A team of renowned psychologists, led by Anambra State Commissioner for Information, Dr. Law Mefor, was recently hosted by the Managing Director, Anambra State Civic and Social Reformation Office (ANCISRO), Sir Chuka Nnabuife.

In his welcome remarks, the ANCISRO MD, Sir Chuka Nnabuife, urged the forum to individually and collectively help his agency work out ways that will save the society from danger.

According to the commissioner for Information, the forum was an avenue to interact physically on how to bring back lost Igbo values, which he identified as Uchu (hard work), Uche (wisdom), and Egwu Chukwu (fear of God), to recover the soul of Anambra.

Dr Mefor charged them to help research, design, and provide information and intervention strategies to support the campaign against ‘ego mbute’ (wealth without work), drug abuse, and cultism, among others, which the agency is working on.

“The Governor summarily believes that most of us, particularly the youths, have lost their ways and those Igbo values. Uche, Uchu, and Egwu Chukwu are now being assaulted by the new culture that is rising and efforts must be made to recover the soul of Anambra—to realign once more with these foundational values that set us aside as people blessed by God.

“Drug abuse, particularly crystal met, which we locally call mkpulu mmiri, is destroying Igboland. It has become an epidemic and a major crime enabler. Cultism has also spread and gone into the open society. These negativities will be accepted as a new normal if they are not challenged. So it is a clear and present danger that needs to be confronted. That’s what this office is about—put in place by Governor Soludo to confront this new dangerous culture before it becomes normal. If we allow these things to crystallise, there will be irreversible consequences for our dear state. This is why we all have to see this intervention as a spiritual exercise. It’s not ordinary because we are standing in the gap for those who are already lost and for those who will be lost if nothing is done,” Mefor said.

 Some of the scholars in attendance were Prof. Anthony Okoye, Dr. Ada Dike, Dr. Ijeoma Orji, and others.