Editor: Ezinwanne Okwuolisa
A one-day Extra-ordinary General Meeting of the African Women Lawyers Association (AWLA) Nigeria, Enugu State Branch, has ended in Enugu with a call to stem the severe moral bankruptcy rapidly eroding the fabric of Nigerian society.
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In a communique issued after the meeting held on July 6, the association noted that the moral decadence is manifesting in unprecedented levels of corruption, domestic violence, rape, torture, and child abuse.
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The communique was signed by Barrister Chidi Grace Obeke,
State Coordinator and Barrister Amaka Onyemalu, Public Relations Officer (PRO)
AWLA Nigeria, Enugu State Branch.
Parts of the communique further read:
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“AWLA Enugu declares that traditional, reactive approaches like litigation and post-incident mediation, while necessary, are no longer sufficient to secure society. Consequently, the branch has officially launched The Golden Rule Campaign—centered on the universal moral baseline: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
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“The Mandate: The primary objective of this campaign is an aggressive, foundational upgrade of societal morality. The strategic focus shifts entirely from merely reacting to atrocities to preventing them from happening in the first place, thereby stopping the creation of victims entirely.
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“The Timeline: The branch has set an unyielding 6-month gold standard to drive this campaign so intensely that the Golden Rule becomes the standard and baseline of acceptable human behavior across every home, school, institution, and community in Enugu State, and by extension, Nigeria.
.Arresting Nonchalance and Reclaiming Human Rights Advocacy
The meeting critically evaluated the growing culture of indifference within the legal profession. As ministers in the temple of justice, the systemic withdrawal of lawyers has created a dangerous vacuum in grassroots human rights advocacy.
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“The Resolution: The branch strongly condemns the takeover of human rights spaces by unlearned individuals and content creators who lack the prerequisite legal training to adequately protect citizens, often exposing vulnerable children to public glare and causing them deep secondary trauma. AWLA Enugu resolves to aggressively reclaim its professional mandate. Human rights work belongs to the bar, and the branch is taking back the gates through active, legally sound, and structured public interventions.
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“Total Direct Engagement and Inclusivity
For the Golden Rule Campaign to achieve maximum traction, the branch resolves that no one must be left out.
The Resolution: The campaign is completely blind to tribe, language, or religion. It is a universal call to human conscience. Every member of AWLA Enugu is mandated to take over their immediate space and areas of influence—starting directly from their homes (parents, husbands, children, siblings), expanding into their professional domains (workers, bosses, colleagues), and reaching out to their wider social circles and friends.
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“Re-Engineering Administrative Response and Commitment
To build the most formidable pressure group and beacon of justice in the region, the branch evaluated its internal administrative culture.
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“The Resolution: The branch has discarded the garment of lukewarm attitude and administrative delay. Members resolved to see themselves first as sisters and then as friends, committing to swift, proactive responses to inquiries and assignments without waiting for others to comment first. Recognizing that where there is a will, there is a way, the branch relies on divine grace to successfully juggle professional excellence with responsibilities at home and in the office.
