burutu LGA is imperative. This could involve:
1. Curriculum Overhaul: Integrating comprehensive citizenship education into school curricula, focusing on governance, civic rights, and responsibilities.
2. Teacher Training: Providing specialized training for teachers to effectively deliver citizenship education.
3. Community Engagement: Establishing community programs that educate adults on civic duties and political processes.
4. Government and NGO Collaboration:
Leveraging the resources and expertise of non-governmental organizations and governmental bodies to promote civic education.
The case of Burutu LGA underscores the critical importance of citizenship education in fostering effective political performance and the prudent management of government funds. By addressing the educational deficiencies, there is potential to cultivate a more informed and engaged electorate. This, in turn, can lead to the election/selection of competent leaders, better governance, and the judicious use of public resources, paving the way for sustainable development and improved quality of life for all residents.
Engr John Perede Akpoyibo
08156926975
6th June 2024
Your Excellency,
SUBJECT: Strategic Proposal to Leverage Dangote’s Bayelsa Visit and Unlock Delta’s Coastal Industrial Corridor
Warm greetings to Your Excellency and continued appreciation for your stewardship over the affairs of Delta State.
I write to you with a sense of strateg urgency and patriotic commitment, in light of Alhaji Aliko Dangote’s recent visit to Bayelsa State, which has reunited national attention toward private-sector-led industrial development in the Niger Delta. As commendable as that engagement is, Delta State holds even more viable, strategic, and economically advantageous alternatives that demand immediate prioritisation and promotion.⁸
Deltas Host to Tree of the Many Oil Terminals in Nigeria
Delta State is host to Escravos Oil Terminal, Forcados Oil Terminal, and the Agbami Floating Production, Storage, and Offloading offshore facility (FPSO). This and many more makes Delta the highest Oil Producing State in Nigeria today. It is our firm belief that the Delta State Government can approach the Dangote Group or any other local or international oil and gas consortium to build mega/Modular Oil Refineries incorporated with power plats near these export terminals, construct a railway and dual carrage highway, and power transmission networks from the incorporated power plants to Warri city. This way, constant oil supply to the Refineries is guaranteed, constant power supply is guaranteed, constant supply of Petroleum products is guaranteed, and the issue of motorable road infrastructure from the city centre to the creeks/coastal coastal communities of the Niger Delta creeks is resolved. More than that, road access makes it more efficient for securing the oil-rich swampy terrain of Delta State.
Delta Coast Corridor: A Hidden Goldmine
Communities such as Pepper-Ama/Oporoza in Gbaramatu Kingdom, and Youbebe/Ogulagha in Ogulagha Kingdom, and Forcados/Beniboye in Iduwini Kingdom, located along the Coastline of Warri-Southwest Local Government Area and Burutu Local Government Area respectively, offer a rare confluence of economic advantages that make them ideal for:
a. A modular or full scale Crude Oil Refinery or petrochemical plant
b. A deep water Offloading depot and marine Terminal
c. A seaport connected to international shipplanes
d. A motorable road and rail linking the creeks to Warri city, the East-West road, and beyond
Unlike some other locations in the region, these areas are resources-rich, geostrategically positioned, relatively peaceful, and welcoming to industrial development.
Why Delta State MustAct Now
You Excellency, Delta must not be a spectator in the race to attract transformative investments. With Dangote, Ibeto, etc, and/or other industrial giants exploring new Refinery locations, the time is ripe for Delta State to present a unified, attractive, and superior proposition.
Here’s why this corridor stands out:
1. Superior Geographic Advantage
Pepper-ama, Ogulagha, Youbebeb, Forcados, and Beniboye lies along navigable coastal waters with direct access to the Atlantic Ocean, making them ideal for a deep-sea port and marine logistics hub that can serve the South-South, South-East, North-Central, and North-East regions.
2. Proximity to Existing Oil and Gas Fields/Installations
These communities are surrounded by operational oil and gas assets, iwned by major IOCs and national companies. A Refinery or depot sited here would reduce reliance on Lagos ports, minimizes inland transportation cost and problems that often lead to massive traffic jam due to influx of big Petroleum tankers sharing Limited road facilities with other users, by decentralizing fuel distribution.
3. Untapped Blue Economy Potential
With maritime infrastructure, these coastal areas can become hubs for logistics, ship repairs, offshore support services, and even export-based industrial and agricultural processing zones.
4. Community Willingness and Land Availability
The people Gbaramatu Ogulagha and Iduwini Kingdoms have consistently demonstrated hospitality towards industry, making land and support available-if development is inclusive, environmentally sounds, and consutative.
Key infrastructure Priority: An All-Se Road Network
To fully unlock this region’s economic value, the construction of a durable, all-season motorable road from the creeks to Warri and onward to other urban centres is non-negotiable.
This road will ensure seamless distribution of Petroleum products from future reginry/Offloading depots.
It will integrate these coastal communities into the broader Delta economy and reduce travel times and transport costs.
With federal alignment, it could feed into the East-West road, facilitating cargo movement to the South-East, North-Central, and North-East geopolitical regions.
Recommendations for Strategic Actions
1. Host a Coastal Investment Summit in Warri
Invite key investors, including Aliko Dangote, BUA, NNPC Ltd., Waltersmith, Renaissance, Transcorp Group, etc., and other global operators.
Showcase Delta’s Coastal Corridor as a viable industrial zone ready for investment.
2. Commission a Joint Feasibility Study
Assess Pepper-ama, Youbebe, Ogulagha, Forcados, and Beniboye communities for a Refinery, Offloading depot, and seaport.
Include road infrastructure needs and environmental safeguards.
3. Establish a Delta Coastal Development Authority (DCDA) or use the Delta State Ministry of Riverine Communities Development
Tasked with coordinating infrastructure planning, PPP engagement, and land/community integration.
4. Lobby Federal Government, NNPC, and other critical stakeholders
Secure destination of the area as a strategic industrial development zone.
Explore subsidy, tax, and logistics waivers to incentive private-sector eng.
Conclusively, let Delta take the lead
Your Excellency, it is time for Delta to reclaim its historic leadership as the industrial and economic heartbeat of the Niger Delta. By proactively showcasing our superiors’ sites and unlocking our creek-to-hinterland logistics corridor, we can attract investment that will create jobs, build infrastructure, and catalyze long-term prosour people.
Let us not watch others harvest the fruit of opportunities planted better our own terrain.
We look forward to bold leadership and swift action.
Yours in service and development,
Peretengboro Bibaikefie
Thanks you
Editorial
A-Z on How AI Can Help You Design Your Future; Hear Ngozi’s Story from Technology to Transformation
From the Editor’s Desk – IduwiniVoice
In an age where artificial intelligence is reshaping industries and disrupting traditional careers, Award-winning entrepreneur Ngozi Elobuike is proving that living your dream life is more possible than ever before. And she’s not just talking about it-she’s living it.
Once sleeping on her sister’s couch, Elobuike has since transformed her lowest point into a global, AI-powered life of purpose and creativity. Now splitting her time between the U.S., Ireland, France, she’s built a life that reflects both ambition and intention. From founding Ireland’s first black-led wine club and launching two luxury beverage brands to publishing an AI-powered travel book and teaching over 500 creatives how to use AI to unlock their potential, Elobuike’s story is a living blueprint for the modern dreamers.
“Most people stay stuck in lives they don’t love because they think transformation takes years,” Elobuike said in her recent TEDx talk, which has generated over 200,000 views. “They believe dreams lives belongs to other people-the lucky ones.”
For Elobuike, AI is more than just a tool-it’s a catalyst for reinvention. She sold her social media agency in 2021 and used AI to build her next business, handing off repetitive tasks to technology so she could focus on the things that matter: writing for Forbes, competing in powerlifting and living as a digital nomad across 35 cities.
“Your dream life is closer than you think with AI as your partner,” she said.
At the heart of her philosophy is the belief that life is a laboratory.
“What does a scientist do? They think about life as an experiment,” Elobuike explains. “You have dependent variables and you have independent variables. You have things that you can control in your settings.”
To her, AI is the Independent variable that “has the ability to act as an enzyme. It lowers the activation energy needed to complete a task.”
Identify what drains you, and delegate repetitive tasks to AI. Tools like Claude for writing, Zapier for automation, and Perplexity for research can reclaim hours of your day and give you space to create.
One of her most innovative ideas? Creating an AI advisory board-a team of specialized AI personas to advise on business, creativity, and personal growth.
“Instead of asking your friend who may be a naysayer, ‘hey, I’m thinking about starting this new idea venture, ‘ consider asking AI,” she suggests. “Prompt ChatGPT and say I have an idea for X. Give me advise as if you were Oprah.”
Elobuike also urges people to test their ideas with small, smart experiments.
“You don’t need to quit your job tomorrow, Want to write? Use AI to pushing one article. Want to Launch a wine? Don’t start with the wine-start with a product mockup and gauge your audience’s reaction.”
While many remain sceptical-only 32% of adults believe AI will benefit them, with scepticism highest amongst women and older adults-Elobuike sees a window of opportunity.
“While others debate whether AI is good or bad, you can be building,” she advises. “That hesitation is head start.”
The real magic, she says, comes from a mindset of continuous improvement.
“Growth hacking is what startup entrepreneurs created as a term back in 2010. What is growth hacking? Imagine if you got 1% better every day, but 10% better every day.”
Her advice is clear: Stop playing with AI like a toy. Start using it as a system. Use it to build, scale, and magnify things that make you uniquely you.
In a word still catching up to the power of artificial intelligence, Ngozi Elobuike is already living in the future-and showed the rest of us how to get there. Let Elobuike’s story fire your marrows and power your dreams today.
Editorial
Taming the Swampy Creeks, Bridging the Future: Bayelsa’s Nembe-Brass Coastal Road Begins to Take Shape
IduwiniVoice
The long-anticipated Nembe-Brass Road project, a monumental infrastructure initiative in Bayelsa State, is making steady headway as construction advances into its second phase, with the second major bridge now rising from the creeks, Arogbo-IbeVoice Newspaper reported.
Launched in June 2022, the 21-kilometre Nembe-Brass Road is designed to link the historically isolated Brass Island to Nembe and ultimately to the mainland, opening a new corridor of access and opportunity for the people of Bayelsa East Senatorial District.
New images emerging from the site offer compelling evidence of the ongoing work. Concrete pillars for the second bridge now tower above the swamplands, while heavy machinery continues the arduous task of road expansion through the difficult terrain.
Describing the pace of the project, a site engineer who spoke under anonymity noted: “We are tackling one of the most technically challenging sections now, and the progress is remarkable given the terrain. The second bridge is a critical component, and once it’s complete, we can begin surfacing the next stretch of the road.”
The road, when completed, will not only facilitate easier movement between Brass and Nembe but also serve as a strategic link to the Atlantic coastline — vital for trade, tourism, and security. Locals have long expressed hopes that the project would transform the economic and social landscape of the region.
Speaking at a recent inspection tour, Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to delivering the project: “We are determined to see this road completed. It is not just a road; it is a lifeline for our people, an artery of development that has been long overdue.”
Many community leaders and stakeholders have praised the government’s persistence in driving the project despite fiscal and environmental constraints. Chief Ebikesei Ben-Wills, a traditional leader in Brass, remarked: “This is not just concrete and gravel — this is our future taking shape before our eyes.”
As the second bridge nears completion and more sections of the road take form, optimism grows that Bayelsa’s coastal communities may finally be lifted from decades of isolation.
The Nembe-Brass Road is more than infrastructure; it is a symbol of long-awaited inclusion, bridging the gap between forgotten communities and a modern, connected Bayelsa.