Personality in Focus
Varsity Prof Explains Why She Wished Queen Elizabeth ‘Excruciating Pain’
Nigeria-born American professor, Uju Anya, has spoken again over her comments on late Queen Elizabeth II of England.
Anya, in an interview with a foreign-based news platform, The CUT, revealed her reasons for wishing the Queen “excruciating pain.”
She said the late Queen Elizabeth II’s throne “represents the legacy of enslavement and colonialism and its direct harm,” adding that she supervised the British government which caused a very painful harm to her, and “the harm shaped my entire life and continues to be my story and that of the people she harmed.”
Anya on Thursday had tweeted hours before the Queen’s death, saying, “I heard the chief monarch of a thieving raping genocidal empire is finally dying. May her pain be excruciating.”
The tweet has since been deleted for violating “Twitter rules”.
In another tweet, Anya referenced the rumoured role of the British empire in supplying the Nigerian government with arms and ammunition during the nation’s civil war which spanned 1967 – 1970.
“If anyone expects me to express anything but disdain for the monarch who supervised a government that sponsored the genocide that massacred and displaced half my family and the consequences of which those alive today are still trying to overcome, you can keep wishing upon a star,” she wrote, following the announcement of the Queen’s death.
Her tweets got the attention of many including Amazon founder, Jeff Bezos, who quote-tweeted the post, saying “This is someone supposedly working to make the world better? I don’t think so. Wow.”
She replied to Bezos, writing, “May everyone you and your merciless greed have harmed in this world remember you as fondly as I remember my colonisers.”
She said, “On Thursday, I was just reading the BBC, which had been making announcements that there were worries for the queen’s health and death was imminent. It brought on a whole lot of emotions and pain — primarily pain — about who this monarch was and what she represented, not just in the broad sense of what her throne represents, the legacy of enslavement and colonialism, but also the direct harm. People say, “Oh, she’s just a figurehead, she didn’t really do anything, as if she’s somehow withdrawn from this. They tell me, You’re talking about colonialism. Was that even in your lifetime?”
“My experience of who she was, and the British government she supervised, is a very painful one. The harm shaped my entire life and continues to be my story and that of the people she harmed — that her government harmed, that her kingdom harmed, however you want to frame it. The genocide of the Biafra killed 3 million Igbo people, and the British government wasn’t just in political support of the people who perpetrated this massacre; they directly funded it. They gave it political cover and legitimacy.
She told The CUT, “This wasn’t just something I just read about. I was born to colonial subjects on both sides of the family — one parent from Trinidad, where the British enslaved people, and one parent from Nigeria. They met in England at university and moved back to Nigeria after independence in 1960. My parents were survivors of this genocide. My three siblings, two of them under the age of 10 at the time, were survivors. My mother was pregnant with my brother, who was born during that time; he was a war baby. This was the legacy I was born into in 1976. I spent the first ten years of my life living in Nigeria, and there was always this specter of who was lost. My earliest memories were from living in a war-torn area, and rebuilding still hasn’t finished even today. Half of my family was slaughtered with guns and bombs that this queen sent to kill us.
“Queen Elizabeth was a representative of the cult of white womanhood.”
The Punch
Co-convener of BringBackOurGirls Movement, Aisha Yesufu, has declared her readiness to become a card-carrying member of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
The activist said this on Wednesday, hours after Peter Obi defected from the Labour Party to the ADC in Enugu.
She called on well-meaning Nigerians to come together in unity to salvage the country come 2027 general elections.
“I have never been a card-carrying member of any political party, but I will be a card-carrying member of the ADC.
“Enough is enough. There’s no more time for us to keep shedding tears. We have cried too much.
“From this moment going forward, we will fight for Nigeria. We will have a great nation.
“ADC will take Nigeria to a point where the son-of-a-nobody can become somebody without knowing anybody,” she said.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, has officially wed Queen Zaynab Ngohemba, the former wife of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi.
The announcement was made public on Friday by a facebook user and member of the Dajoh family, Abraham Double-d Dajoh, via a celebratory social media post.
He confirmed the union between the high-ranking government official and the former Olori of the Ife Kingdom.
The Dajoh family described the union as “beautiful” and “uncommon,” as they formally welcomed her into their fold in Benue State.
In a statement that quickly went viral, the Dajoh family expressed their collective joy, signalling a significant chapter for the SGF’s household.
“We, the entire Dajoh Family, happily join our daddy, uncle and brother, His Excellency, The Secretary To The Government Of The Federation, Sen. George Akume Jugu Dajoh in welcoming his new and uncommon wife, Queen Zaynab Ngohemba-George Akume Dajoh, into the Dajoh family,” the post read.
The family further extended their appreciation to the political associates and supporters of the SGF, urging them to remain steadfast in their loyalty to him as he embarks on this personal journey.
“We appreciate and thank the fans and supporters of Sen. Akume for always standing by him. We enjoin every one of you to continue to support his Excellency even in this beautiful union with Queen Zaynab,” the post further read.
Queen Zaynab, who was previously known as Olori Wuraola during her 17-month marriage to the Ooni of Ife (which ended in 2017), was ushered into her new home with deep cultural reverence.
The Dajoh family emphasised the importance of their ancestral roots in Mbakor and the wider Benue State.
“Welcome to Benue State, the Food Basket of the Nation, welcome to Mbakor, the seat of leadership of the Tiv nation and welcome to the Dajoh family, the home of your darling husband. Welcome home, Queen Zaynab,” the statement concluded.
The announcement coincided with the festive period, as the family used the opportunity to wish Nigerians a happy holiday season.
“We wish you all a happy Christmas Celebration and a Prosperous New Year,” the post read.
Akume, a former Governor of Benue State and a politician, currently serves as a key figure in the President Bola Tinubu administration.
The news of his marriage to Queen Zaynab—a prominent humanitarian and former royal—has become a major talking point across the country’s social and political circles.
When contacted on the telephone on Friday, Akume’s spokesman, Yomi Odunuga, confirmed the marriage.
He, however, said contrary to reports that the wedding was held on December 24, the marriage is over a year old.
“I can confirm the marriage. However, contrary to the rumour that the marriage was concretised in Gboko on Christmas eve when the couple appeared together at an event to celebrate Christmas, it was actually a marriage that is over a year old,” Odunuga said.
Source: The Punch
The University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), has appointed a renowned novelist, Chimamanda Adichie, isiting professor as part of the drive to reposition the institution on the global academic stage.
Also appointed visiting professors are African Development Bank (AfDB) executive, Prof Kevin Urama, and Prof James Robinson of the University of Chicago.
The appointments were announced through official letters dated December 18, 2025 and signed by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Simon Ortuanya.
Among the roles expected of the trio, according to the letters, included teaching engagements, research collaboration, mentorship, and strategic academic interactions.
Adichie, it was gathered, was appointed based on her outstanding contributions to literature, creative writing, and global intellectual discourse.
According to the university, Adichie’s visiting professorial would enrich the arts and humanities of the institution through lectures, scholarly engagements, and mentorship of students and young academics.
Prof Urama, a renowned development economist and senior official at the African Development Bank, was appointed because of his “versatile expertise in development economics, climate policy, and evidence-based policymaking”.
“His engagement is expected to strengthen teaching, research, and policy-oriented programmes, particularly in economics, development studies, and related disciplines,” UNN said.
On Prof James Robinson, a political economist at the University of Chicago, UNN said his appointment was intended to deepen academic collaboration, advance research, and expose students and lecturers “to cutting-edge global scholarship in political economy and development studies”.
The acting Public Relations Officer of the institution, Inya Agha Egwu, said that the appointments align with the commitment of “the vice-chancellor to attracting eminent global scholars and industry leaders to UNN, in line with the vision of its founding fathers”.
He said: “The University of Nigeria was founded to be a globally competitive institution; the latest appointments represent a significant step towards reclaiming that legacy and enhancing its global relevance.”
Inya said the visiting professorships are designed to promote knowledge exchange, strengthen international linkages, and bridge the gap between theory, policy, and practice, adding that the latest appointments “bring the number to four visiting professors appointed by the vice-chancellor in December 2025”.
