Dad,

The Anambra State mayhem is so dastardly and depressing that I don't really want to talk about it. But can I not? It is ugly and beastly. There is no place for this growing disaster in a civilized, modern nation. Just simply appalling! As I write, the state is still boiling inspite of the deployment of soldiers to Onitsha and Awka!

Here are some facts, a brief summary: The ruling party rigged elections in the state, using some moneybags and political contractors. Somehow, the state was held financially hostage, and almost bankrupt for several years - especially between 1999 and 2003. Luckily, the "imposed" governor following the 2003 Elections outsmarted the partywigs and their local godfathers, and refused to play ball with the state's destiny or its limited resources. Then all hell broke loose!

He was abducted, intimidated, maligned, terrorised, and eventually expelled from the ruling party. He held his grounds, and generally served his people well, until some weeks ago when the fraudulent election was overturned by the courts. In the intervening period, the state was overrun by hoodlums and hired goons of the godfathers - burning, looting, raping and crippling the land which produced illustrous sons and daughters like Nnamdi Azikiwe, Emeka Anyaoku, Chinua Achebe, Alex Ekwueme, Phillip Emeagwali, Dora Akunyili and Charles Soludo!!!

On one occasion, the arson went on for three days without let or relent while the security agencies stood akimbo, and all was being broadcast live to the world! That season and its stark unreason provoked Professor Chinua Achebe to reject the Obasanjo administration's national honours award, to the admiration of people of conscience around the world. It hurt Abuja badly.

Now there is a new governor and the mayhem has returned. He is of a different political party, of course. So you have to wonder what is happening: Is it that whatever Abuja cannot have or control it destroys? Look at Lagos State, whose several billions of local government funds are being illegally withheld by the president in defiance of a Supreme Court judgement! The crime rate in Abia State has also risen in tandem with the mayhem in Anambra, thus rendering Aba and Onitsha, the two largest markets in the south east (some say in West Africa!) no-go zones. Of course the Abia governor has been a fierce critic of Abuja, though he is of the ruling party, and is a strong contender in the forthcoming presidential elections - meaning he is one of those who "killed" the Third Term Agenda of President Obasanjo. Lagos is virtually submerged in floods because local governments have no money to clear both refuse and drains! This is 2006.

So dad, what is there to say? The federal government is seeking foreign investors and we have these happenings! Just recently, the president laid the foundation stone of a new refinery in Anambra State. Who chairs the board of the company? Our own Chief Emeka Anyaoku, former Commonwealth secretary general, a friend of Chief Obasanjo and chairperson of his Honorary Presidential Committee on Foreign Affairs!!!

I rest my case.

Best wishes,
Dayo

Dear Mother,

In the history of Nigeria, this is a good era for women appointees. The president has done well in this regard. We have more female ministers and permanent secretaries/director generals now than we could have imagined in the past. And the states are taking cue. Good news.

This raises hope for higher women representation in governance and the boardroom in future, even as we keep our fingers crossed for the upcoming elections next year.

The latest cabinet changes swept the recently appointed minister of education, Mrs Nora Chinwe Obaji, away. We hear she was "sacked", some say she was "dropped". No matter. Only that if she was guilty of "obstructing" government's reforms in her ministry, as we were told last week, along with four other ministers, how come only she got the boot?

No loss to our women quota, though, since she was replaced by another woman. I wish I could tell you what her real sins were. But trademark Obasanjo, mum is the word. That is the kind of democracy we have been in, and, by God's Grace, we shall be spared with the demise of the Third Term Agenda and the coming of Elections 2007!

Again, hope rising for Nigerian Women. You should be proud of that!

Love
Dayo