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Tinubu’s State Visit And Soludo’s Prayers To End South-East Marginalisation

By Law Mefor

 

The goal of Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, CFR, is always to win with his solutions. Soludo wisely took advantage of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s state visit to Anambra State on May 8, to address the pressing issues of the South-East Geopolitical Zone’s marginalisation.

 

President Tinubu, who referred to Governor Soludo as a friend, made a solid commitment to resolve all of the marginalisation issues brought up by the governor.

 

Governor Soludo praised President Tinubu for his Pan-Nigerian disposition, which was demonstrated when he appointed Ben Akabueze, an Anambra son, as Commissioner for Budget and Planning while serving as Governor of Lagos. He also thanked Tinubu for appointing numerous Ndị Anambra to his administration, particularly the appointment of Ambassador Bianca Ojukwu as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Mark Okoye, as MD, Southeast Development Commission. In line with what Tinubu did in Lagos, Soludo said: “Similarly, here in Anambra, one of my new permanent secretaries is from Osun State – Bayo Ojeyinka.”

 

Mr Governor lauded Mr President thusly: “We are deeply grateful for several road projects currently being executed by your administration that benefit Anambra State, running into hundreds of billions of naira, especially the Enugu-Onitsha Road, rehabilitation of Onitsha-Owerri Road, Phase 2b access road to Second Niger Bridge, rehabilitation of Oba-Nnewi Road Section II in Anambra, etc. When completed, they will be important game-changers for our people.”

 

Governor Soludo put forward the following ask-list on the table of President Tinubu: “Anambra remains, possibly, the gully erosion capital of the world, with one-third of our land mass under persistent threat, and the resource requirements to deal with this are far beyond the capacity of a state government. We are already spending tens of billions of naira on this, but much more is urgently needed. The Southeast and Anambra in particular are bypassed by the national gas masterplan despite abundant reserves of natural gas. We are not part of the national rail system. The Onitsha River Port, commissioned by President Shehu Shagari in 1982, remains a proposal, ostensibly because the federal government has been unable to undertake the required dredging. Only Asiwaju, the man who tamed the Atlantic, can break this 43-year-old jinx so that badges from Onne and other seaports can easily discharge at Onitsha. There is an abandoned strategic federal road project that links Anambra with Kogi State. Upon completion, the journey between Anambra/Southeast and Abuja might be shortened to about three hours — down from the current nine hours! The list is long, and we are convinced that systematically, these issues will be addressed.”

 

President Tinubu, who was bestowed with the chieftaincy title of Dikesimba of Anambra by Ndi Igwe of 179 communities in the state after having commissioned two landmark projects – the Solution Fun City and the Government House Mini-City as part of the initial steps on the path towards your audacious vision of Anambra as African-Dubai-Taiwan-Silicon Valley (ADTS) – made the firm promise to include Anambra State and the South-East in the National Railway Masterplan, a bold step that promises to open new corridors of mobility, trade, and interconnectivity for the South-East, the South-South, and the rest of the federation.

 

To promote the budding manufacturing and technological sectors, the president also promised to include Anambra State and the South-East in the country’s Gas Pipeline Masterplan, which is a vital tool for industrialisation and energy access.

 

In order to promote trade, mobility, and national unity, President Tinubu approved the completion of the federal highway that connects Anambra and Kogi State. This groundbreaking project would cut the trip time from Anambra to Abuja by roughly four hours.

 

Under President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, Governor Soludo also received assurances that reconstruction work will soon begin on the damaged sections of the Enugu–Onitsha Expressway, a long-standing infrastructure issue that is now at last to receive a decisive federal attention.

 

President Tinubu added a fitting crown to his newly placed hat by promising federal support for ecological investments to address erosion in Anambra State. This is a very appropriate intervention, given that environmental issues of this kind continue to be the state’s top existential threat and are beyond any state’s means.

 

It is anticipated that Mr. President’s commitment to a sustained strategic cooperation with Anambra State and the South-East for complete security restoration will include Governor Soludo’s other crucial request, which is for the federal government to start operating the Onitsha River Port.

 

For Ndi Anambra and all Ndigbo, President Tinubu’s State Visit is a huge victory for justice, inclusivity, and visionary leadership. It also serves as a testament to the strength of the strategic partnership between Anambra and the federal government, constructive engagement, the Soludo administration’s purposeful governance, and the governor’s dedication to progressivism and welfarism.

 

A worthy display of friendship, one that goes beyond politics and is based on the common goal of a more united, progressive Nigeria and the unmistakable proof of progressives working together, is President Tinubu’s affirmative response to Governor Soludo’s ask-list to end the marginalisation of the South-East.

 

What is more noteworthy than President Tinubu jocularly requesting a piece of land in Anambra State to construct a retirement home after his term as Nigeria’s president?

 

With Asiwaju, a brand-new, prosperous, and united Nigeria is undoubtedly approaching, one in which justice and peace will rule.

 

· *Law Mefor, PhD* , is the Commissioner for Information, Anambra State; email: drlawmefor@gmail.com; X:@DrLaw_Mefor.

Gov Mbah Inaugurates Committee To End Gender-Based Violence In Enugu

Gov Mbah inaugurates committee to end Gender-Based Violence in Enugu -  Daily Post Nigeria
 LarryBravo Nwaiwu
The Enugu State government has inaugurated a steering committee to eliminate Gender-Based Violence, GBV, in the state, declaring zero tolerance for the social malaise.
The inauguration took place at the Government House Enugu.
The panel, which is chaired by the Commissioner for Children, Gender Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Ngozi Enih, draws its membership from the Nigeria Police Force, Ministry of Agriculture and Agro Industrialisation, Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ministry of Human Development and Poverty Reduction, Ministry of Trade, Investment and Industry, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education as well as the Civil Society.
Inaugurating the panel known as the Steering Committee for Strengthening Institutional and Community Responses to End Gender-Based Violence/Domestication of Enugu State Gender Policy using the Oputa Panel approach, Governor Peter Mbah restated his administration’s  commitment to not bringing perpetrators of GBV to book, but also putting in place proactive measures – activities, infrastructure, and systems in place to prevent them.
Mbah, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, said, “We take gender-based violence seriously. We have zero tolerance for it, and in Enugu State, we are ready to go the extra mile to deal with it.
“If you notice, the government has selected people that are very committed to this goal. This is not an activity where we just want to check-off the list. We will track this. We will monitor this, and we will have quarterly engagements on the successes that this particular committee has achieved in terms of reference that we are going to send.
“We will tighten those terms of reference indicators, so that we monitor what we are doing both in terms of cost input and the value added. It’s very important to us. Many people will be involved – civil society, the police and various ministries.”
He however, said that the effort was to protect everyone, men and women alike, as GBV was not restricted to any gender.
“The whole idea is to hold people responsible that are involved in matters relating to gender violence and deter people that by culture or by association get involved in that, protect women, protect our children, and in the case of violence against men, protect our men because most times we misconstrue gender violence to mean women, but it can also be men too.
“We encourage our men to speak out and to make sure they understand that the policy that Enugu State is soon going to domesticate is for everyone, and not only for the female gender,” he stated.
In her remark, Mrs. Enih, explained that the Oputa Panel approach was inspired by the need to cover all local peculiarities in domesticating the policy on GBV, restarting government’s confidence in the members of the panel.
“The approach we are going to use is the Oputa Panel approach, and  in the Oputa Panel approach, we are going to tour the 17 Local Government Areas to get firsthand information about what our people are going through because policy is meant for the people, and a policy should suit the people.
“Again, every community has its peculiar problems, so that’s why the government decided that if we have to domesticate the gender policy, we have to hear from the people who own the policy and know the changes that they desire to see. That is the reason we are using this approach.
“The committee members are to also serve as judges. As we gather this information from our people, we will come back to tailor it in a way to suit the people of Enugu State, and then our policy is ready.
“We want the people to know that there is a gender policy for them. I can assure you that when the people are aware that there is such a policy, they will seek for the enforcement of that policy. So, this is not going to be one of those policies that will just lie on the shelf,” she said.
World Red Cross Society Day observe in Anambra

By Ebele Ofodile
It was a historical occasion as Anambra State Branch of the Nigerian Red Cross Society celebrated 2025 World Red Cross Society Day at Amawbia with the theme:-” On The Side Of Humanity”.
In her key note address, the Chairman of the Nigerian Red Cross Society, Anambra State Branch,Prof.(Mrs.) Charity Ifeyinwa Emelie described the occasion as a special significance for members in the Global Red Cross Community,as NRCS commemorate the birth of the Founder,late Sir Jean Henry Dunant,a Swiss Citizen born on the 8th of May,1828 in Geneva, Switzerland who was also a Swiss merchant,the one who made public the inefficiency of the sanitary organizations in wartime, emergency situation, during disasters, conflicts and crises.
She also highlighted some of the Society’s mission as:- to alleviate the situation of the vulnerable people which include those affected by disaster, epidemics, armed conflicts and and the poorest communities in both urban areas in general and remote and hard-to-reach areas in particular.
Furthermore on this 2025 World Red Cross Day Theme:-“On The Side Of Humanity”,she said that Humanity simply means understanding and kindness toward other people and also NRCS as the first Responder in emergency situations, training individuals in first Aid,thereby empowering them to respond to emergencies, providing relief in times of disasters and emergencies, reconnecting families who are separated by crises, rebuilding Communities that are devastated by disasters, promoting health and care of the vulnerable people and Communities, preventing and alleviate human suffering wherever it may be found.
Nigerian Red Cross Society is a Non-Governmental and  Non-profit Organization.
Therefore, Professor (Mrs.) appealed to the
general public, Associations, Religions, Politicians and Philanthropists in the State to support Nigerian Red Cross Society, Anambra State Branch to enable them face the challenges.
She also drew the attention of the Executive Governor of Anambra State,Prof.Charles Chukwuma Soludo to the challenges facing the NRCS, Anambra State Branch and called for financial support. She also thanked him for his previous support.
Representatives from the Nigeria Civil Defense Corp, Nigeria Youth Service Corp, Federal Road Safety Corp, among others graced the occasion as Awards were given to some recipients.
There was cutting of Cake by the State Chairman of Nigerian Red Cross Society Prof.Charity Emelie flanked by some dignitaries.
There was also a Press briefing with Journalists by the Chairman of Nigerian Red Cross Society, Anambra State Branch.
Nnewi Motherless and Venerable Children Home, and Onitsha Motherless and Venerable Children Home were among cultural groups that entertained audience.
Global Money Week: Unity Bank Deepens Commitment to Financial Literacy With Nationwide Youth Outreach

Unity Bank Deepens Commitment to Financial Literacy with Youth Outreach

In demonstration of its commitment to financial empowerment targeting Youths, Unity Bank Plc has again championed the cause of financial literacy by facilitating Training in 13 secondary schools across Nigeria to commemorate the 2025 Global Money Week.

Held under the theme, “Think before you follow, wise money tomorrow,” this year’s engagement focused on helping young people develop discernment and critical thinking in making financial decisions, particularly in an era shaped by social media influence and digital distractions.

Unity Bank’s Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Ebenezer Kolawole, supported the initiative as the Bank held an impactful session at Boys Model Secondary School, Owerri, Imo State. Represented by the Bank’s Zonal Head, South South/South East, Mr. William Odigie, Mr. Kolawole shared practical lessons on financial responsibility, guiding students on how to cultivate savings culture, investment and financial management; advising against any impulsive financial behaviours, more especially those involving online.

Speaking through the Zonal Head during the Training session, Mr. Kolawole emphasised the importance of being exposed early to financial management: “The habits you form now around saving, spending, and investing will shape your financial future. It’s not about how much you have, but how wisely you manage it.”

In each of the 13 schools visited nationwide, Unity Bank’s facilitators engaged students in interactive discussions, practical money management exercises, and quizzes. Participating students who displayed exceptional skills at various sessions got recognition and were presented with branded gift items to strongly reinforce the financial literacy training.

Recall that recently, Unity Bank launched GenFi digital banking app, a youth-focused solution designed to empower children and teens with smart money habits through gamified learning, goal-setting, and parental guidance. The participation of the Bank in the financial literacy training marks this year’s Global Money Week is to further Youth engagement.

Global Money Week is a worldwide initiative coordinated in Nigeria by the Central Bank of Nigeria in collaboration with the Bankers’ Committee and Junior Achievement Nigeria. The engagement aims to instil sound financial knowledge and habits in young people from an early age, being a strategy to promote financial inclusion.

Unity Bank has continued to invest in youth-focused financial education as a clear demonstration of its unwavering commitment to empowering Nigeria’s next generation for financial independence and self-reliance.