- A defining moments for justice and reconciliation
By Hon. Barr. Fraben Agwu, JP
On 19 February 2026, the Governor of Enugu State, Peter Mbah, convened stakeholders of Enugu South Local Government Area at the Government House for what he described as a sincere and unscripted dialogue on the state of governance. He made it clear from the outset that the meeting was neither for political endorsements nor ceremonial praise-singing, but for frank engagement on areas requiring attention.
That declaration alone set the tone for what may prove to be one of the most consequential conversations in the modern political history of Nkanuland. Present at the meeting were prominent Nkanu sons and daughters, including the APC State Party Caretaker Chairman, Barr. Dr. Ben Nwoye; the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia; the member representing Enugu North and South Federal Constituency, Hon. Chimaobi Atu; the Commissioner for Local Government Affairs, Deacon Okey Ogbodo; the Special Adviser on Political Matters, High Chief Frank Anioma; the Executive Chairman of Enugu South Local Government Council, Rt. Hon. Dr. Caleb Ani, former member of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Prince Ofor Chukwuegbo; Hon. Peter Nnaji, Member I, Local Government Service Commission; Rev. Chimaobi Aninwene of the Enugu Pilgrims Board; former member representing Enugu South Rural Constituency, Hon. Theresa Egbo; and several prominent traditional rulers from Enugu South.
In my intervention as Executive Director of CERDSPIN and as a key political stakeholder in Enugu South and Nkanu, I spoke passionately yet candidly about the persistence of segregation practices in Nkanuland. Historically and uniquely, these practices manifest through dichotomy, xenophobic sentiments, and entrenched prejudices. While there is no incidence of the osu caste system in Nkanu, there remains a continuous claim of indignity among natives and subtle supremacy sentiments that sustain social and political division.
It is noteworthy that this advocacy was further reinforced by the State APC Party Chairman in Nkanu West Local Government during the stakeholders’ engagement with the Governor.
Across parts of Igboland where the osu caste system once existed and was criminalized as far back as 1956 by the then Government of Eastern Nigeria, many affected communities have since evolved into more egalitarian societies. Tragically, however, segregation persists in subtle and systemic forms in Nkanuland, leaving the region vulnerable to political manipulation by actors from other zones of Enugu State.
Politicians from outside Nkanuland have often exploited these internal divisions to deepen fractures and even challenge the political stability of Nkanu leadership. Such dynamics embolden threats of cross-political alliances aimed at undermining the Governor during electoral contests. This unhealthy cycle can change for the good of all Nkanu indigenes if the malaise of segregation is addressed decisively through practical acts of justice and fairness.
Although the law abolished systemic caste practices, social and political discrimination has endured. This phenomenon is not peculiar to Nkanu. Across history, legal abolition has often preceded social transformation by decades.
In the United States, slavery was abolished in 1865, yet segregation persisted until the Civil Rights Movement led by figures such as Martin Luther King Jr. compelled structural reform.
In South Africa, apartheid formally ended in 1994 under the leadership of Nelson Mandela, but national healing required deliberate reconciliation efforts, including the establishment of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
The Governor’s demeanour while condemning lingering segregation in Nkanuland reflected an intentional commitment to consign discrimination to history in both Nkanuland and Enugu State at large. History teaches that injustice does not dissolve merely because statutes prohibit it. It requires moral courage, political will, and collective responsibility.
The Governor’s historic commitment is reassuring. It may mark a turning point, as he publicly pledged to eradicate segregation practices in Nkanuland. No previous Governor has addressed this issue so directly in such an enlarged forum. He remarked that if our ancestors were to return and find us still indulging in discrimination, they would be disappointed. He further declared that having resisted and personally experienced discrimination abroad, he could not preside over discriminatory governance at home.
Most significantly, he announced his intention to undertake a political power audit—community by community, ward by ward—taking into account cultural cleavages to ensure fairness, balance, and equitable distribution of appointments at all levels. If faithfully implemented, this would represent a structural rather than symbolic intervention.
From Skepticism to Strategic Engagement
Skepticism among victims of political exclusion is understandable. Successive indigenous administrations have spoken against segregation yet failed to dismantle its operational mechanisms. However, civil rights struggles worldwide offer a crucial lesson: transformational moments must be seized when political leadership opens the door.
When apartheid ended in South Africa, many doubted reconciliation. When civil rights laws were enacted in America, many doubted enforcement. Yet reform became reality because victims chose organized engagement over withdrawal.
The olive branch extended by Governor Mbah should therefore be approached not with naïve trust, but with strategic participation.
Marginalized communities can maximize this moment by:
Developing documented position papers detailing patterns of exclusion, community by community.
Participating actively in consultative forums and policy reviews rather than operating from the margins.
Building cross-clan solidarity to weaken discriminatory structures.
Encouraging qualified professionals from historically excluded blocs to position themselves visibly for public service.
Advocating equitable distribution of appointments based on fairness and competence, not retaliatory dominance.
Beyond politics, intermarriages, mutual recognition of traditional institutions, and the creation of additional autonomous communities where appropriate can foster long-term cultural healing.
Toward an Egalitarian Renaissance
Governor Mbah also emphasized building an idea-driven economy rooted in quality education, artificial intelligence advancement, security, and infrastructure. Such an economy cannot thrive amid social fragmentation. Innovation ecosystems demand inclusion.
The participation of Mr. Obinna Nnaji, son of the distinguished engineering scholar Bartholomew Nnaji, at the recent Enugu Tech Exposition—where he delivered a presentation—signals a promising future for a united and forward-looking Nkanuland.
As Martin Luther King Jr. aptly observed, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” Social injustice, like a boil, must be punctured—its pus and ugliness exposed—to be healed by the air of public opinion. Nkanu now stands at that threshold.
The recent appointment of Engr. Greg Nnaji signals initial movement. Yet the real test lies in sustained implementation. Board appointments, executive roles, and balanced representation at local government levels must reflect the Governor’s promise.
A Moment for Communal Healing
Segregation has diminished Nkanuland’s moral authority within Enugu State and the wider Igbo nation. It has fostered internal suspicion and invited external ridicule. But this moment presents an opportunity for collective redemption.
Reconciliation is not weakness. Dialogue is not surrender. Engagement is not betrayal.
If South Africa could transition from institutionalized apartheid to constitutional democracy, and if the United States could dismantle legalized segregation, then Nkanu—blessed with educated and globally exposed elites—can transcend inherited prejudices.
The Governor has spoken. History is watching. Now is the time for responsible partnership between government and citizens to translate promise into policy, and policy into lived equality.
Let this not become another speech archived in memory. Let it mark the beginning of structural desegregation.
Nkanu can rise—united, egalitarian, and forward-looking.
Indeed, Nkanu shall be great again.
Hon. Barr. Fraben Agwu, JP
Executive Director, Centre for Elimination of Racial Discrimination and Segregation Practices in Nigeria (CERDSPIN)
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