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By Madu Obi Barely one month after St John Vianney College, Ukwulu, Anambra State, won an international debate among Nigerian and United Kingdom schools, another school in the state, Myrtle Vine Academy, Onitsha has won the global school connect in London, UK. Wife of the Anambra State governor, Mrs Nonye Soludo, who commended the school, said it is part of the ongoing educational revolution in the state. Mrs Soludo said: "I wish to celebrate the brilliant students of Myrtle Vine Academy, Onitsha, Anambra State, who just conquered the world in the recent Global School Connect tournament in London, United Kingdom. By demonstrating extraordinary intelligence, our students defeated their counterparts from other countries to clinch the Director's Award for Social Enterprise and then emerged runner-up to bring home the Creative Impact Award. What these amazing kids have shown is nothing far from Anambra's universal identity. Our state is, unarguably, a cradle of greatness and excellence. Let me also congratulate the management of the school for investing in learning and competitive academic exposure for their students." She promised that the state administration will continue to prioritize quality, competitive, accessible and inclusive educational opportunities for every child living in Anambra State to tap into and excel.

By Madu Obi The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC), a nongovernmental organization, has condemned the alleged continued refusal of the Federal government of Nigeria and the Nigeria Police Force to comply with valid court judgments that awarded N70 million compensation to Miss Glory Okolie, a victim of unlawful detention and inhumane treatment. Miss Okolie, who was a student, was arrested on June 13, 2021, by officers of the Intelligence Response team in Owerri, Imo State and detained for several months. RULAAC Executive Director, Okechukwu Nwanguma, in a statement on Wednesday, said that during her detention, Okolie was denied legal representation and forced to carry out domestic chores for police officers, while her family searched for her in vain. He said that in two separate judgments by the ECOWAS Court of Justice on November 21, 2024, and another by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court on June 23, 2022, the Nigerian government was ordered to pay a total of ₦70 million in damages to Miss Okolie for the gross violation of her fundamental human rights. According to Nwanguma, the ECOWAS Court ruled that her prolonged detention without trial violated Articles 6 and 7 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and ordered the payment of ₦10 million in damages, adding that prior to that, the FCT High Court had awarded ₦60 million in punitive and general damages. "Despite these clear judgments, the Nigerian authorities have blatantly refused to honour the rulings. Letters and official communications from Miss Okolie’s legal representatives to the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation have been ignored. This act of defiance not only adds to the trauma of a victim of injustice, but also constitutes a grave affront to the rule of law and Nigeria’s obligations under both domestic and international law", he said. The RULAAC director demanded that in addition to the immediate payment of the ₦70 million compensation as awarded by the courts, there should be a public apology to Miss Okolie for "the grievous harm done to her", while the officers involved in her illegal arrest and detention should be held accountable. Reminding the Nigerian government that court judgments are not advisory opinions, but binding obligations, he argued that democracy cannot thrive where state institutions operate with impunity and in disregard of judicial authority. "The deliberate failure to comply with these rulings signals state-sanctioned lawlessness, undermines public trust in the justice system, and emboldens rights violators within the security sector. We urge local and international human rights bodies, diplomatic missions, and development partners to join in calling on the Nigerian government to respect the rule of law and ensure justice for Glory Okolie. Her case is not an isolated one; it is symbolic of the widespread abuse, disregard for due process, and impunity that plague Nigeria’s law enforcement system", Nwanguma observed..

The street light contractors protesting at Awka By Madu Obi The Anambra State government has set machinery in motion to pay the aggrieved streetlight contractors who are owed about N900 million, as it opens discussions with them. The contractors supplied diesel for powering street lights across the state in February, 2022 before Governor Chukwuma Soludo assumed office in March, 2022. Representatives of the contractors, who are members of the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, embarked on a peaceful protest to the government house in Awka yesterday where they complained that while a few of the contractors have been paid, most of them are yet to be paid. Chief of Staff to Governor Soludo, Mr. Ernest Ezeajughi, commended the contractors for being peaceful in their protest, assuring them that the government was not insensitive to their plight. “I want to assure you that your concerns have been heard. Mr Governor is committed to resolving this issue. Your matter has moved to another table for attention, from the last time you visited. We will resolve this case amicably after a review. The fact that some of you have been paid shows that the process is on," Ezeajughi said. He asked the contractors to nominate three representatives for a follow-up meeting aimed at reaching an amicable resolution of the issue. Spokesman of the contractors, Hon. Nnaemeka Oraka, who briefed the Chief of Staff, said they became worried following what he termed as 'selective payment'. The contractors, including both men and women, who marched from Dr. Alex Ekwueme Square to the New Government House said: “We are 72 contractors, but only seven have been paid. We don’t understand the criteria for this selective payment. We followed due process and executed legitimate jobs for the government, yet, we have been abandoned. We funded these supplies from our pockets. It was like giving the government a loan. We have families, we owe banks, and some of us have lost everything. Some of our members have even died due to the stress." He said several letters had been written to relevant government agencies to no avail, adding that the protest was a last resort. While welcoming the assurance by the Chief of Staff, they said they would continue to press for full payment if no concrete action is taken soon. Oraka added that the banks they borrowed money from and the filling stations that supplied diesel to them are on their neck. The contractors also declared their support for APGA and Governor Soludo’s reelection.