A great leader always leaves a big hole in the lives of those around them when they pass away. Considering the roles they played while still on the scene, this is obvious. Because they look up to the leader for crucial decisions affecting their collective, and because they fill in for them or hoist the flag of defence when the need arises, their lives and the lives of their people are intertwined. Just like when Chief Dr. Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu was around as a model and premier Igbo-Nigerian leader, patriot, and Igboist, Ndi Igbo relied on him as their leader, spokesman,…
Author: Law Mefor
When the red cap of a titled man bears the legend “Solution is Here”, one must indeed take notice and pay attention. People are used to seeing “Solution is Here” written on workaday face caps, but this is the first time one is seeing the progressive sign emblazoned on a red cap. According to tradition, the red-capped Nze does not tell lies, and this happens to be the testament of Dr. Law Mefor ever since he was appointed the Commissioner for Information of Anambra State by Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, CFR. The cap fits in shining redness on the head…
There are negative vibes emanating from Edo as the state prepares for the governorship election. These vibes are, in fact, ominous, especially in light of the timely warning that was made the week before by eminent scholar, political thinker, and founding National Secretary of the Alliance for Democracy (AD), Professor Udenta O. Udenta. Professor Udenta had issued a warning, pointing out that a large number of the political players in the country’s democracy are seriously harming democratic governance and democracy itself. He had asserted that a great deal more people are working to establish a really toxic and authoritarian atmosphere…
Without a doubt, Chief Dr. Emmanuel Chukwuemeka Iwuanyanwu was a model and premier Igbo-Nigerian leader, patriot, and Igboist. Being an Igboist and a Nigerian defender at the same time is an extremely difficult combination to maintain. He had affection for both of them, but Ndigbo was his priority for obvious reasons. It is more than thirty years since I first met Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu. The two-party system for Nigeria was being experimented with by General IB Babangida who established the National Republican Convention (NRC) and Social Democratic Party (SDP). Chief Iwuanyanwu was a presidential aspirant under the banner of the…
In politics, propaganda is a powerful weapon. False information is readily pushed down the throats of the gullible masses and presented as fact. This occurs more frequently when parties to a case give conflicting interpretations of court orders or judgements on political issues after the courts render even unambiguous decisions. This is evident in the current macabre dance within the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), where Chief Edozie Njoku claims to have convened a convention in Owerri, 2019, to elect himself as the party’s national chairman. Despite not being a member of the party’s executives or NEC—the formal body of…
The escalating level of insecurity in the nation is forcing many citizens to wonder if the government can still save Nigeria. The minister of state for defence just ordered the service chiefs to relocate to the North West after militants seized two Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) armoured vehicles from Nigerian forces and set them on fire. The adage “security is everybody’s business” has its roots in reality. First and foremost, the most fundamental human right is everyone’s unalienable right to live. This assumes that everyone has the right to protect their life by any means necessary and that people generally…
There is a proverb in Nigeria that states, “The sky is big enough for all the birds to fly without colliding into each other.” Another proverb that is as apt, made well-known by the late sage and renowned author Chinua Achebe, is “Let the eagle perch, and let the kite perch. Anyone who says the other should not, let its wing break”. Such Nigerian adage should serve as a guide for the leadership of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), who, in their aggressiveness, have created a barrier to the legal existence of the Nigerian…
The Right Honourable Benjamin Kalu, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, has recently blundered into one faux pas after another. These embarrassing social gaffes and transgressions are happening far too frequently. The latest ones give the impression that he is losing touch with the nature and psychology of his Igbo roots. Ndigbo are republicans, and no one in authority at any level can sway them in any way against their will. Simply because you are in a position of authority does not mean that you can dictate to Ndigbo, treat them shabbily, or force anything down their throat.…
Nigeria is faced with serious challenges. The country is in dire need of a reset, and Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has been given the task as president if the country is to regain perspective, unite, advance, and join the league of developed nations. In his first year in office, the President has taken several bold actions that have disturbed those who think they own Nigeria. These actions have established a clear trajectory of where the country is headed if all hands are on the plough. Unfortunately, the forces that have created the current situation are not going away. Rather than allowing…
Once more, food insecurity and the hunger crisis have forced Nigeria to face a crossroads. Protests have erupted across the nation, and young people are going on the rampage in numerous states, resulting in sorrows, tears, and blood. At least 20 lives have been tragically lost due to the protest, and properties have been destroyed. While Anambra youths are not participating, their governor has flagged off the “FARM TO FEED” campaign to end hunger in the state in a few months. With the twin economic policies of the Tinubu administration—fuel subsidy removal and the floating of the Naira—causing suffering and…
The country’s hunger protests have brought about a great deal of sorrow, violence, and property destruction, which have taken a toll. Over twenty lives have been lost. These tragedies could have been prevented if better coordination and cooperation had existed between the government, security services, and protesters. Sadly, if the protest fizzles out without achieving any of its objectives despite the heavy cost it has incurred, blame it on the factors reviewed hereunder. It is not impossible for peaceful protests to happen in the current situation. Peaceful protests have occurred in Nigeria in the recent past. Furthermore, as long as…
The nationwide End-Hunger Protest, also known as the End-Bad-Government Protest, has officially begun and is sweeping the country, causing deaths and damage in its wake. And there’s the worry that the worst might yet come. Due to the ethnic profiling that a president’s spokesperson brought into it, which targeted Igbos and their businesses, the Southeast states had to abstain. By starting the Igbo-Must-Go (Ndigbo must leave Lagos and South West) campaign, some X users are also echoing the threat and ethnic profiling against Ndigbo in Nigeria, similar to what happened in Rwanda that resulted in ethnic cleansing. An analysis of…
I should say right away that I am an activist in my own right and have been since I was a student. I’m not against protests taking place under the appropriate circumstances, even though the planned nationwide hunger protest meant to put a stop to hardships may not be for my generation. The EndSars protests, which started Oct. 8, 2020, resulted in a disaster that claimed many lives and severely damaged property, especially in Abuja and Lagos. Thus, numerous commercial buildings in Lagos, such as Shoprite, continue to bear the scars of the devastation caused by an otherwise nonviolent protest…
Prince Lateef Fagbemi SAN, the nation’s attorney general, became born again after having previously supported the Nigerian governors in their quest to deny local governments (LGs) financial autonomy. Insofar as the brief is good, lawyers, you know, can represent anybody, even terrorists, bandits, rapists, and killers. By the way, local government autonomy is the freedom given to local governments to exercise authority within the confines of the law or constitution. This is to enable them to discharge legally or constitutionally assigned responsibilities satisfactorily but without undue interference or restraint from within or higher authority. This time, the minister of justice…
In Anambra State, insecurity seems to grow every time an election approaches. This is a discernible and unsettling pattern. The Anambra state governorship election is up around late 2025, which is approximately a year away. As the election approaches, kidnappings and other violent crimes increase, contributing to the ongoing situation of insecurity. It’s now a perfect correlation that can be seen and examined to propose remedies. 2024 is painting a very different image from 2023, which was quite calm, especially near the end of the year when there was only one incident at Uga during Christmas. As the months get…
Terrorists, bandits, and killer herdsmen have since declared war on Nigeria. Coming to terms with this situation is necessary for a better response and more workable strategies. The form of war the country is currently experiencing is asymmetric warfare, which involves deep psychological issues. To begin with, conventional armies of nations are ill-prepared for non-positional, i.e., asymmetric warfare. The military confronting asymmetric wars does more improvising than drawing from foundational training. It is not their forte. The enemies in asymmetric warfare may even consist of active military personnel of the nation. This is typically observed in its most extreme forms…
With a youth summit, the Southeast Governors’ Forum (SEGOF), led by Senator Uche Ekwunife, is realigning itself. Aware that a country that ignores its youth is not prepared for a beautiful future, the body is fundamentally refocusing on the youths of the zone, setting its sights on leadership, development, and value reorientation. Since the present-day players will eventually succumb to the corrosion of time, the future certainly belongs to the younger generation. As a result, SEGOF’s desire to equip Southeast youth for the monumental challenge that lies ahead is noble, considerate, and apt. The three thematic areas and the variety…
It’s surprising to note that open grazing is not practiced in any of the top twenty countries in the world that breed cow or export beef. Equally surprising is that Nigeria is also not one of these top twenty nations that export cow meat or breed cows. However, Nigeria is the nation with the greatest number of fatalities from violent disputes between farmers and herders. These conflicts and deaths between farmers and herders are the result of Nigeria’s refusal to breed cattle in confined spaces like ranches like these twenty top-ranked countries do. The question is: why the refusal? Speaking…
On the June 12 Democracy Day event on The Platform, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, the governor of Anambra State, gave a masterful speech. It was about how democracy could have helped development in Nigeria if things had been better managed in the past decade. After 25 years of continuous democratic experimentation under the 4th Republic and 64 years of independence, many have questioned if Nigeria is anywhere close to where it should be. Nigeria has experienced both military dictatorship and varied democracy over this time, moving from a parliamentary to a presidential system and military rule to a military presidency (whatever…
One is reminded of carved-up Christmas turkeys when considering Nigeria and how both foreigners and its citizens plunder its resources. An Igbo proverb that refers to the guidelines for cultivating newly discovered farmland that belongs to no one in the community is “Okata okolu” (farm as you may). The elders would declare a day on which the people would farm the land because no one owned it. Everyone gathers on the designated day and hour, and each person tills as much of the land as their strength carries them. That’s how Nigeria has come to be. Prebendalism – the idea…
It was barely weeks ago when Professor Chukwuma Soludo’s term as Anambra State’s governor turned two. The government listed 100 noteworthy accomplishments that cut across all areas of growth, sound governance, and the provision of democratic dividends when it was celebrated on March 17 in Awka. No aspect of the new Anambra State’s reengineering has been left untouched. However, the opposition, which is plotting to take over the state by all means, would never perceive anything positive about the Soludo administration despite its giant strides that have been acknowledged nationally and internationally. The opposition dubbed Soludo’s giant strides a self-appraisal…
It was like a joke at first. Nigeria’s national anthem was being reversed to the previous one by a law passed by the National Assembly. The president is believed to be the inspiration for this somewhat pointless action taken by the national parliament, the logic for which has been looked for to no avail. It couldn’t determine if the bill was an executive or private member bill. However, it is noteworthy and unprecedented how quickly President Tinubu signed it and how urgently the national assembly passed it. Simply put, the Tinubu Presidency is majoring in minor amid economic and security…
The story has it that in the past, the hyena kept a respectable distance from the cock. The hyena believed the cock carried fire on its head, which is why it was afraid of it. The hyena, however, was reassured by the cock that there was nothing to worry about, as what he mistook for fire was only an erect red crest. The hyena verified that it was true. It was tender. The hyena quickly overcame the dread of the cock and proceeded to bite off its crest when he attacked. This was the story conjured up in mind each…
The Nigeria Labour Congress, the umbrella labour union in Nigeria, has lost its way and its soul. There’s an Igbo proverb that goes something like this: if you pin the strong man to the ground without getting his machete, can you get it back when he’s upstanding? Yet another adage goes: The chicken has left the knife that killed it to make a face for the cooking pot. These proverbs capture the NLC’s precarious position as the main union of Nigerian workers and the guardian of the country’s people. Every negotiator is aware of the misery that results from entering…
Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, the President of Nigeria from 2007 to 2010, would have turned 73 this May if he were still alive. But regrettably, he was taken by the icy hands of death and dropped from sight just when Nigeria most needed him. We cannot question God. As Epicurus once said, it is possible to guarantee security against all odds. But against death, all men, mortals alike, dwell in an unprotected place. President Yar’Adua was a model democrat and leader, and he could have finished as one of the most successful presidents Nigeria has ever had. That was not…
Currently, there is a significant increase in mental disease due to the high rate of acute poverty among Nigerians. The Nigerian government’s commitment to the issue of mental health will be demonstrated by the Mental Health Act’s immediate and thorough implementation. Despite the Mental Health Act being passed into law, the Federal Ministry of Health has not yet established the Department of Mental Health, despite it being a crucial component of the Act. The Federal Ministry of Health’s refusal to create the Department of Mental Health inside the ministry as required by the Mental Health Act was one of the…
Margaret Thatcher, the British prime minister from 1979 to 1990, once declared that “no nation ever grew more prosperous by taxing its citizens beyond their capacity to pay.” The reasoning goes that taxing people more than they can afford to pay will only make the economy worse since the burden of taxes will make people less productive overall. Whether on purpose or accidentally, the Tinubu administration has disregarded this fundamental fact. Any democracy’s ability to survive depends on the strength of its opposition. A democracy is nonexistent and a misnomer without opposition. There is overwhelming proof that the opposition has…
“Never call a man good until he is dead,” Chief GC Oranika (aka Ochendo) once told me. Even though we were not related by blood, he was my buddy, mentor, protector, benefactor, and even uncle. Nobody would have made up something to indicate Oranika was a good man now that he had passed because he had a practically seamless life. If any individual could be considered good, he was. Even though we both hail from the ancient Abatete town in Anambra State, I had never met him in the village. When I came to the federal capital territory of Abuja…
Nigerian politics is far too divisive and toxic. In addition to the toxicity, there is a pervasive self-fulfilling prophecy that holds that all public servants are corrupt. As a result, both elected and appointed public officials in the past and present are unfairly subjected to relentless media trials based on this assumption, usually on trumped charges. This sets the scene for understanding the current media trial that Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, the former governor of Abia State, is facing. Among other defamatory claims, his successor, Dr. Alex Otti, asserted that his predecessor had paid N10 billion for an Abia state airport…
It’s not geopolitics, nepotism, or religion that will be the cause of the collapse of the largest black nation on the planet if the Nigerian state crumbles. Corruption is what’s going to make that happen if something drastic is not done before it’s too late. Countries like the People’s Republic of China execute corrupt officials and some other countries take other extreme measures to keep corruption at bay while Nigeria pays only lip service to the corruption fight. The whole foundation of Nigeria, its identity, and its statecraft have been undermined by corruption, and the corrosion is not abating. Boundaries…
