Teacherconnect

22/12/2025

WE MUST NOT BE DECEIVED
By
Ted Ebute

A mere declaration made during a budget presentation or any other ceremonial event—no matter how emphatic—does not, by itself, amount to a serious counter-terrorism policy. Words, when not backed by law and deliberate action, easily become political sedatives: meant to calm public anger while the danger persists.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s recent pronouncement that anyone who attacks citizens or engages in kidnapping will henceforth be treated as a terrorist may sound reassuring. The echo of this position by his ministerial team also suggests a coordinated narrative. However, Nigerians have learned—often through bitter experience—that insecurity does not recede on the strength of rhetoric. What defeats terrorism is law, enforcement, and political will.

History provides a clear contrast. When Boko Haram was formally designated a terrorist organisation, it was not done through casual statements. On 20 September 2013, the Federal Government, acting through the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, obtained an order of the Federal High Court, Abuja, proscribing Boko Haram and placing it on Nigeria’s official list of terrorist organisations. This action was anchored on the Terrorism (Prevention) Act, 2011, as amended in 2013, which provides the legal framework for the identification, proscription, and punishment of terrorist groups and their sponsors.

Similarly, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) was proscribed following a formal legal process. On 20 September 2017, the Federal High Court in Abuja granted an ex parte order designating IPOB a terrorist organisation, following an application by the Federal Government under the same Terrorism (Prevention) Act. Whatever one’s opinion about that decision, one fact remains incontestable: the government acted through clear legal instruments, not press statements or budget speeches.

That is the standard Nigerians are entitled to demand today.

If armed groups ravaging communities across the Middle Belt, North-West, and other parts of the country are now to be treated as terrorists, then the process must be equally transparent and lawful.
Where are the court orders proscribing these groups?
Where is the updated official register of terrorist organisations as envisaged under Section 2 of the Terrorism (Prevention) Act? Where are the prosecutions of sponsors, financiers, arms suppliers, and enablers, as provided for under Sections 15–18 of the Act?

Terrorism is not defeated by semantics.

Renaming bandits as terrorists without following through with arrests, prosecutions, asset seizures, and convictions only reinforces the perception of state weakness or complicity. Worse still, it emboldens the perpetrators, who correctly read official hesitation as lack of resolve.

Nigeria’s laws are not lacking. Beyond the Terrorism (Prevention) Act, there are provisions in the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (2015), the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act (2022), and related statutes that empower the state to trace funds, freeze accounts, and dismantle terror networks. What is lacking is the consistent, courageous application of these laws—especially when powerful interests may be implicated.

If President Tinubu is serious about ending terrorism, Nigerians must see concrete, deliberate actions:
formal legal designations, decisive military and intelligence operations, public trials of arrested suspects, and accountability for security failures.

Anything short of this amounts to what the country has endured for too long—romancing insecurity with wishy-washy statements and a sluggish response while innocent citizens pay with their lives.

We must not be deceived. Terrorism thrives where the state speaks loudly but acts softly. What Nigeria needs now is not another declaration, but the unmistakable force of law in action.

18/12/2025

CHRISTMAS IN CHAINS: Why Nigeria Must Celebrate in Silence This Year

By

*Ted Ebute*

Christmas is traditionally a season of joy, hope, generosity, and the celebration of life. Streets glow with lights, carols fill the air, and families gather to give thanks. Yet this year, for Nigeria, any loud celebration rings hollow. Over a hundred of our children—innocent pupils abducted by terrorists from St. Mary’s School and many more from different places—remain in captivity. As long as these children are not free, our collective conscience should not permit unrestrained festivity.

It is morally unsettling to feast while children spend their nights in fear, uncertainty, and deprivation. Christmas commemorates the birth of Christ into a world of vulnerability and danger; it should therefore sharpen, not dull, our sensitivity to suffering. To celebrate lavishly while abducted children remain unseen and unheard is to betray the very values Christmas represents—compassion, solidarity, and sacrificial love.

A low-key Christmas is not an attack on faith or culture; it is an expression of empathy. It is a symbolic fast—a national pause—to remind ourselves and those in authority that every child matters. For the parents of these abducted pupils, there will be no carols, no laughter, no festive meals that can mask the pain of absence. Their homes will echo with prayers and tears. A restrained celebration across the nation would say to them: you are not alone.

Beyond symbolism, this moment demands action. The continued captivity of schoolchildren is a damning indictment of Nigeria’s security architecture. Government assurances ring increasingly empty when kidnappings persist and perpetrators act with near impunity. If the government must enjoy—even minimally—the confidence of Nigerians, which now hangs by its last thread, it must demonstrate urgency, transparency, and resolve.

Every available intelligence, diplomatic channel, security asset, and negotiation mechanism must be deployed to secure the release of these children—before Christmas. Anything less would deepen public cynicism and reinforce the painful perception that citizens’ lives, especially those of children in vulnerable communities, are expendable.

Christmas should not be cancelled, but it should be conscious. Let our celebrations be subdued, our decorations modest, and our songs tempered with prayer. Let churches, mosques, and civic spaces turn moments of festivity into calls for justice and remembrance. Let social media amplify the names and faces of the abducted, not bury them beneath festive trends.

True celebration begins with freedom. Until these children return home, Nigeria’s Christmas should be marked not by noise, but by resolve—quiet, determined, and unyielding. Only then can joy return with integrity, and only then can the nation begin to heal.

25/10/2025

BOTTOM POWER

The sun dipped low in the sky, casting long shadows across the gleaming glass structure of Excellence Corporations. Inside, the atmosphere buzzed with the usual ebb and flow of corporate life, but beneath the surface, there lurked a current of tension, intrigue, and ambition as powerful as the company’s stock prices. At the nucleus of this storm was Tara Odion, the once-loyal deputy who had orchestrated her boss's downfall to claim the position of CEO.

Most employees admired Tara from a distance, recognizing her as a formidable figure, sharp-witted and ambitious. Yet, what they didn’t see—what they couldn’t see—was the churning fear that mirrored her ambition. Every whispered conversation, every sidelong glance, fueled her paranoia. Tara lived in a state of perpetual alertness, haunted by the idea that the very treachery she had employed could be turned upon her. Choices made out of survival and lust for power left scars on her psyche, making trust a fleeting concept, eclipsed by suspicion.

To maintain her precarious grip on power, Tara devised a strategy steeped in manipulation. She recognized that the board members, particularly her male counterparts, were driven by more than just ambition or intellect. They were also hungry for validation, for influence, and for the kind of attention that could shatter their otherwise composed façades. Tara, ever the opportunist, employed her charm and culinary skills to disarm them. She would drop by their offices, an exquisite dish in hand, steering the conversation away from the daily grind to the pleasurably mundane. Wasn't that a juicy steak? The "special" gbegiri soup was even more delectable. These visits became rituals—a spice to the otherwise bland corporate environment.

Over time, those sumptuous meals forged more than just casual rapports; they morphed into calculated alliances. Tara learned to read her audience, subtly adjusting her tactics based on the responses she evoked. Some craved laughter, so she let her wit flow. Others desired admiration, and to them, she offered it freely, painting herself as a confidante. She became a maestro in a symphony of male egos, each note played in tune to her desires.

But Tara wasn't satisfied with mere friendship. No, her ambitions soared higher, and she took her manipulation to new heights. She introduced a layer of seduction, a honeyed lure that was impossible for her targets to resist. One by one, the male board members—even those whose strategic decisions shaped the company's future—fell under her spell. With every encounter, she tightened the threads of her control, weaving an intricate web of dependency and desire. The boardroom became her stage, and her audience was entranced.

Tara’s influence was subtle yet potent. Meetings transformed from platforms of strategic conversation into exhibitions of her power. Decisions were made in her favour, rewards and promotions followed her desires, and any dissent was quickly silenced by the sheer weight of her influence. She had become the queen of her kingdom, and the men who once commanded respect were now mere pawns in her game. Whispers of impropriety morphed into rumours that bred fear, with potential informants choosing silence over the risk of losing their careers.

Yet beneath this gilded veneer of power, a disquiet lingered. The company's culture began to shift; innovation stifled, creativity faded, and genuine collaboration became a relic of the past. Employees walked on eggshells, their once-sharing truth replaced by an insidious fear. Would they find themselves ensnared in Tara’s web if they dared to challenge her authority? It was easier to remain compliant, to accept the status quo, as the reality of corporate dominance loomed larger than loyalty and ethics.

The chaos stirred by Tara’s manipulation reached its peak when rumors of her various dalliances made headlines. Soon, the very industry that once revered her began to question her integrity. Calls for accountability echoed through the corridors of Excellence Corporations and all eyes turned with a disquieting intensity toward the woman who had built her empire on seduction and cunning.

But behind closed doors, the male board members, her once doting subjects, were now caught in a precarious situation. They, too, were at risk—their reputations intertwined with her reign. Would revealing her tactics mean jeopardizing their own positions? Or would they dare to confront her, spelling the end of a reign built on the narrow line of pleasure and power?

As the pressure mounted, the question loomed larger: Who would save the company from its spiraling descent, and more crucially, who would save themselves from Tara’s intoxicating grip? While those who witnessed her rise grappled with loyalty and self-preservation, the corporate world awaited its reckoning.

Tara continued to thrive in her illusion of security, the rush of power coursing through her veins like a dangerous drug. Yet, like all things built on deceit and manipulation, the foundations of her empire were fragile. The company that once glittered now sat on the brink, poised for upheaval, the fragile facade of Tara’s bottom power set to be challenged by an awakening conscience and the desire for change.

With the dawn of reviews and investigations looming, the tapestry Tara wove began to unravel. Shadows of betrayal emerged, lingering doubts spread among the board members, and whispers turned into a cacophony of intrigue. Tara’s relentless quest for security was set to clash head-on with the inevitable tide of consequence. Would she rise above the ashes, or would she find herself buried beneath them? As the lines of power blurred and the stakes transformed into a perilous game of survival, it became apparent—every kingdom, no matter how dazzling, holds within it the seeds of its own destruction.

Ted Ebute.

06/09/2024

Someone should ask the federal government what it has made of the P.I.A.
Is the midstream and downstream sectors no longer deregulated?

Why is the NNPC Ltd monopolizing the purchase of PMS from the Dangote refinery and the fixing of the price?

I am beginning to see the hand of the "cabal" here.😎

04/09/2024

Nigerians woke up to it another round of fuel price increase today. The funny thing is we re all just speaking grammar.

"It is wicked!"
"Tinubu has betrayed us!"
"The suffering and pain is too much!"
"Let us have the fuel at any price but let it be available!"

We have not seen anything yet. I know by evening when many of my brethren will go to church the man of God will tell them to intensify prayer😂(wickedness upon wickedness😎).

You see, when people refuse to face reality, reality will face them.

We are all in this message together. Continue speaking grammar and don't do any other thing. Very soon the grammar will also dry up like fuel in the gas station.

Don't ask me what I mean here; our body go tell us.

06/08/2024

Fire is burning small small and we are just speaking grammar instead of actively trying to put the fire out.
😥😥😥

03/08/2024

I need punch newspapers to do another interview with Soyinka so that he can tell us who he would compare with Tinubu.😎😎😎

03/08/2024

I used to wonder why people place the pictures of their family members on their office tables. I have come to understand that each time they had to take a decision, those images of their family members would play a huge role in how and what they decide because it may affect them too.

In most offices in Nigeria you don't see that. What you see are the pictures of the president, governor, traditional ruler, etc. So when decisions are made, they are inspired by loyalty to these people and some of the consequences are what we are suffering today.

07/02/2024

18/12/2023

THANK YOU ALL FOR CELEBRATING WITH ME ON MY BIRTHDAY AND THE WEDDING ANNIVERSARY OF MY CHILDREN YESTERDAY.
GOD BLESS YOU ALL
🙏

17/12/2023

It's a day for double celebration; wedding anniversary and a birthday all in one.
Come celebrate with us!