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Proposed Amendment Of Section 162: Group Blows Hot, Alleges Attempt To Sideline Ijaw, Others

Published

4 years ago

October 24, 2021

Our Reporter, Yenagoa

… Calls For Restructuring

Group knowns as Ijaw People Assembly, IPA, has described the proposed bill for the amendment of Section 162 (2) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, by 59 members of the House of Representatives from the North as an invitation to chaos, adding that this will eventual leads to collapse of the Nigerian economy.

The group alleged that the attempt is to strangulate and subjugate the Ijaw nation in particular and the other Niger Delta nationalities.

A bill purportedly sponsored by 59 members of the House of Representatives from the North is seeking to delete the derivation principle contained in Section 162 (2) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended had been circulating on the social media.

The sub-section 2, which deals with the management of the Federation Account, states that, “The President, upon the receipt of advice from the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, shall table before the National Assembly proposals for revenue allocation from the Federation Account, and in determining the formula, the National Assembly shall take into account, the allocation principles especially those of population, equality of states, internal revenue generation, land mass, terrain as well as population density.

“Provided that the principle of derivation shall be constantly reflected in any approved formula as being not less than 13 per cent of the revenue accruing to the Federation Account from any natural resources.”

But IPA, in a statement jointly signed its President, Ben Nanaghan, and Secretary, Dortimi Kester Tawari, of which a copy was made available to newsmen, noted that the proposed amendment is aimed at removing the 13% derivation principle for the Niger Delta.

The group, while further describing the proposed Bill as an attempt to internally colonize the Ijaw nation and the Niger Delta in general, called for the immediate restructuring of the country.

“A restructured Nigeria or federation of sovereign nations will promote a productive economy and end the current monthly sharing (rentier) economy under some spurious formula which has encouraged laziness and unviability of states from which the said 59 members all hail from.

“The proposed amendment no matter the coloration is a subterfuge targeted at deleting the Principle of Derivation which as of today stipulates 13% of the revenue accruing to the Federation Account from any natural resources.

“The Niger Delta States, therefore, are the real targets of this inglorious and obnoxious attempt to amend the particular Subsection of the 1999 CFRN.

“The Ijaw nation being a host nation to oil and gas resources and assets, the IPA views this proposal as another form of internal colonization, an attempt to strangulate and subjugate the Ijaw nation in particular and the other Niger Delta nationalities.

“It needs to be mentioned that it is an invitation to chaos and eventual collapse of the Nigerian economy. The ljaw People Assembly vehemently oppose a system that will drag the ljaw Nation and the other nationalities in the Niger Delta into undeserved subjugation and retrogression.

“The ljaw People Assembly would rather demand an increased derivative of 50% for the Niger Delta States because when the Wazobia tripod was enjoying 100% derivatives for their hides and skins, tin, coal, cocoa, rubber etc, the Niger Delta was left behind as an undeveloped slavish territory.

“We do not oppose the legitimate exercise of rights of groups in a democratic setting if done within the limits of justice, equity and fairness nevertheless we let the 59 Honourable Members and their godfathers know that we read clearly the handwriting and understand the purport of the said amendment and would not fold our arms and hands in the height of any oppressive machination by anyone at this point of our history.

“Take notice therefore that we shall mobilize accordingly all resources to support the actions of the INC and undertake pushbacks we consider appropriate should the National Assembly (NASS) go ahead with this daylight naked dance in the market square,” the statement reads in part.

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Woman Wanted Over Mutilation Of Boyfriend’s Genitals In US

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7 hours ago

October 9, 2025

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Authorities in Toledo, Ohio, United States, are searching for a 45-year-old woman, Jeanita Hopings, accused of breaking into her boyfriend’s home and attacking him with a sharp object, causing serious injuries to his genitals.

As reported by PEOPLE on Thursday, warrants issued for Hopings’ arrest show she faces charges of felonious assault and aggravated burglary in connection with the October 7 incident.

Investigators allege that Hopings “forcefully kicked open the front door” of her boyfriend’s home before entering “without permission,” according to one of the warrants.

Once inside, she allegedly attacked the victim with an “unknown instrument,” inflicting a deep wound.

“The victim’s testicle was clearly exposed as the result of the laceration,” the warrant stated.

The man was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment, police confirmed.

Hopings has not yet been arrested and has not entered a plea to the charges. Court records from Lucas County indicate that she has no prior felony history, though she has previously faced several traffic-related misdemeanour offences.

Police say Hopings remains at large as the investigation continues.

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US To Execute Man Convicted Of Rape, Murder Of Teen

Published

11 hours ago

October 9, 2025

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A 53-year-old man convicted of the 2001 rape and murder of a teenage girl is to be executed by lethal injection in the US state of Indiana on Friday.

Roy Lee Ward was sentenced to death in 2002 for the murder of 15-year-old Stacy Payne at her home in the town of Dale.

Payne was repeatedly stabbed and died of her injuries several hours after the attack.

Ward was arrested at the scene while still holding a knife.

The execution is to be carried out between midnight and sunrise on Friday morning at a state prison in Michigan City.

Ward will be the third person put to death in Indiana since the state resumed executions last year after a 15-year hiatus because of difficulties obtaining the lethal drugs used in them.

There have been 34 executions in the United States this year, the most since 2014, when 35 inmates were put to death.

Florida has carried out the most executions — 13 — followed by Texas with five and South Carolina and Alabama with four.

Twenty-eight of this year’s executions have been carried out by lethal injection, two by firing squad and four by nitrogen hypoxia, which involves pumping nitrogen gas into a face mask, causing the prisoner to suffocate.

The use of nitrogen gas as a method of capital punishment has been denounced by United Nations experts as cruel and inhumane.

The death penalty has been abolished in 23 of the 50 US states, while three others — California, Oregon and Pennsylvania — have moratoriums in place.

President Donald Trump is a proponent of capital punishment and on his first day in office called for an expansion of its use “for the vilest crimes.”

AFP

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Trump Gives Update On Israel, Hamas Peace Deal

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Trump Gives Update On Israel, Hamas Peace Deal

US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he may go to the Middle East at the end of this week as a peace deal between Israel and Hamas in Gaza is “very close.”

Trump said during an event at the White House that he would “go to Egypt most likely” but that he would also consider going to war-torn Gaza.

“I may go there sometime toward the end of the week, maybe on Sunday, actually. And we’ll see, but there is a very good chance. Negotiations are going along very well,” Trump told reporters at the start of the event.

“Our final negotiation, as you know, is with Hamas, and it seems to be going well. So we’ll let you know, if that’s the case, we’ll be leaving probably on Sunday, maybe on Saturday.”

Near the end of the meeting, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio unexpectedly entered the room and handed Trump a note.

The US president told reporters the note said that “we’re very close to a deal” and that his presence was needed. “I have to go now to try and solve some problems in the Middle East,” he added.

Hamas and Israeli officials are having indirect talks in Egypt on a 20-point peace proposal unveiled by Trump to end the two-year-old war.

– ‘Very close’ –

Trump said as he began the event that he had come off the phone with officials in the Middle East, where his special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner had just joined discussions in Egypt.

“‘Peace for the Middle East,’ that’s a beautiful phrase, and we hope it’s going to come true, but it’s very close, and they’re doing very well,” Trump added.

“We have a great team over there, great negotiators, and they’re, unfortunately, great negotiators on the other side also. But it’s something I think that will happen.”

Asked if he would consider going to Gaza if a deal happens, Trump replied: “I would, yeah. I would. I might do that. I may do that. We haven’t decided exactly.”

Trump said he would insist on the release of hostages held by Hamas before traveling to the region.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said earlier that he had received “encouraging” signs and hailed the support of Trump.

Hamas too expressed “optimism” over the indirect discussions with its foe Israel.

Trump’s plan calls for a ceasefire, the release of all the hostages held in Gaza, Hamas’s disarmament and a gradual Israeli withdrawal from the territory.
AFP