News
PAP: IYC Urges Tinubu To Disregard Campaigns Against Otuaro
The Western Zone of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), has urged President Bola Tinubu to disregard a group the Zone referred to as “distractions of political noisemakers” who, according to the IYC, issued ultimatum and threat to Dr. Dennis Otuaro, Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP).
The IYC, Western Zone, further described such a group who issued the ultimatum and threat against Otuaro as “faceless” who “parades itself as the Itsekiri Ethnic Nationality Ex-Agitators Forum.”
A statement jointly signed by Comrade Nicholas Igarama, Ebi Joshua Olowolayemo Esq., and Comrade Tare Magbei, President, Secretary and Information Officer respectively, the apex youth body of the Ijaw ethnic nationality, said it is “deeply irresponsible for any organization to threaten oil production or public order as a bargaining tool,” adding that such threat “recalls a period of instability that brought hardship to the region and the nation.”
The IYC, who declared that the PAP was “born out of an Ijaw-led armed resistance against state repression, environmental devastation, and economic exclusion,” warned that “any attempt by any group to posture as equal architects of that struggle is misleading and needlessly provocative,” adding that “historical distortion does not promote inclusion. It fuels tension.”
READ ALSO:IYC Urges Tinubu To Sack NCDMB Boss
“The Amnesty Programme exists because the Nigerian state could not silence the Ijaw struggle through force. That reality must remain central to any honest conversation about its origin and direction.
“This is established history. It is not open to reinvention to suit present political convenience.
“The creeks where the conflict raged are Ijaw land. The communities that were bombarded, occupied, and reduced to rubble were Ijaw communities. The young men who laid down their arms in their thousands, many of whom paid the ultimate price, were overwhelmingly Ijaw,” the statement reads.
The IYC stated that the “peace in the Niger Delta was secured through sacrifice and difficult choices made by Ijaw youths who placed national stability above prolonged conflict,” noting that “let it be clearly understood that the leadership and direction of the Presidential Amnesty Programme must reflect the circumstances that gave rise to it. That foundation is Ijaw.”
READ ALSO:IYC Condemns Delta Poly Final Year Student Killing, Tasks Police On Impartial Investigation
The IYC, Western Zone, while expressing its support for “transparency and accountability in the administration of the Programme, said “we will not accept intimidation, ethnic pressure, or manufactured grievances aimed at diminishing the central role of the Ijaw nation in the Niger Delta struggle.”
The IYC, while noting that its “remains committed to peace and national unity,” reminded “those who beat the drums of unrest that peace in the Niger Delta rests on truth and responsibility. Distorting history is not advocacy. It is provocation.”
The IYC, Western Zone, who passed “a vote of confidence on the current leadership of the Presidential Amnesty Programme under Dr. Dennis Otuaro,” added that “his stewardship has demonstrated stability, administrative focus, and a clear understanding of the delicate history and structure of the Programme. Under his watch, there has been continuity, engagement with critical stakeholders, and a firm commitment to sustaining peace in the region.”
News
Migration Agency Warns Migrants Against Irregular Travel Routes
The International Organisation for Migration (IOM), in collaboration with Giving is Healing Foundation, has sensitised residents of Ayobo in Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State on the dangers of irregular migration and the need to embrace legal travel procedures.
Speaking during a sensitisation programme held at Megida Ifelodu Community Development Association in Ayobo, the founder of Giving is Healing Foundation, Mr. Gbolahan Ayediran, warned intending migrants against using illegal travel routes.
Ayediran said many Nigerians desire to migrate abroad in search of better opportunities but often ignore proper procedures, thereby exposing themselves to several dangers.
“Lots of people want to migrate and most of them do it in the wrong direction. The reason for the programme is for us to advise people on how they can migrate in the right way. As much as migration is their right, they should do it correctly,” he said.
READ ALSO:How Wike Rescued Me From Political Oblivion — Oshiomhole
He advised intending travellers to obtain the necessary travel documents before embarking on any journey, noting that such documents include international passports, visas, flight tickets and yellow cards, depending on the destination country.
According to him, migrants should also gather adequate information about their destination countries to enable them make informed decisions before travelling.
Ayediran further highlighted some of the dangers associated with irregular migration, including abuse, exploitation, discrimination and forced labour.
Also speaking, the Chairman of Megida Ifelodu Community Development Association, Elder Mathews Amusan, commended the organisers for enlightening members of the community on safe migration practices.
READ ALSO: He Can’t Fix His Party Let Alone Nigeria – Oshiomhole Blasts Atiku
He urged residents planning to travel abroad to always follow legal migration procedures to avoid falling victim to human trafficking and other migration-related challenges.
One of the participants, Mr. Kolawole Adenoko, said the programme enlightened him on the dangers of irregular migration and the importance of travelling through the proper channels.
He added that he would also educate his relatives and friends on the risks associated with illegal migration.
News
Shatta Wale Bailed Burna Boy From Ghana Prison After Arrest For Smoking Weed – Captan
Ghanian singer, Captan, has claimed that his former record label boss, Shatta Wale, once bailed Nigerian singer Burna Boy out of prison in Ghana after he was allegedly arrested for smoking weed.
Speaking in a recent podcast interview, Captan claimed that Shatta Wale sent him and others to free Burna Boy from police custody.
He also claimed that Shatta Wale and his group once accommodated Burna Boy when he was being hunted by some dangerous men.
READ ALSO: Wale Edun Opens Up After Sack
Captan said, “I once bailed Burna Boy out of prison in Ghana when he was arrested for smoking weed. Shatta Wale sent me and some guys to go and free him from police custody.
“There was a time we also accommodated him when some people were after his life. We helped him settle the case.”
He added that he and Burna Boy are no longer in good terms after the Nigerian artist’s fallout with his mentor, Shatta Wale.
He, however, said he and Shatta Wale are open to reconciling with Burna Boy if he asks for it.
Watch the video here
News
Children’s Day: Chaos At Ogbe Stadium As Dozens Faint
Chaos erupted on Wednesday during the Children’s Day celebration as dozens of students reportedly collapsed following a stampede triggered by the use of pepper spray.
The event,
organised by the Edo State Ministry of Education at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium was disrupted after some male students of Ihogbe College allegedly made uncompromising advances towards female students at the venue.
A parent who identified himself as Oboh Emmanuel said, “the behaviour of those uncultured students attracted the attention of bouncers stationed at the stadium as they rebuked the male students.”
Oboh said the affected students later regrouped and attacked the bouncers, leading to a confrontation within the crowded arena.
READ ALSO:Children’s Day: Edo Commits To Child Protection
It was gathered that in the ensuing confusion, the bouncers were reported to have deployed pepper spray in an area occupied by a large number of students.
Several students, particularly female students, reportedly fainted after inhaling the substance, while others sustained injuries after being stepped on during the ensuing melee.
The panic was said to have spread across the stadium as students, teachers and parents scampered for safety.
Many of the affected students were reportedly rushed to the Edo Specialist Hospital for medical attention.
READ ALSO: Egor LG Chair, Ogbemudia, Vice, Osawe Impeached
Reacting to the incident, Chief Press Secretary to Governor Monday Okpebholo, Dr Patrick Ebojele, said the security personnel that fired the tear gas had been detained.
He said all the students, except two, that were rushed to the hospital have been discharged.
Ebojele stated that doctors wanted to observe the students till tomorrow before allowing them to go home.
“The two students are not seriously injured. Doctors want to observe them overnight. Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education is still at the hospital. The man who used pepper spray has been detained.
“The incident did not happen the way it is being exaggerated. All modalities were put in place to ensure the children enjoyed their day.”
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