Dr. Arthur Nwankwo: The Intellectual Crusader For Enthronement Of Rule Of Law

Dr Arthur Nwankwo

Very few Nigerians can share the honours podium of heroes of democracy with Dr. Arthur Nwankwo. This prolific author and teacher is one of Nigeria’s best-known crusaders for justice, rule of law and enthronement of the democratic ideals which the founding fathers of this nation desired for the people. As a social activist he has turned his idealism into action in the course of his life and helped

in changing the Nigerian social and political scene. He has cried out against the injustices of the Nigerian system, exposed cruel labour practices and has steadfastly worked for a more equitable system for every person. 

His campaign for an equitable society has cost him his freedom countless times. In 1982 he was convicted of sedition and sentenced to 12-month imprisonment with hard labour for his book, "How Jim Nwobodo rules Anambra State.” This conviction was later quashed

by an appeal court acquitting and discharging him of all charges. This cerebral social critic has his struggle anchored on good conscience and devotion to the good of humanity. It is also driven by vision and mission to serve. It is a struggle defined by his aversion to poor governance and fueled by the conviction that when the righteous are in power the people will rejoice but when evil people are in power the people will suffer. He has dedicated his entire existence to

the cause of the ordinary people who have borne the brunt of the wicked leadership that had been sadly imposed on the country. 

He has been concerned about the wretched of the earth who have been unconscionably deprived in the midst of plenty and who have been subjected to the most degrading level of feeding from the garbage bins and to whom justice has always stood afar. In the struggle to see to the triumph of good over evil, he had to endure official harassments, intimidations, blackmails, imprisonment, threats to his personal security, abuse of his fundamental human rights and evil. Despite such harrowing experience in the hands of the state, he remained focused and unmoved while hoping that one

day Nigeria will realize her folly and toe the path of reason. In all these foreboding climates of uncertainty, he has made it clear that he is still hopeful of an opportunity to salvage the Nigerians system and make available to all Nigerians irrespective of gender, class, religion and ethnicity, the reason to continue living and believing in the Nigerian project. 

He has also said that as long as he lives, that he is committed to prosecuting the struggle to its logical

conclusions representing as it were the conscience and aspirations of millions of Nigerians who have been criminally disenfranchised and impoverished through leadership ineptitude and the tendency for the criminal accumulation of wealth.

Arthur Nwankwo has also been jailed and exiled for the struggle for democracy and justice during the dark days of military dictatorship. It was said that on June, 1998, when he was still the Vice Chairman of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) and the Chancellor of the Eastern Mandate Union (EMU), the frontline coalitions that fought against the Gen. Sani Abacha’s regime, a meeting was held by the entire NADECO in the United States where serious decision was taken against the Abacha regime. Only Nwankwo came back to Nigeria after the meeting with the intention of implementing the decision taken, while the others stayed back on self-exile. Unknown to the activist, the head of state had impounded his international passport. 

It was alleged that Abacha killer squad monitored Dr. Nwankwo’s residence in Enugu because an anti-Abacha rally and campaign were held all over the country especially in the eastern states and Dr. Nwankwo’s residence was the headquarter of operations. On June 3, 1998, at about 8.00pm, a crack team of soldiers and mobile police stormed Nwankwo’s residence and arrested some of the democratic activists alongside himself. They were beaten and battered like common criminals and dumped in the trunk of government Peugeot cars. They were detained by the Enugu Government House waiting to appear before the presidency on the 8th June, 1998. And by the twist of fate, on this same date

of June 8, 1998, while arrangements were being made to take him and his colleagues to Abuja, the Enugu government house received a call that the head of state General Abacha was dead. Nwankwo’s case was taken to the federal high court and he was granted bail by the court. Dr. Nwankwo, publisher, award-winning author, and Chairman, Fourth Dimension Publishing Company, the largest publishing company in sub-Saharan Africa with over 1500 titles, is one of Africa’s most recognizable prolific writers. 

He has authored over 23 books and numerous articles. Among his highly-rated books include; Biafra: The making of a Nation: a groundbreaking work on the origin and dynamics of the Nigeria/Biafra civil war in 1991; Power Dynamics of Nigeria politics (1988); African Dictators from History; Nigeria: The Political Transition and the Future of Democracy (1993); and Nigeria: The stolen Billions (1999) among others. Dr. Nwankwo is also well aware of his contributions in the crusade for a better Nigeria and is also aware that most Nigerians consider him a hero. The saying that history is nothing but the biography of great men holds very true for Nwankwo. He is a hero. He has also

accepted that fact. It was this acceptance and acknowledgement that he has played heroic roles in shaping the destiny of this country that probably informed his decision to write a book titled: “Dr. Arthur Nwankwo’s salute to co-Heroes.” A book in which he eulogized great social crusaders like, Professor Chike Obi, Chief Chris Offodile, Chief Osita Chidoke and the Obosi Kingdom, Chief Dan Ulasi, Chief C. C. Onoh, Dr. Nwokedi, Barack Obama, Gani Fawehinmi, Cyprian Ekwensi and

Chief Victor Nwankwo. 

Dr. Nwankwo, presidential candidate of the People’s Mandate Party (PMP) in 2007, publisher, author, businessman and social crusader has deepened democracy in the country by his works. The democracy that we are enjoying today is as a result of the risks that men like Nwankwo took on behalf of the people. He put his life on the line, that we may live and have a society anchored on justice and rule of law.