Headline

Diri Takes Swipe On Arewa Youths, Says ‘You’re Ignorant Of Happenings In N’Delta’

Published

4 years ago

December 4, 2021

Bayelsa State governor, Senator Douye Diri, has taken a swipe at the Arewa Consultative Youth Movement, describing them as the most ignorant of what is happening in the Niger Delta for saying that he was over politicizing the Nembe oil spill.

Diri, who was speaking as the guest of honour at the All Ijaw Summit, organised by the Ijaw National Congress, INC, in Yenagoa the Bayelsa State capital, weekend, averred that he will never play politics with the health and development of the people but will continue to defend the territory and people who elected him as governor no matter whose ox is gored.

The governor who stressed that he is particularly vexed with the proportion of the Nembe oil spill, said he does not need to be a petroleum engineer to comment on the spill.

He challenged environmental activists to come to Nembe to see the level of pollution and environmental damage done to the flora and fauna of the Ijaw people.

While warning that no one should take the hospitality of the Ijaw nation for granted or doubt the determination of the state government in protecting the sanctity of communities and the livelihood of the people, Diri added that the people and state will not swallow this flame in the name of decorum.

His words: “I laughed this morning when my attention was drawn that Arewa Youths are opposing my statements and my views, I laughed at it. But for me, they are not only opposing me, they are opposing Bayelsa State and the Ijaw Nation.

“I have never played politics with the health of our people, I have never played politics with the development of our people and if Arewa Youths think that what I said is to over politicized the situation in Nembe, then I want to believed that Nigeria and indeed Arewa Youths are the most ignorant people of what is happening in the Niger Delta.

“Merely presupposing that the Governor is not a Petroleum Engineer, I don’t need to be a Petroleum Engineer to defend my people. If they have forgotten that our own President of the country is not also a Petroleum Engineer he is the President of Nigeria. That I am only a Political Scientist, yes I accept, a political scientist and an educationist and I have been elected to defend the territory and people of Bayelsa State.

“On the heels of very recent conference of political parties, what has been tagged as “COP 26”, I was in Scotland, United Kingdom to represent Bayelsa State, and in that event, there is already a global action to curb pollution. And recently in the UK as I said, I was and we will remain particularly vexed with what is happening in Nembe and that is why I will not stopped to call on all environmental activists to come on to Nembe to see the level of pollution and environmental damage done to the flora and fauna of the Ijaw people.

“Whereas we appreciate the oil and gas sector, current continuing in future importance to our country, there should be no doubt about our own commitment to stop the impunity that threatens the present and undermined the future survival of our people. No one should take our hospitality for granted or doubt our determination to protect the sanctity of our communities and indeed the livelihood of our people. We will not swallow this flame in the name of decorum.”

He commended the INC for providing a touch to illuminate the path of the Ijaw people under the present circumstances in the country noting that all is not well.

He stated further, “For too long we have only operated a pseudo-federalism in reality what we have in our country today is a unitary system of governance and dressed in the borrowed robes of federalism.

“We cannot procrastinate in returning the terms of engagement where the regions or state expropriate their own resources and pay taxes to the centre more and more, we are creating a cast where the categorization of subordinate and super-ordinate is entrenched. Not surprising, states and ethnic nationalities are increasingly clamouring for self determination or even in outright cases secession that is in very extreme cases.

“I am proposing without insisting that the idea and ideal situation would be the devolution of powers from the centre to the state such that the federal government would be responsible with the issue of currency, foreign policy, national security, commands in the military, appointment of ambassadors and any other matter that have common bearing on all states. But I am willing to abdicate my views if there is a superior collective counsel arising from this summit.”

In his welcome address, the President of INC, Prof Benjamin Okaba, said the crossroad Ijaws find themselves in the Nigerian federation is the most compelling reason confronting the convocation of the All Ijaw Summit, with the theme: “The Nigerian State and the Ijaw Question.”

He said the Ijaws need to agree on a common direction, adding that, “We need to evoke common understanding of our perculiarities and determine common panacea.”

The Summit which was chaired by HRM Justice F. Tabai, retd, was attended by prominent Ijaw sons and daughters across the country.

Headline

Australian Govt Official Declares ‘Red Wednesday’ Over Attack On Kwara Church

Published

9 hours ago

November 19, 2025

Editor

Chairman of the Australian Committee for NATO enlargement, Gunther Fehlinger-Jahn, has declared a ‘Red Wednesday’ as part of a global awareness campaign against alleged persecution of Christians in Nigeria.

Gunther made this known in a post on X while reacting to the recent attack on Christ Apostolic Church, CAC, in Kwara State.

Recall that terrorists on Tuesday invaded the church located in Eruku town, Ekiti Local Government Area of the state, and opened fire on worshipers.

According to reports, the resident pastor and some persons were killed while majority of the worshipers were taken away to unknown destinations.

Reacting, Gunther in his X post said the incessant attacks on Nigerian Christians “is unacceptable”.

He wrote, “I got this video sent of an Islamist attack on a church in Nigeria. Today is #RedWednesday the global awareness day against prosecution of Christians.”

Headline

Pope Decries Lack Of Political Will On Climate Change

Published

1 day ago

November 18, 2025

Editor

Pope Leo XIV on Monday urged “concrete actions” on climate change and complained that some leaders lacked the will to act, as he addressed religious dignitaries on the sidelines of the COP30 summit.

The Vatican released the American pope’s address to churches of the southern hemisphere assembled on the sidelines of the UN climate talks in Belem, Brazil, in which he called the Amazon region “a living symbol of creation with an urgent need for care”.

“Creation is crying out in floods, droughts, storms and relentless heat,” the pope said.

“One in three people live in great vulnerability because of these climate changes. To them, climate change is not a distant threat, and to ignore these people is to deny our shared humanity,” he added.

“What is failing is the political will of some.”

The UN climate negotiations enter their final stretch this week, with nations split on key issues as government ministers began arriving Monday to take over negotiations.

“There is still time to keep the rise in global temperature below 1.5C, but the window is closing,” warned Leo, who called for “concrete actions” while championing the landmark Paris Agreement.

– Pope defends Paris Agreement –

The historic 2015 accord, from which US President Donald Trump has said he will withdraw the United States for the second time, aims to keep temperature rises “well below” 2C compared to pre-industrial levels and, if possible, to 1.5C.

The Paris Agreement was the “strongest tool for protecting people and the planet”, Leo said, decrying a lack of effort by some leaders, whom he did not name.

“True leadership means service and support on a scale that will truly make a difference,” he said, urging firmer climate action to bring about “stronger and fairer economic systems”.

“Let us send a clear global signal together: nations standing in unwavering solidarity behind the Paris Agreement and climate cooperation,” he said.

Since being made pope in May, the Chicago-born pontiff — who spent about 20 years as a missionary in Peru — has urged more pressure on governments to stop climate change.

Last month, during a climate conference near Rome, he called for an “ecological conversion” to help vulnerable communities.

October marked the 10-year anniversary of the late Pope Francis’s landmark climate manifesto “Laudato Si”, which appealed for action on human-caused global warming.

COP30, without the presence of the US government, is scheduled to end in five days, but groups of countries still disagree on many issues, including climate ambition, unilateral trade measures, and finance.

Some countries also want a roadmap for phasing out fossil fuels.

UN climate chief Simon Stiell welcomed what he called Pope Leo’s “strong message”.

“His words urge us to continue to choose hope and action,” he said.

Headline

Genocide: U.S. Lawmaker Alleges Tinubu Lying, Protecting Own Interest

Published

2 days ago

November 18, 2025

Editor

Riley Moore

…Congress to debate ‘Christian Persecution’ in Nigeria on Thursday

United States (U.S.) lawmaker, Riley Moore, has dismissed President Bola Tinubu’s denial of the targeted killing of Christians as “completely false”.

Moore said Tinubu’s denial was to “protect his interests,” adding that Nigeria’s political leaders were “complicit” in the killing of Christians.

In an interview with Fox News on Sunday, Moore noted Tinubu’s statement, claiming that the “characterisation of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality” as incorrect.

Meanwhile, the Congress will, on Thursday, debate the persecution of Christians in Nigeria.

This was as International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule (Intersociety) raised fresh claims 99 Christians were, again, killed in Nigeria in 14 days.

“Unfortunately, that is completely false. There are states in Nigeria that have blasphemy laws. People are facing the death penalty for blasphemy against Islam,” the U.S. lawmaker said. “I know President Tinubu is in a difficult position, and trying to protect his interests there in the country. But they are complicit in this to some degree or another for a statement like this.”

Moore cited the case of an Adamawa Christian farmer, Sunday Jackson, who was sentenced to death for defending himself against a killer herdsman.

“There is serious persecution in Nigeria,” Moore said.
CONGRESS is set to convene a hearing on Thursday to examine allegations of widespread persecution of Christians in Nigeria, following President Donald Trump’s recent decision to redesignate the country as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC).

The session will be led by Congressman Chris Smith, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, and a vocal advocate for stronger U.S. action on reported religious violence in Nigeria.

Smith previously introduced a congressional resolution naming the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) and Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore as responsible actors in several attacks. The resolution recommends visa bans and asset freezes against members of the groups.

It also called on White House to classify “Fulani-Ethnic Militias” operating in states such as Benue and Plateau under the Entities of Particular Concern (EPC) framework established by the International Religious Freedom Act.

Witnesses scheduled to testify include Jonathan Pratt, senior bureau official at the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs, and Jacob McGee, deputy assistant secretary at the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labour.

A second panel is expected to feature Nina Shea, senior fellow and director at the Centre for Religious Freedom; Bishop Wilfred Anagbe of the Makurdi Catholic Diocese; and Oge Onubogu, director and senior fellow for the Africa Programme at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies.
INTERSOCIETY alleged in a statement yesterday that 99 Christians were killed within the last 14 days.

It stated that the killing occurred between October 28 and November 11, adding that 114 others were kidnapped by the group that carried out the action, called Jihadist militants.

The report was signed by the Head, Intersociety, Emeka Umeagbalasi, and two human rights lawyers, Joy Igboeli and Ogochukwu Obi.