“Open Letter to Governor Fubara: As You Face the Speluncian/Sophie Choices, Remember Three Things: (1.The solace of Sauna & good Music, 2. Native Intelligence and 3. Public Interest is Paramount-vox populi, vox dei) – (King Jaja Also Made Concessions to Save Himself and His Kingdom)”

By Tonye Clinton Jaja

Your Excellency, Governor Sir Siminialayi Fubara, GSSRS, Sir,

My name is Dr. Tonye Clinton Jaja, I am an indigene of Mietamuno Jaja family, of the Saturday Jaja War Canoe House of Opobo Kingdom, Rivers State!!!

I qualified as a lawyer in Nigeria in the year 2004, I also qualified as a legal practitioner in the United Kingdom and now in the process of qualifying in the Kingdom of Lesotho.

In writing this letter, I am drawing upon a combination of my experiences as both a lawyer and my knowledge of both history (of Opobo Kingdom) and life’s experiences as a resident of Nigeria, the United Kingdom, and the Kingdom of Lesotho.

Today, 1st May 2025, some of my classmates of the 2003 Class of the Bachelor of Laws (LLB), Rivers State University have asked me to address the issue of whether Governor Fubara is defecting to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the future of Rivers State.

My classmates have this belief that because you are also an indigene of Opobo Kingdom, I receive first-hand information from your good self and your inner circle!!!

So this letter is my way of telling both your good self and them what little information that I know about you and the very difficult choices that you are faced with.

I refer to these choices as both Speluncian/Sophie choices !!!

Professor Kaniye Ebeku, our constitutional law lecturer at the Faculty of Law, Rivers State University is the person who first taught us about the Speluncian explorers!!!

A Speluncian choice refers to a hypothetical lawsuit that arose when a man was put on trial in a court of for cannibalism (killing and eating another human being).

According to the said man, as he told the court of law, it was out of NECESSITY that he killed and ate his fellow man. According to him, both of them were trapped inside a boat in a far-off sea, for many days without food and water and they both agreed to cast lots and the unlucky person would serve as food to keep the other person alive!!!

This is the kind of Speluncian choice you face at the moment!!!

“Sophie’s choice In philosophy, illustrates a classic moral dilemma, highlighting the difficult choices individuals face when confronted with conflicting moral obligations, particularly those that involve life and death. The dilemma, presented in William Styron’s novel, compels a character, Sophie, to choose between the lives of her two children, knowing that one will be killed if she doesn’t choose. This scenario forces a choice between two equally undesirable outcomes, highlighting the complexities of morality in extreme situations.

Elaboration:
The Dilemma:
Sophie is forced to choose which of her children, Eva or Jan, will be sent to the gas chamber in Auschwitz. If she refuses to choose, both children will be killed.

Conflicting Obligations:
The dilemma highlights the conflict between a mother’s obligation to protect her children and the moral burden of participating in a scheme that leads to a child’s death.

No “Good” Choice:
There is no morally “good” choice in Sophie’s situation. Choosing one child leads to the death of the other, and not choosing results in the death of both.

Moral Implications :
The story raises questions about the nature of moral responsibility, free will, and the limits of human agency in extreme circumstances.

Haunting Consequences :
Sophie’s choice, regardless of the outcome, is presented as a deeply traumatic experience, suggesting the profound emotional and psychological impact of such moral dilemmas.

Philosophical Relevance :
Sophie’s Choice is often used as a thought experiment to explore ethical theories like utilitarianism and deontology, as it highlights the tension between maximizing good outcomes ( utilitarianism ) and adhering to moral duties (deontology).”

From the foregoing, one word that stands out from both SPELUNCIAN AND SOPHIE CHOICES is utilitarianism. Utilitarian means that whatever choice(s) you made should be a choice that produces good outcomes and greater good for both yourself and the greater number of indigenes of Rivers State!!!

Let me conclude by advising you to take these three steps before you make any decision(s):

1. The solace of Sauna & good Music

Before you make any major decisions take two hours and go to a professional sauna (hot bath, just you yourself and good music. I recommend that you listen to the soundtrack of the movie, The Last Samurai (2003) as composed by Hans Zimmer. You can also listen to the soundtrack of LION KING (1997) also composed by Hans Zimmer, particularly the track (SHADOW LAND) as sang by Heather Headley. All great men have a playlist of relaxing music which they indulge in before they make major decisions. Former USA President Obama’s 2024 playlist has the music of Nigerian singer Tems (Love me Jeje) on it as number 3!!! The reason why music is such a therapy is because it is of divine origin!!! Let me share with you how listening to good music can stimulate the brain to make better music!!! In the year 2010, myself and another Nigerian lawyer were both PhD students at the University of London. We were both on fully funded scholarship from the governments of our States of origin in Nigeria. However for two years, we had not received any payments from the government. The University of London had written with a thrst to terminate our study because of non-payment by our governments. The fellow lawyer PhD student made the decision to travel back home to Nigeria to pursue his payment and he never graduated at the same time as myself because of the delay by his state of origin in Nigeria. Before I made any decision, I decided to attend the musical of LION KING at the theatre in London, United Kingdom. Hearing the live music as sang by Heather Headley and others (along with the Central theme of resilience of the drama) was a turning point for me. There and then, I made the decision to stay back in the United Kingdom and complete my PhD studies before returning to battle the government for my PhD bursary!!!

2. Native Intelligence: Find time to talk to elderly illiterate (those not educated in the four walls of formal higher education) either at your village Opobo Kingdom or elsewhere. King Jaja of Opobo never attended any formal higher educational institution, yet he signed Treaties with the officials of the British Empire. Western formal education is often overrated. Let me give you one example, last month, I almost died of winter cold here in the Kingdom of Lesotho. I went to the pharmacist and he prescribed an arsenal of tablets, (and I paid a huge sum) none of which was worked to relieve me. It was an elderly uneducated wife of our congregation secretary that told me to boil hot water, put mentholated ointment into the water and cover myself over the bucket of water with blanket for some minutes while inhaling the vapour. This did the miracle. She also told me to put mentholated spirit into the kerosene stove heater before I light it up because it reduces the fumes. Something that no pharmacist could teach me.

3. Public Interest is Paramount – vox populi, vox dei – voice of the people is the voice of God). The best outcome and the best decisions or choices are those choices that reflects what is good for your good self and majority of the indigenes of Rivers State!!! I will not say more than that!!! Remember how King Jaja of Opobo made decisions that involved sacrifices of his personal freedom to ensure the long-term survival of both his dynasty and the Kingdom of Opobo!!!

This is all that I want to tell you as you face these SPELUNCIAN AND SOPHIE CHOICES on whether to join the All Progressives Congress (APC) or not? Or whether to reconcile with His Excellency Nyesom Ezenwo Wike (NEW) or not!!!

Yours faithfully,
Dr. Tonye Clinton Jaja,
1st May 2025.