Delta Gov’t, Remi Tinubu & Lessons From ‘Na Your Mama’

Like the case of ‘Corper’ Raye, that ‘Na Your Mama’ drama that highlighted the disguised political campaigns Wife of the President, Senator Oluremi Tinubu’ took to the South South at Asaba, again demonstrates the futility and self mockery when government tries to gag free press or freedom of expression.

One of the hard lessons for Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, from this shameful episode, is that arrant impunity, intimidation, propaganda and victimisation are not reliable dispositions to deploy damage control in some situations.

Social media is providing a strong court of public opinion helping to expose the gross abuse of power among Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) including public schools like the Delta Nursing School Agbor.

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Forget the display of false good conscience by the state government in puerile damaged control. From the malicious query by the School Provost, to Health Commissioner’s withdrawal directive to the conceited Information Commissioner, Charles Aniagwu’s flat defense of the indefensible, the entire drama of Delta state government’s response to the student Nurse’s sharing of the ‘na your mama’ video were all pieces of woven conspiracy.

We strongly believe the Provost, Mrs Evbodaghe Ogonne, was in touch and got approval of the Health Commissioner, Dr.Joseph Onojaeme and their ‘Oga’, Governor Oborevwori to issue the malicious query against an innocent student.

When the first misstep boomeranged on the government by the force of social media reactions, it came to Plan B damage control which was for the Commissioner to order the embattled Provost to withdraw the unwarranted punitive query.

While Dr. Onojaeme tried to paint picture of “we don’t want to victimize anybody” government magnanimity in ordering withdrawal of the query, the attempted resort to intimidation with the query was totally unjustified. The Provost reference to Osato Edobor’s violation of the school’s rules of students engagement was absolute farce.

No portion of the Student Handbook the Provost referred to was violated by Osato Edobor’s sharing of a factuality. And contrary to omniscient double portfolios commissioner, Charles Aniagwu, the viral by Osato Edobor was never shared to pass any wrong message. It was shared as happened. No misrepresentation. The school, state government or “Your Mama” have absolutely nothing to hold against Osato Edobor.

Assuming without conceding she acted wrongly, it still would have been a travesty to punish Osato Edobor in isolation of the entire nursing students who chorused “na your mama” with any iota of fear at the Asaba event.

For Senator Remi Tinubu, the lesson is for her to come to terms with the reality that nobody, including direct beneficiaries, is overwhelmed by the wastage she calls Renewed Hopelessness Initiative over a country sinking under the insensitive rule of her husband.

And it’s time she stopped her thieving insinuation that government does not fund her pet project to campaign second term for her husband. It’s time she started publishing her donor list for her projects funds.

Even if she does have a list of private donors to unveil, it will not justify the propaganda that she doesn’t get support from the public treasury. Who pays her retinue of aides, offices, logistics involving her convoy when she moves about the country for her projects? Who owns the private aircraft she hops with?

The wastage she stimulates goes beyond her. Wives of governors that flock around her when she carries out those projects, do they also get private funding for selves and their entourage, hotels, flights and sundry expenses or they get the funds from their respective state treasuries with approval of their husband governors?

Let’s face it, Remi Tinubu must also watch her language as a dogooder President’s wife. People should stop the self glorification of being charitable using government resources. Out of office, let’s see how philanthropic they are.

What is Senator Remi Tinubu claiming that she just wants to help? Help who? How does weaponising poverty amount to helping who really, poor nurses who are in public service to save the nation’s weak healthcare?

Nobody is fascinated by crass wastage and self glorification of a 1st Lady in the guise of Renewed Hopelessness Initiative. Medical kits for Midwives in a comatose health care system is the worst of the nation’s challenges.

Weaponising handouts to the poor while even enriching self and fronts from such fake charities is not what the nation needs. Nigerians want good roads, steady power, quality schools for affordable education, equipped hospitals and above all security of lives and property so people can fend for selves.

Lastly, ‘Na your mama’ is a hard lesson in extreme praise singing by rental hype men, like the one who wants to force his ‘Mama’ on nursing students at Asaba.

Funny enough,Senator Remi Tinubu and the Delta State Government under Gov Sheriff Oborevwori will never learn. They believe so much on impunity, but they must learn the hard way.

Zik Gbemre
March 31,2025

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