Bekeh Ukelina

@PeterObi These are not bad boys or girls. It is a bad environment. It is a bad country and state and municipality. I see some people condemn them. They should first try to get close to them and interact with them. I have done that and I know their situation is not hopeless.

When a Society Turns Against Its Own Reports from Cross River State this week have brought to light a deeply troubling incident involving young boys who were tied up like animals and brutally treated under the label of “Skolombo boys.” These are not merely disturbing images; they are a stark reminder that we have failed the children of our nation. These young people, often labelled “Skolombo boys” and “Lakasara girls,” are not criminals by birth; they are victims of a system that has neglected them. Children who ought to be in classrooms, learning and building their future, are instead on the streets, struggling to survive. Today, Nigeria has over 20 million out-of-school children, the highest number in the world, which constitutes a national emergency. A society that ties up and beats its children with machetes is one that has lost its moral direction. We cannot claim to be building a future while destroying the very foundation of that future - our children. Even more troubling is the contradiction we now live with. In a country where we speak of rehabilitation and reintegration for “repentant” terrorists, how do we justify brutality against vulnerable children whose only “crime” is poverty and abandonment? We must move from punishment to compassion, from neglect to responsibility. These children must be taken off the streets and given access to education, shelter, and structured rehabilitation. Governments at all levels should seek ways to protect and integrate them into society, rather than criminalise them. This is not just about Cross River; it is about the kind of Nigeria we are choosing to build. We must do better. Our nation must protect the weak and the future of its people. A New Nigeria is POssible. -PO

@PeterObi @PeterObi 3 years ago our NGO @fopchen attempted a rehabilitation program by trying to take them off the streets to teach them skills; unfortunately the principal of a public school nearby wouldn't let us use their facilities. The issue was space to use for their training.

Nigeria's One-Party Peril: Time for a Real Opposition, Not Just a Power Grab Let's be real, Nigeria's flirting with a one-party state under @officialABAT and his @OfficialAPCNg party. The recent power play in #Edo and now #riversstate is a glaring example that their primary goal is to destroy the opposition using instruments of the state.  Remember when Tinubu won—controversially, let's not forget—and there was talk of a government of national unity? I even proposed it because of his lack of clear mandate. I chuckle when APC people run around singing "on your mandate we shall stand!" What mandate? I digress. Efforts at national unity lasted about as long as a harmattan breeze. Instead, we got "emi lo kan" politics, a winner-takes-all mentality that's alienated half the country. Surprise, surprise, it's the "Lagos boys" reaping the rewards. Now, we hear of the birth of an opposition coalition: @atiku, @PeterObi, @elrufai,, the usual suspects. Look,  I or most #Nigerians are not against a united front. We are tired of the APC and how they have destroyed both the economy and the polity. But if this is just about swapping one set of power-hungry #politicians for another, count me out. I am sure a lot of Nigerians feel the same way too. We've seen this movie before—serial decampers chasing influence, not change. The Tinubu camp knows it's fellow politicians and is the reason for calling the opposition serial losers. The coalition is in it's early stages and the cracks are already showing. Personal ambitions, North vs. South rivalry—same old, same old. So, here's my advice to Atiku, Obi, and El-Rufai: ditch the backroom deals and start talking real solutions and do this publicly! First, forget who gets what seat. Focus on how you will restructure the country. This presidential system is a mess and most Nigerians agree. Let's move to a parliamentary system, unicameral, part-time legislature. Six weeks, twice a year—that's it. Decentralize power to the six geopolitical zones. Second, draft a new constitution and discuss it through open forai before the election. Let Nigerians have a say and decide whether they want to support a government that is offering us this new constitution. Make it a covenant. No more secret meetings and deals deciding our future. Third, hold open meetings. Engage with Nigerians at home and abroad. Give us a stake in this "New Nigeria" you're selling. We're tired of "empowerment" handouts or stomach infrastructure. We want a leadership that prioritizes real welfare, not just lining pockets of themselves and their cronies.  Look, Nigeria's at a crossroads and with the anti-immigrants sentiments in America and Europe, we need to reverse the japa syndrome. So we desperately need an opposition that's about more than just grabbing power but working for change to keep our youth and bring back our experts working outside the continent. The country needs leadership that has a clear vision, a plan, and a genuine commitment to change. If this coalition can deliver that, count me in. If not, they're just another chapter in Nigeria's long history of missed opportunities.

@NatashaAkpoti I'm tired of the gaslighting, victim-blaming, and blatant attempts to silence women. Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduagan deserves to be heard. All women deserve to be heard. Until we start taking these allegations seriously, nothing will change. bekeh.com/senator_natash…

It's the same tired, predictable playbook we see every time a woman dares to speak up about sexual assault. We saw some of these in the early days of the #MeToo movement in the US. It's like they're all reading from a script titled "How to Silence Women who Speak Up."

President Godswill Akpabio have been nothing short of a masterclass in how not to handle a serious issue such as sexual abuse or harassment. The sheer volume of garbage that has been spewed by male politicians and commentators in the Nigerian media is sickening.

@NatashaAkpoti Enough is Enough: The Disgusting Dismissal of Senator Akpoti-Uduagan's Allegations As a man and a Nigerian citizen, I'm honestly beyond disappointed. I'm appalled. The reactions to Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduagan's allegations of sexual harassment against Senate

The Trump administration's abrupt policy shift to pull out of the WHO and to cut State Department funding for USAID is going to have devastating consequences on the African continent, and it will cost lives, millions of lives. #usaid #AIDS #HIV #Africa bekeh.com/usaid/

@ndlea_nigeria My guest was able to board the 9:50AM Ibom Air but that was only possible after the @ndlea_nigeria staff extorted money from him. This is not acceptable! Who is going to be the next victim of these criminals in your agency?

@ndlea_nigeria it's pure robbery when your staff threatens a passenger that they have to settle or you will use search to cause them to miss their flight. That female staff needs to be investigated. You know who you had at Calabar airport today at 9:50AM.

@ndlea_nigeria Your female staff at Calabar airport today harassed a guest I invited from Abuja for a project and extorted money from him. They took advantage of the fact that his flight was already boarding. Stop the criminality. It is not a good image for Nigeria.

Thrilled to announce the start of our NetZero sustainable housing project in w. Africa! Youths are being trained on rammed earth construction, a low-cost & eco-friendly alternative to concrete. Stay tuned for updates on this project! #sustainableconstruction #rammedearth #Africa

We must return to a parliamentary model because it encourages coalition-building, broader representation, and consensus-driven policies. A parliamentary system will ensure that there is no single all-powerful figurehead and that more voices are heard. bekeh.com/nigeria-on-the…

@GymnasticsIre Wow! No aplogy in this statement for the traumas that your officials have caused this little child and the family. Makes the point that as Black people, we are visible, yet hyper invisible @USAGym #Gymnastics

@GymnasticsIre Wow! No aplogy in this statement for the traumas that your officials have caused this little child and the family. Makes the point that as Black people, we are visible, yet hyper invisible #Gymnastics gymnasticsireland.com/news/gymnastic…

@officialABAT Needs to show leadership and fire this woman immediately. She has no business being minister of women affairs if she would intimidate women who are sexually harassed. #Nigeria punchng.com/unical-sex-sca…

Petrol tanker fell and blocked Ikom - Calabar highway yesterday. Motorists stranded. Suddenly people from the local communities showed up with hundreds of gallons & were collecting the petrol. No 🔥 🚒 around. Very risky operations. #thisisNigeria

A full text of FOPCHEN Press release on the collapse of the wall of the Zaria Mosque in Zazzau Emirate and our commitment to provide assistance in the restoration of the wall. #zazzauemirate #Emirates #emir #Zaria #mosque #Nigeria #ZariaMosque