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IYC Pushes For Constitution Review, Deputy N’tional President Tasks Committee On Encompassing Law

Published

1 year ago

June 18, 2024

Editor

The Deputy National President of Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), Comrade Freedom Atigbi, has appealed to the committee saddled with the responsibility of reviewing constitution of the apex Ijaw youth body to do all it could to bring to bear a constitution that is encompassing.

The Deputy National President made the appeal at a constitution review public hearing held at Ogbe-Ijoh clan in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State, Western Zone.

According to Atigbi, the present national executives of the IYC met and deliberated extensively on the present constitution, discovered several lucuna, and agreed an amendment of the present constitution, a process he said would have commenced since January but due to some circumstances it couldn’t start.

The National Deputy Presiden acknowledged the fact that successful IYC national executives made attempts to review the constitution but failed due to the manners they handled it – starting the amended process towards the end of their tenure.

He said: “Before now, successful governments at the Council have promised to put a constitution review committee but along the line they would not do anything until ro towards the end of their tenure. And you know when you start a constitution amendment process towards the end of your tenure a lot of politics will come to play.”

He continued: “But the present NEC sat and discussed issues extensively, and agreed that the constitution amendment process should commence immediately. Our plan was that the process will start by January, and by March it should be adopted but due to some circumstances we are still on it.

“So, at NEC, we have done our part, I want to therefore appeal to you to put all that is possible to bring to bear a constitution that is encompassing so that at the end of the day, your names (constitution review committee members names) and our names (National Executives of IYC) will be in good record.”

He also appealed to members of the executives to give the necessary support to the committee for a successful process.

On his part, Chairman of the 9-man Constitution Review Committee, Barrister Matthew Ayibakura, promised to do everything possible to be transparent and make sure everyone aired his or her view.

According to him, the committee members have no right to input their opinions but to take people’s views across the three zones and chapters, compiled such opinions and submit such to the National Executives for further action.

The committee chairman said they have been to Eastern and Central zone for the public hearing, adding that after Western Zone hearing, the committee would move to Lagos and Abuja before compilation of council members’ views for onward submission to NEC.

Earlier, in his welcome address, Chairman, Western Zone of the IYC, Comrade Nicholas Igarama, while thanking the committee members for effort being put in place so far, promised the committee of an enabling environment.

Headline

NGO Says Starving Gaza Children Too Weak To Cry

Published

3 hours ago

August 27, 2025

Editor

The head of Save the Children described in horrific detail on Wednesday the slow agony of starving children in Gaza, saying they are so weak they do not even cry.

Addressing a Security Council meeting on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the president of the international charity, Inger Ashing, said famine — declared by the UN last week to be happening in Gaza — is not just a dry technical term.

“When there is not enough food, children become acutely malnourished, and then they die slowly and painfully. This, in simple terms, is what famine is,” said Ashing.

She went on to describe what happens when children die of hunger over the course of several weeks, as the body first consumes its own fat to survive, and when that is gone, literally consumes itself as it eats muscles and vital organs.

“Yet our clinics are almost silent. Now, children do not have the strength to speak or even cry out in agony. They lie there, emaciated, quite literally wasting away,” said Ashing.

She insisted that aid groups have been warning loudly that famine was coming as Israel prevented food and other essentials from entering Gaza over the course of two years of war triggered by the Hamas attack of October 2023.

“Everyone in this room has a legal and moral responsibility to act to stop this atrocity,” said Ashing.

The United Nations officially declared famine in Gaza on Friday, blaming what it called the systematic obstruction of aid by Israel during more than 22 months of war.

A UN-backed hunger monitor called the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification Initiative said famine was affecting 500,000 people in the Gaza governorate, which covers about a fifth of the Palestinian territory, including Gaza City.

The IPC projected that the famine would expand by the end of September to cover around two-thirds of Gaza.
AFP

Headline

Again, Russia Claims Another Village In Ukraine’s Region

Published

2 days ago

August 25, 2025

Editor

The Russian army Monday claimed to have captured another village in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region, moving deeper into Ukrainian territory as peace efforts stall.

Russian forces are slowly but steadily gaining ground in costly battles for largely devastated areas in eastern and central Ukraine, normally with few inhabitants or intact buildings left.

Russia’s defence ministry said its forces had seized the settlement of Zaporizke in the region, which Russian troops recently advanced into for the first time in the three-and-a-half-year offensive.

Kyiv denies that Russian troops have gained a foothold in the Dnipropetrovsk region, an important industrial hub.

After another push by US President Donald Trump to broker a Ukraine-Russia summit, hopes for peace dimmed when Russia last week ruled out any immediate meeting between presidents Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky.

The central region of Dnipropetrovsk has previously been largely spared from fighting that has ravaged swathes of eastern and southern Ukraine, until Russia said its forces broke through in July.

Dnipropetrovsk is not one of the five Ukrainian regions — Donetsk, Kherson, Lugansk, Zaporizhzhia and Crimea — that Moscow has publicly claimed as Russian territory.

Ukraine said Russia had launched over 100 drones Monday, killing a 37-year old civilian driver and wounding two people in the northeastern Sumy region.

Moscow said Kyiv had launched about two dozen drones targeting western Russia

Headline

US Comedian Reggie Carroll Shot Dead In Mississippi

Published

2 days ago

August 25, 2025

Editor

A United States comedian, Reginald “Reggie” Carroll, has been shot dead in Southaven, Mississippi.

The 52-year-old Carroll, widely known as the Knockout King of Comedy, was reportedly killed on Wednesday, August 20, 2025, after sustaining multiple gunshot wounds.

The Southaven Police Department confirmed the incident in a Facebook statement on Saturday.

“Southaven officers located one male victim suffering from gunshot wounds.

“The officers and medical personnel provided life saving techniques but the individual succumbed to his injuries,” the statement partly read.

The victim was later identified as Carroll, a Baltimore native.

Police said one suspect was arrested and charged with his murder.

“One male is in custody and has been charged with the murder of Reginald Carroll.

“Our thoughts are with the family of Mr. Carroll.

“Thank you to the community for their patience and understanding,” the department added.

The police further assured that there was no ongoing threat to residents, describing the case as “an isolated shooting.”

Carroll, who built his career in stand-up comedy, gained national recognition touring with Katt Williams and headlining his own showcase, Knockout Kings of Comedy.

He also featured in the 2000 edition of Showtime at the Apollo, appeared on the UPN sitcom The Parkers alongside Mo’Nique and Countess Vaughn, and starred in the 2022 television film Rent & Go.

In 2023, he produced the stand-up special Knockout Kings of Comedy.

The Southaven Police Department disclosed that an investigation into his death is ongoing.