32nd Inaugural Lecture “Denatured Human Rights: A New Normal Is Possible” Prof. Obiaraeri’s Clarion Call: A Noble Cause.

DDM NEWS Austin Okoro

Ever heard of Prof. Nnamdi Obiaraeri in the citadel of academics? It is a questioned too many denatured across disciplines very much uninformed by both the high and lowly, the fortunate and not so fortunate on the life’s billboard of Western education, especially in the faculty of law with a specialty in International law and Jurisprudence.

Long short, truth be told, Prof.Obiaraeri as far as intellectual enterprise of bench and bar is concerned, within and far beyond the intercontinental shelves of Africa, is an egg head of note, very vocal and eloquent on the issues that touch the heart, body and soul and the matters arising there off.

He buys into the idea of the preamble of the American constitution, led by Hamilton and Co. That, “It is a self- evident truth all men are born equal by their Creator and they are endowed with certain inalienable rights among which are life, liberty and pursuit of happiness.”

Prof. Obiaraeri is an exponent and active crusader of human rights existential philosophy. He minces no words about the homily, the gospel truth.

His citation of well in years is akin to reciting the Catholic litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary, so long and deep. Therefore, for want of time and space, permit me to refrain from it. Let the abridged version suffice, for decency is no pride, it costs money.

Prof.Obiaraeri, in his early 60s, is an erudite professor, in learning and character in international law and Jurisprudence at lmo State University, Owerri. A man of letters, of the people and many parts.

He is an esteemed Columnist renowned for his incisive and thought provoking writing, has long captured and captivated readers with his ability to intertwine lgbo folktales, historical and law references and literary insight.

His articles often critically examine Nigeria’s constitutional, political and social landscape uniquely. Armed with outstanding degrees in the faculty of law, he has judicial impetus.

In this age of reason, with an apology to Thomas Paine, “The gloves are off.” See why he frowns when the atmosphere of distrust underpins the denaturing of human rights in Nigeria from the front lines of various ministries and agencies.

Yet upon all his collaterals, suffused with fond memories, innovations and establishments, he projects and creates a forum for people to connect and converse under the swagger of modesty. But remains a gadfly in his own rights.

From the old rugged cross, he fertilizes crowns, hence ex – this, ex – that, in all spheres of influence.

He ventures faulting the philosophy that “men are not measured by inches,” for in the line of tallness,he is a contender, stoutly built, yet upwardly mobile. Height, matters not in the realms of life?

Mindful of his antecedents, empirically proven, yours sincerely is in a lost world, why the Nigeria Judicial Commission ( NJC) has not deemed it fit to adorn him with the laurel.of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), at least with the breaking of the jinx on the seemingly seal on modern day Counsels by Distinguish Silks Ngozi Chidozie Olehi, followed by Soronnadi Njoku. Or does he need to go into practice to obtain that? An expo for the Professor of international law and Jurisprudence.

Again, another lost world. I could not fathom why it took the powers that were and be in Imo State University ( IMSU), so long a time to approve of his inaugural lecture, number 32 at that.

Prof. Obiaraeri, who had of blessed memories, revered Justices Chukwudifu Oputa and Ben Nwabueze, the law themselves as fathers in learning, should have in the event of showing interest of lost counts for the inaugural lecture series be goaded and granted the gesture to mount the podium to deliver not just a lecture but rather a tutorial on the roadmap for Nigeria.

Well, consoled, he was and is in the know that “God’s time is the best.” He echoes it. His outing was out of this world, very electric.

Openly, he threw brickbats in the very before of those concerned, in our society imperfect. He made confessions that enamoured souls and granted forgiveness that sanitized the hearts but dropped names as and when do.

The names? Why were you absent upon the hyped publicity? Take the question off me. Read in between the lines, but don’t cross the red lines. Peter Obi is being accused of having crossed the lines, as if our myriad problems are structured on crossing or not crossing the invisible lines. A message to Felix Mouka, the Publicity Secretary of APC. The lbo man ambivalence. Odikwa egwu – sickening.

Back to Prof. Obiaraeri. As l was saying, the IMSU 32nd INAUGURAL LECTURE Thursday January 16,2025 at the behest of the Law faculty with the grand commander as the Prof. himself was of a healthy mixed grill.

Sea of families and sectors stormed IMSU beyond Imo State. The professors, other academia, captains of industries, movers and shakers of the society, His Royal Highnesses, battery of Pressmen, climaxed with the presence of lmo State government, and two former ex- governors of lmo State, His Excellencies Godson lkedi Ohakim and Rochas Anayo Okorocha. It was a rendezvous of our time.

Governor Uzodimma, delegated his deputy, Her Excellency Barr Ekomaru, who in return, delegated her son in her office, Barr. Ekomaru, who stood in for the lmo State government on her behalf. Devolution of powers? What else!!!

In sickness and in health, thrust His Excellency Chief lkedi Ohakim, when duty calls or danger. A lay about of a man, “huga mugaly” ( apologies to Chief Ohakim) brezeed in, looking hot and smoky, made to where Chief lkedi Ohakim was seated with his evergreen wife, lady Chioma and wanted to undo him in a silly act of aborting the protocol of precedence in sitting.

Chief lkedi Ohakim spanked him with a registered slap that emitted stars of many colours off his orbital region of the eyes in the full glare of all that were sensitively present and to this effect, his life of love and love of life, the wife Chioma, nodded in approval, impliedly but not expressed ordered for more.

But Chief lkedi Ohakim, a well given gentleman felt thunder needed not struck twice at a material particular. He sat calmed, cooled and collected. Many of us who caught the drama of absurdity from the stupid idiot of a man hallowed Chief lkedi Ohakim’s reaction.

It was fun watching the man disappear into the overwhelming crowd. The whole act and scene, happened too quickly for the eyes to follow and within a second split, normalcy prevailed.

The beauty of the assemblage of intellectuals and the top brass in the upper echelon. The rest is history. Chief Rochas Anayo Okorocha,never even showed up in the IMSU auditorium where the sordid spectacle occurred.

He rather came briefly at the reception place, the University Senate, availed himself for an interactive session with the Press in the company of Prof.Obiaraeri, later addressed the audience and swiftly left.

A lesson on limits to sycophancy for the man who came to be noticed but was cast in the dust by Chief lkedi Ohakim. A lesson on, “no go dey do pass yourself.” Let’s learn.

Now, to the object of my discourse. Prof. Nnamdi Obiaraeri, the Socrates of our time speaks!!!

“Nigeria must be discussed,” he said. Using the “DENATURED HUMAN RIGHT IN NIGERIA – A NEW NORMAL IS POSSIBLE,” he zoomed off and tore the trouble with Nigeria into shreds. I could feel and touch his distraught.

Rhetorically, he grace the lecture with questions. Regrettably, it was not as if l had an answer to any of his charges against the state of the nation, so as not to hazard wrongly, l tried to put question marks on the most popular answers within the attentive zone of my mind’s knowledge box.

His submissions were staccatos of sectionals and devoid of dyed- in- the – wood sentimental narratives.

He taught about Nigeria and spoke for her. People should have variegated opinions over national issues which are legal any way, but must stick to the facts. Opinion leaders ought to realize that their words carry weight and that their followers may not have the capacity to fact- check them.

In his evidence led lecture, he proved that there is no part of Nigeria that is not bringing anything to the table, that it is prejudice that distorts reality and denature human rights drive in Nigeria.

He by implication, faulted the politics of revenue allocation and derivation proposed change of the formula sharing from the valued added tax ( VAT) among the states.

Human Right stand denatured when we co-mingle tax reforms which is a technical exercise with revenue sharing, which is intensely a political affair. It is not handed down like a tablet of ten commandments from mountain Sinai. He advocated. For sure ni.

I have never seen brickbats but l positively relish their reputation – shaking sound as they home in on their targets.

Prof. Obiaraeri in his inaugural lecture mutually deflated the Nigerianization of democracy of a nation unkindly sentenced to asphyxiation. Through his brickbats, he provided a relief from our soul- destroying boredom.

The important people’s weapon of choice are brickbats – lethal verbal weapons that merely threaten mutual destruction.

The public reputation and records of Adams Oshomole, the then APC chairman suffered the darkening turned charcoal narratives by Prof. Obiaraeri. Under money politics, that robbed him his then senatorial ticket by Oshomole, he drew his blood and had him quartered.

He left no worms in the can on any other denatured human rights exercise he heard or experienced.

But l’m in the know that the only difference between our politicians and prostitutes is in the spelling, otherwise, they are the same.

So, when they speak ill of one another, they are not motivated by mutually assured destruction but by the desire to merely titillate us and briefly make us feel good that dogs have no qualms eating dogs.

Their secrets are mutually well- guarded. lt is part of their code for mutual protection.

Check out His Excellency Hope Odidika Uzodimma and Rochas Anayo Okorocha. I have said nothing.

Whenever you hear one important person threaten another, just listen for the sound of brickbats. If your heart begins to race in anticipation of seeing pieces of shattered reputation by the roadside, do what l usually do. Smile.

Still on Prof. Obiaraeri’s denatured human rights in Nigeria, brickbats that culminated to if Nigeria was a mistake? On the basis of his official information, he came of a turn of mind that because of money, no Nigeria will be allowed, especially the politicians to pass through the pearly gates of heaven.

That St.Peter and the other apostles except Judas Iscariot will shut the gates in our faces and we would have to watch other nationals pass easily through the gate to paradise. It gives me goose pimple. Why?

Prof. Obiaraeri’s never told me that, but it goes to the burgeoning tribe of pastors in our country who are labouring as in shouting at the devil, to ensure that we all troop into heaven.

Their work is set to be wasted. The problem? All Nigerians are guilty of the venial sin of love of money. The Bible warns us that the love of money is the root of all evil.

Our country has entered, l should think , The Guinness Book of Records with the remarkable paradox of being a rich nation of poor and impoverished citizens.

This makes it difficult for the guardians of the world economy to sensibly classify our country.

They slammed us with the poverty capital of the world. Nigerians are the happiest people in the world.

The secret of their eternal happiness is that they are the greatest lovers of money at the expense of human rights cathecism. Poverty makes no one happy. It makes everyone sad. Shall heaven wait?

Continuing, Prof. opined that the Nigerianization of democracy has had a determined assault on our sacred body of laws – the article of faith, the constitution.

A case in point, the immunity clause was intended to protect governors from frivolous cases over their actions and decisions while in office. Does anyone care about accountability? It does not feature in our democracy sans democrats.

The Nigerianization of democracy is not the killing of democracy. It is the cynical and systemic amputation of its limbs, professor, the erudite cautioned.

Again, he wondered why our lawmakers suspend an erred member from sessions, mindful of the fact that his or her constituency bears the brunt.

He sees it as one more rubbish of the Nigerianization of democracy. “He or she could be sanctioned in any other way instead of suspension.

He made a case. A message to our lawbreakers,sorry, law makers. Closing up his inferences on politics, he asserted that it does not take rocket science to know that the triumph of money politics is the triumph of mediocrity and incompetence.

Was Nigeria, a mistake? Prof. Obiaraeri came short of canvassing on whether Nigeria, was a mistake.

He posited by virtue of the amalgamation on January 1, 1914, that Nigeria, became a single geographical entity, our home, our hope and our heritage. Fleshing it up, he expressed the conviction that our amalgamation was not a mistake.

That why our union may have been inspired by consideration external to our people, he has no doubt that we are destined by the Grand commander of the universe to live together as one big nation, united in diversity.

He feels the full weight of our history. What he feels most is never frustration, not disillusionment, but the pride and great hope for a country that is bound to overcome the transient pains of the moment and eventually take its pride of place in the comity of the nations of the world.

To this effect, he pushes beyond the limits for an x-ray of our existence as to meet up with the expectations of the march of civilization.

We should be a nation of the future not of the past, he charges all, present and indisposed.

On the Judiciary, his very constituency, he supports its full independence as not to allow the conscience tampered with.

Finally, he suggested the involvement of all Nigerians in the national endeavour, so that from the threads of our regional, ethnic and religious diversities, we continuously weave a vibrant collage of values that must strengthen the Nigeria spirit

That is Professor Nnamdi Obiaraeri, Momo the law for you, who uses poetic and prosaic licenses in fashioning the drama of existence.!!!

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