Zikirullahi M. Ibrahim
The controversy surrounding the career of Retired DIG Frank Mba is a reminder of how easily Nigeria’s public discourse can be hijacked by ethnic sentiment.
Claims that Mba received “double promotions” are not only false, they are part of a familiar script used to inflame division in a country already stretched thin by mistrust.
When facts are ignored and competence becomes a casualty of tribal politics, the nation loses far more than the truth.
A Record Built on Service, Not Sentiment
Mba’s rise through the Nigeria Police Force followed a clear, documented trajectory. Beginning as an Inspector, he earned each subsequent rank through years of service: ASP in 1999, DSP in 2003, SP in 2008, CSP in 2012, ACP in 2014, DCP in 2018, CP in 2020, and AIG in 2023.
His appointment as the Force Public Relations Officer on three separate occasions, an unprecedented feat, reflects institutional trust, not ethnic favouritism.
His UN Medal for service in Liberia further underscores a career rooted in professionalism.
To twist this record into an ethnic argument is to ignore the facts and indulge in the politics of resentment.
It is also a disservice to the many Nigerians who still believe in merit, excellence, and national service.
The Real Divide Is Not Ethnic—It Is Between the Rulers and the Ruled
Nigeria’s political class has long mastered the art of using ethnicity as a smokescreen.
While citizens argue over tribe, the same leaders, regardless of region or religion, continue to preside over corruption, insecurity, unemployment, and economic decline.
Poverty does not discriminate. Inflation does not ask for your state of origin. Bad governance harms everyone equally.
Yet, instead of uniting to demand accountability, Nigerians are too often drawn into tribal quarrels that serve no one, but the political elite.
The energy spent debating Igbo vs Yoruba, North vs South, is energy not spent interrogating policies, scrutinizing budgets, or demanding results.
2027 Is Around the Corner. And We Are Distracted
Another election cycle is approaching, but the national conversation is still trapped in the narrow lanes set by politicians.
Rather than evaluating performance or questioning unfulfilled promises, many citizens are fixated on ethnic narratives that add nothing to national progress. This distraction is deliberate.
A divided electorate is easier to manipulate, easier to deceive, and easier to govern without accountability.
The consequences are visible everywhere, from states where leadership has become an embarrassment to institutions weakened by patronage and political interference.
When competence is sacrificed on the altar of tribal loyalty, the entire nation pays the price.
A National Reset Is Possible—But Only If Citizens Choose It
Nigeria’s path forward requires a conscious rejection of the politics of division.
The country cannot afford to keep falling for the same tactics that have stalled its progress for decades.
A new civic mindset is needed, one that prioritizes performance over tribe, integrity over sentiment, and national interest over sectional loyalty.
A more united citizenry can:
• demand transparency and accountability from leaders
• strengthen institutions that protect merit and fairness
• shift public debate toward issues that actually shape daily life
• build alliances across ethnic lines to pursue shared goals
Nigeria’s diversity is not the problem. The manipulation of that diversity is.
A more focused, united electorate is the only force capable of breaking the cycle of misgovernance.
As the nation approaches another critical political moment, the question is whether citizens will continue to be distracted, or whether they will finally reclaim the national conversation and demand the leadership they deserve.
