“Biafra remembrance is about the people’s struggles and their faith in a glorious future” —Ebuka Onyekwelu As recent as 2020, May 30th was greeted with total wilful compliance in honour of fallen Biafra heroes. In 2024, the compliance is much the same but for a different reason; more out of fear of horror. On May 30th, 1967, the sovereign state of Biafra was declared by Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu. This declaration was in response to the...
When I saw the trending pictures of Dr. Tim Menakaya’s 90th birthday, the first thing I quipped was that Ide Umunya is neither in his Anambra hill-top home nor his Abuja residence. Dr. Tim is a man of many positive parts and he is no stranger to opulence and good care. Hence, I was curious to unravel the location of the birthday celebration that apparently appeared like a private event. I later looked at some...
“An optimistic view and a more realistic outlook will boost morale of security agencies” —Olalekan A. Babatunde In the course of fighting terrorism, banditry and other forms of insecurity in Nigeria, our security agencies (the military, the police, the Department of State Service, the Civil Defence Corps and the like) have been assessed in different ways by Nigerians. Viewing or listening to talkshows and analysis on television, radio, newspaper and social media, even in some...
“…As it stands, it is Umudim that should produce the TC in Nnewi North” —Ebuka Onyekwelu For about two weeks now, there have been all sorts of agitations, machinations, and accusations in connection to the selection of the next Transition Chairman – TC, of Nnewi North local government. This followed Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s plan to change the Transition Chairmen most of whom have now spent about two years on the job. The current Nnewi North...
“In Governor Willie Obiano’s two terms of eight years, there was no mention of local government election” —Ebuka Onyekwelu For over a decade, Anambra State has not conducted a local government election. The last local government election in Anambra State was conducted by Governor Peter Obi, just three months before his exit as governor, after two terms of eight years. It is not clear if what Obi conducted can be rightly regarded as an election,...
“People must make it a duty to invest in their intellect and personal development at any cost they can afford” —Ebuka Onyekwelu In the past two years since leaving office as the Chief of Protocol and Deputy Chief of Staff to Anambra’s former governor, Uzu Okagbue has set a remarkable personal example in self-development. This is evident in his quest to learn more and re-learn. There are several proven correlations between performance and training or...
“The Zoning argument that the governor has to come from Anambra South might play to Sen. Ifeanyi Ubah’s advantage” —Ebuka Onyekwelu The general anthem about the APC in Anambra State in the upcoming governorship election is that after the party’s primary election, it will experience an implosion that will weaken its position and render it incapable of competing against, for instance, APGA. To start with, it is perhaps no more seriously argued that the 2025...
“It is important to at least acknowledge that there is something that makes Rivers attractive to trouble or trouble attractive to Rivers,” —Ebuka Onyekwelu In many ways, Rivers State politics is an interesting game to behold. There is no former governor of Rivers State who never had an eye on the Presidency of Nigeria. Also, there have been none of those governors since 1999, without a life-defining political battle. Without prevarication, both the ambition and...
“Every government project embarked upon and completed is an addition to public infrastructure.” —Ebuka Onyekwelu A few months ago, Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo was the subject of negative reviews because his administration decided to build a 10-storey hotel in Awka, the state capital. The basic argument was that government has no business with building hotels and that the focus must be on the government channelling lean resources to where they are most needed and not...
“How has the current administration utilized Anambra’s comparative advantage in commerce and industry?” —Ebuka Onyekwelu In a few months, the 2025 Anambra State governorship election would take full shape. Only two days ago, there were reports that the senator representing Anambra South senatorial zone, Dr. Ifeanyi Ubah, has expressed an interest to contest the number one political office in Anambra State. Sen. Ubah is expected to mount his bid on the stables of the All...
