By Patrick Ochei
The highly celebrated Image Maker and Anioma Queen Mother, HRM Obi Martha Dunkwu, Omu Anioma/Nneoha has challenged the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) to help salvage the judicial, political, religious, economic and moral challenges of Nigeria, maintaining that our country Nigeria is in jeopardy and needs help here and now.
Omu Dunkwu made this assertion while speaking as the Special Guest of Honour at the Cultural Night of FIDA, put together to host her members from the 36 States of Nigeria and FCT Abuja, who are attending the 2nd Quarter National Executive Council meeting of FIDA in Asaba, Delta State.
Introducing her to talk about culture, the Delta State FIDA Chairperson, Barr. Stellamaris Mejulu described Omu Dunkwu as a famous, powerful, intelligent, culture enthusiast and down to earth Queen Mother who has brought visibility and glamour into the culture of Anioma people and Nigeria at large, even in the midst of roundly dominated patriarchal system of rulership.
While telling her audience about the culture of Anioma people where their forefathers kept a seat for a woman to reign as Omu, Obi Dunkwu affirmed that a people without culture are naked.
The iconic female monarch revealed that at the point of coronation an Omu is bestowed male rights so she does not get married or when already married, she does not remain under the dominance of another man but returns to her father’s house to reign; adding that she is the only woman that can break the kolanuts in Nigeria and in the case of Okpanam, Asaba and Ibusa, she is an Obi (Eze Nwanyi or female king as the case may be).
Dunkwu welcomed the female lawyers to Delta State and averred that academic qualifications not withstanding, anybody who finds him or herself in the midst of lawyers is usually dwarfed. She eulogized them for being the defenders of justice and architects of egalitarian society.
However, Omu felt sober about the present challenges of Nigeria, confirming that the male leadership of Nigeria has failed to keep the peace and unity of the country together.
She also insisted that the greatest failure in the Nigerian project is the woman who has abandoned motherhood which is a divine responsibility to conceive, bring forth, nurture and guide her children into that mature, best of character leaders that should be in positions of authority.
Her words, “Nigeria is the leader of all the black nations in the world. And I put it to you that the Nigerian woman is the leader of all black women in the whole world.
“However, Nigeria is failing to remain the leader of the black race, because the men have failed in their responsibility to keep together our peace and unity. On the strength of this, I charge women to rise to the occasion.
“Our country is in jeopardy. The men are confused and tired. We must help them as women, as wives, as mothers to salvage the political, economic and security quagmires currently staring the country in the face. We must rise not to take the positions of men but to help them find solution to the myriads of challenges bedevilling our country”, Omu Anioma posited.
Meanwhile, it was a night of colours, glamour and glitz. The women lawyers were awesome, dressed in attires depicting their various states and zones. It was a night of culture and they actually did justice to it; singing and dancing to their local genres of music and even the food served for the night was made up of variety of local dishes from all parts of the country.