Just-ln: IYC Reviews Constitution, Adopts Open Secret Ballot Voting System, Creates Office for the Physically Challenged Youth Among Others

Francis Tayor

In preparation ahead of 2026 forthcoming elections, the ljaw Youth Council (IYC) worldwide has reviewed some grey areas of her constitution in order to ensure fairness and equity in council.

The historic constitution amendment convention was held on Saturday August 23, 2025 at the ljaw House, Yenagoa Bayelsa State capital.

It was a gathering of over one million ljaw youth from the various Clan structures to zonal level and chapters across the country.

Presiding at the convention, the National President of Council, Sir. Jonathan Lokpobiri (Snr) appreciated all the delegates and ljaw youths all over the globe for their selfless services towards the progress and development of ljaw nation.

Lokpobiri stressed that constitutionally, IYC National Convention is the Supreme Court and highest decision making body of council, hence charging all the delegates to make meaningful contribution towards the progress of council.

He addressed participants that lYC UK Chapter is doing well and very much functional, adding that USA Chapter would be soon properly inaugurated in the shortest possible time.

Highlighting the issues for deliberation ranging from method of voting, age limit among others ahead of the next council elections, Lokpobiri proposes six delegates for those in the diaspora to vote for the purpose of inclusiveness in which the house adopted after putting into voice vote.

On the method of voting, Comr. Doubra Wuruyai, former Secretary General aspirant of council opted for A4 voting pattern instead of open secret ballot voting system, giving reasons to reduce cost of excess spending of money for council elections.

While former Lagos chapter chairman of lYC, Comr. Henry Oyobolo opted for open secret ballot voting system, stressing that is the global standard of conducting election in order to avoid enemity and unnecessary crisis.

After serious arguments and deliberation, the President put it for voice vote and open secret ballot voting system was adopted by the convention.

In the area of age limit for elective positions, 18-45 years was adopted while 45-50 years of age was adopted for appointment to carry out ad-hoc assignments, such as ELECO, Constitution Review Committee etc.

Meanwhile, lYC Chairman Central Zone, Comr. Peres Inifie raised motion for representation of physically challenged ljaw youth in council which was supported by majority of delegates.

The motion was adopted by the house and President Lokpobiri immediately approved the establishment of new office for the physically challenged persons to be part of lYC constitution, thereby making the total number of Executive Council members to be twelve (12).

Finally, the house adopted signature (assent) of the President in council for adoption of the 2025 lYC Constitution as Amended to be used in subsequent elections.

In a related development, President Jonathan Lokpobiri (Snr) quickly inspected the ongoing lYC National Secretariat project fully funded by Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited owned by High Chief. Government Oweizide Ekpemupolo alias Tompolo.

He commended the MD Tantita security, High Chief (Engr.) Kestin Pondi for kick-starting the project as promised without delay, adding that the project including 2, 500 capacity world class auditorium event center as well as skills development center when completed would generate daily income for council in the future.

Oghievwen kingdom Marks Popular Ogbaurhie-Ughievwen Festival of Peace and Friendship in a Grand Style in Delta

Francis Tayor

The 2025 edition of the popular ancient Ogbaurhie-Ughievwen festival of peace and friendship was celebrated in a grand style over the weekend with exposition of the unique culture of the Urhobo ethnic nationality in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria.

The event took place on Friday 22nd August, 2025 at Ughievwen Town playground, Jeremi in Ughelli South LGA, Delta State.

The 2025 edition was chaired by Olorogun Dr. Adogbeji Earnest ldeh.

The feast attracted great Ughievwen sons and daughters from all walks of life across the globe to observe and appreciate their powerful Oghievwen deity of wealth and riches. It is a celebration of reunion, traditional worship system of the Ughievwen people, display of virgin open breast parade, fashion parade, traditional dance display among others.

Worshipers of Oghievwen deity, especially the wives and concubines worshiped with exposed breast without hidden neither shame. They went with various items such as fishes, rams, yam, plantain, Tobacco, minerals, biscuits, dry gin, native chalks among others requested by the god to thank and appreciate its numerous blessings upon their lives and family. It is also an avenue to make fresh request for the deity to bless them in the coming year. Worshipers pray for good health, wealth, protection, long life and prosperity. The Ughievwen people believes that the deity answers their prayers and deliver them from trouble whenever they cry to him with pure heart. 

All Indigenes of Udu and Ughievwen kingdom comes together to celebrate Ogbaurhie festival, the god of wealth and beauty. The festival is usually being celebrated yearly in the month of August by the Indigenes of Udu and Ughievwen who are by tradition aborigin of Ughievwen kingdom. The festival lasted for one week and today is specifically dedicated for women to seek the face of the deity which is claimed to be their husband.

Speaking to the press during the festival, the Chief Host, Olorogun Prof. G.G. Darah, said Ogbaurhie festival is the Jerusalem of Ughievwen children to gather for peaceful coexistence and seek the deity for protection and prosperity at Ughievwen Town. The festival had been in existence over the past five hundred years. It is a man deity that is refers to as the mighty man of the waterways. He said when you are ignorant of your culture, you are doomed for hell. 

According to him, said:

" For Ughievwen cultural heritage to continue, our children must learn the language and traditional worship of their gods."

He further emphasized that Ughievwen cultural festival is the oldest and the origin of every other culture in Urhbobo land. He congratulated the people of Oghievwen for the successful feast and urged Ughievwen illustrious sons and daughters to sustain the festival by promoting its activities annually.

He sighted how the Yoruba's in the western part of Nigeria observed their culture annually with vigor, commitment and dedication to the amazement of the world, thereby attracting foreign investors to come and establish businesses in their lands, especially Lagos State, lbadan, Ogun among others to boost the economy in the West.

Also speaking, Mrs. Patience Biokor aka the latest jet of the sea, said Ogbaurhie is a man deity that has billions of wives all over the world, including both the white and black race, and that she was lucky to be one of them. She stated that if u accept Ogbaurhie as your husband, he will open his heart to love you and do whatever thing you want him to do for you in life. She called on those contracted by Oghievwen deity to surrender themselves to him in order to attract abundance wealth, good health and longevity from the deity.

While Mrs. Helen Tefike, another wife of Ogbaurhie deity said since she got married to the deity, she was blessed with riches, beautiful daughters and sons without regret. 

However, this years event featured masquerade dance display, dance of the four virgins, Udje Edjohpe cultural dance troupe, Egbemete cultural dance troupe from Otutu-ama and Owha-Okwha.

Opinion: Postcolonial Ecocritical Authority: Tompolo As Guardian of Land, Ritual and Transformation in Ekanpou's " I Am Home, Dear Tompolo"_By Ebikabowei Kedikumo

Postcolonial ecocritical readings of Ekanpou’s "I Am Home, Dear Tompolo"  show that Tompolo is more than one person; he is a guardian of the land, rituals, and change, whose power is tied to both the environment and communal memory. In this essay, Tompolo’s refining touch on the gold stands for careful, rightful stewardship that must work with the life of the land—rivers, mangroves, forests, and their nonhuman beings—rather than exploitative and selfish control. Using the ceremonial language of "nunc dimittis"  and transformation tranches, the piece asks how authority becomes legitimate when it is based on duty, ethical care, and a strong sense of place. Set in Akparemogbene in Delta State, the analysis shows how postcolonial ecocritical thinking can help us see how power, tradition, and ecological health work together to transform individuals, keep communities connected and keep cultural memories alive.

From Ekanpou's poetic reflections, Tompolo is like a helper who holds power in this poem. He is a guard, a person who makes things better, and a symbol of old laws and true beliefs. The speaker asks Tompolo to be there when the gold is made into something useful. He says, “Tompolo, please let loose your refining touch on the gold like a heavy downpour, keeping the gold drenched and glistened.” So Tompolo is not just a helper. He has the right kind of power to shape rough things into something with meaning for the land and its people. This aligns with postcolonial ecocriticism, where power is always tied to the land and its resources. Here, the way Tompolo uses his power on the gold shows that authority must care for the place and its life, not just take things for oneself - selfless 

The poem keeps Tompolo as a guardian who protects both people and the land. When the speaker says, “A gold is no gold without your anointed touch,” the act of refining becomes a sign that someone is allowed to lead. Power is not only to command. It must come with a ritual that shows trust and responsibility. This matters a lot in postcolonial ecocriticism, which says power should be tied to how we treat the place we live in. The riverbank, the forest, and the mangrove are alive in the poem and they watch Tompolo’s activities. Because of this, Tompolo becomes more than a person. He becomes a keeper of both nature and culture, guiding the work in a way that helps the whole community stay well and happy.

As someone who refines, Tompolo carries old knowledge. Refining is not just turning gold into something shiny. It is about using inherited wisdom in today’s actions. The speaker asks Tompolo to refine the gold “like a heavy downpour,” a natural force that belongs to the land itself. This point shows a postcolonial eco-ethic where power should work with the land, not over it. Refinement then becomes a show of sovereignty that follows how the land itself moves. Tompolo’s role as refiner points to power that acts with care for the environment and recognises how people and nature rely on each other.

Tompolo also  holds spiritual and cultural power. The poem ties power to ritual and ceremony with phrases like “the doctor’s nunc dimittis” and “transformation tranches.” So Tompolo’s power is not only about rules. It has a sacred side that guides people on their paths to healing and change and transformation. The postcolonial ecocritical view helps us see how such power uses place and practice. Tompolo shows a lasting link to ancestors and community rites. The land is not just a stage, but a live part of the narrative. It guides and validates what people are doing to transform themselves. Tompolo therefore, becomes a living sign of authority that comes from both the land and memory.

The way the poem talks about wind, rivers, trees, and the mangrove forest also shows what power should do. These natural parts form a living network that supports the work of refining and healing. Calling Tompolo a guardian means he stands between people and the place they live. The lines about “Flags dance when the wind sings soothing songs” and “Trees bow when the wind twangs her guitar” place governance inside the sounds and movements of nature. This suggests that real power must go with these forces, not fight against them. In postcolonial ecocriticism, true authority respects the place and the  non-human life around it.

The setting of Akparemogbene and Delta State adds more layers. The speaker asks, “Decorated, should I still be home to Akparemogbene as my home? Or should I be home to your home in your home in the mangrove forest?” This shows a choice about where one finds home and who has influence. Tompolo’s power reaches into these spaces, shaping positively where people feel they belong and how their identities grow through their links to land and ritual. This movement between places echoes worries about lost control and the need to keep power focused on local life and ecological health. The poem thus makes Tompolo a steady force in a land that could be unstable if power comes from outside.

In short, Tompolo in Ekanpou’s poem is more than one person. He is a link of power that joins guarding, shaping, and spiritual authority. He shows a way of governing that is connected to the land, ethical care, and cultural memory. Through the lens of postcolonial ecocriticism, Tompolo’s power is strong because it looks after the land and life, respects ritual and memory, and guides transformation to help the community. The gold tests this power: will Tompolo’s touch bring renewal that helps the land and people stay alive, or will power become a force that takes too much and harms? Ekanpou answers by making Tompolo a guardian who keeps harmony between people’s hopes and the living world, a power that fits the land and its needs.

EBIKABOWEI KEDIKUMO - writes from Ayakoromo Town

Breaking: N'Delta ex-agitators insists Olu of ltsekiri PINL pipeline job must be terminated over poor performance, dismisses false retraction petition report

Francis Tayor 

Yenagoa ____ The aggrieved coalition of Niger Delta Freedom Fighters, has insisted that the petition earlier written to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, to terminate the pipeline security surveillance contract job awarded to Pipeline lnfrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL) belonging to the Olu of ltsekiri, HRM. Shola Emiko over alleged breach of contract agreements, poor performance, marginalization of host community youths/stakeholders in terms of employment, persistent rampant illegal oil bunkering activities secretly ongoing, sponsoring of tribal conflicts, forceful land grabbing and renaming of ljaw communities, territorial claims over ljaw lands among others remains valid, saying they have not retracted their petition neither renders public apology as claimed by some media reports circulating on the internet.

This was disclosed on Wednesday in Yenagoa by the leader of the aggrieved ex-agitators of the Niger Delta, Seiyifa Gbedeke, popularly known as Don (Gen) Cairo, stressing that the said retraction report was not coming from them rather it is a false (pseudo) publication sponsored by unscrupulous elements impersonating the group in order to mislead government and the general public.

The group re-echoed their call on NNPCL and federal government to do the needful by immediately revoking the pipeline surveillance contract awarded to PINL in order to prevent renewed crisis in the Niger Delta region that will be disastrous to the economy of the nation.

Don general Cairo urged the general public to disregard the retraction report circulating online as false, insisting that termination of the PINL contract is for the best interest of the federal government and to save Nigeria dwindling economy from illegal oil bunkers secretly operating under the Olu of ltsekiri PINL company jurisdiction in the Niger Delta.

According to the petition letter earlier written to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, read below;

The President,

Federal Republic of Nigeria,

His Excellency, 

Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR).

Presidential Villa Aso Rock. 

Your Excellency Sir,

COMPLAINT/PETITION NOTICE TO QUIT IJAW TERRITORIES IN THE NIGER DELTA

We, the undersigned group, the Aggrieved Freedom Fighters Forum (AFFF), respectfully write to you concerning the excesses and lack of capacity demonstrated by Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL), a private company allegedly owned and managed by the monarch of the Itsekiri Kingdom, His Majesty Olu Shola Emiko.

Sir, the pipeline surveillance contract awarded to PINL through the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) covers approximately 80% of Ijaw territories across the Niger Delta.  

As already aggrieved stakeholders in the region, we express our deep dissatisfaction with the manner in which this contract is being executed.

Our petition, complaint, and notice to quit are based on the following reasons:

1. Marginalization of Host Community Youths:

The Itsekiri monarch company (PINL) has consistently failed to employ youths from the host Ijaw Communities, who are the rightful stakeholders and custodians of the land.

2. Rampant Bunkering Activities:

Major crude oil theft and illegal bunkering are being carried out unchecked across the pipelines under the surveillance of PINL.

3. Sponsoring Tribal Conflict:

Funds from the NNPCL contract are reportedly being used to incite ethnic tensions and sponsor conflict. A notable example is the recent arrest of a British national, found in possession of 50 AK-47 rifles, who is known to be a close associate of the Itsekiri monarch.

4. Forceful Renaming of Ijaw Communities:

PINL, through its influence and funding, is allegedly involved in the forceful renaming of historically Ijaw towns and villages. 

Examples include:

Okenrenkoko renamed as Okenrenghigho,

Oporoza renamed as Opuraza,

Azama renamed as Azatiton.

These examples represent only a fraction of such actions that disrespect and distort Ijaw heritage and identity.

5. Territorial Claims over Ijaw and Urhobo Lands:

The Itsekiri monarch is allegedly laying claim to vast areas historically and culturally belonging to both the Ijaw and Urhobo ethnic nationalities in Delta State.

Conclusion:

These disturbing developments indicate a clear incapacity and misuse of authority by the Itsekiri monarch in handling contracts within Ijaw territories. We view this as a deliberate provocation and an attempt to subjugate indigenous communities.

We therefore call on your esteemed office to immediately revoke the pipeline surveillance contract awarded to PINL in order to prevent the eruption of a fresh crisis in the Niger Delta, one which could have serious national implications.

Thank you for your attention.

Yours sincerely,

Seiyifa Gbedeke, aka Don (Gen.) Cairo, Leader Aggrieved Freedom Fighters Forum of Niger Delta.

History’s Unforgiven Lesson: Why the Presidency Slipped the East Again_By William Z. Bozimo.

History is a merciless tutor. It repeats its class notes with the patience of the eternal, but some Nigerian students, particularly her Eastern sons refuse to learn. So the white chalk scribbles of yesterday still stand; a cruel reminder of the opportunities embraced by others, but often squandered at home. There are moments in political history when silence thunders louder than speeches, and when gestures of humility and solidarity become more decisive than votes. The 2023 party primaries offered one of such moments.

Recall that in 1966, the giants of the land then stepped aside, but instead of harmony, obvious suspicion was born. Sir Ahmadu Bello’s blood spilt, and with it, the fragile thread of trust. The North would remember, the South would resent, and the East would never be forgiven, both by their foes and themselves. Therein lies the “unforgiven lesson.” Politics is a craft of both timing and concession, so to refuse to yield a step is often to forfeit the mile. The lesson then is not just political but existential because unity is not a luxury but an engine of survival. Nations are built, not proclaimed. Power is negotiated, not decreed.

Fast forward to democracy’s new dawn, power rotated, voices clamoured, and again the East stood at the crossroads. Brothers quarrelled over shadows, spitting venom at one another while the prize was carried away by those who knew the discipline of alliance. In the APC for example, titans like Godswill Akpabio folded his ambitions into the grand design of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Also in the PDP, Senator Aminu Tambuwal stepped aside for Atiku Abubakar, shifting the tide with a single, selfless act. These were not acts of weakness but of analysis, maturity, and the understanding that power is never won by multiplication of ambitions, but by their consolidation.

But when it came to the Igbo aspirants, history repeated its most haunting chorus. Each clung to his claim, unwilling to bend, unyielding to persuasion. Brothers, instead of harmonizing their voices into a chorus, sang in competing keys. The result was a familiar tragedy: once again, the door to the presidency slipped past their fingers. It is one thing to be wronged by history; but it is another, more tragic, to wound oneself with familiar errors. When the Igbo man shoots himself in the foot, he reloads the rifle and then blames the world for his wounded limp. The presidency slipped the East again not by fate alone, but by pride’s iron hand. 

Unity was asked of them, but instead they gave in to quarrels. Sacrifice was required of them, but they insisted on entitlement. Thus, destiny slipped through like sand in an open palm. It is this same paradox that also shadows the cries for Biafra. A sovereignty movement of such nature should rest on a people’s right to self-determination. Yet the irony is stark: while clamouring for their independence, Biafra’s champions often insist that South-South minorities from the Niger Delta oil belt and all must be folded under their flag. Liberty for self, dependence for others. It is a contradiction so glaring that it undermines the moral argument before it leaves the lips.

How does one scream for “freedom” while holding another’s throat? Hypocrisy reeks stronger than the oil they covet. Brothers of the East forget: the Delta has its scars, its history of neglect, and its rivers that bleed crude yet thirst for justice. Why then should a fisherman in the Gbaramatu clan die for a flag raised in Enugu? The Igbo, with their unrivalled industriousness, their global spread, and their historical scars, should know this better than most. Yet, time and again, they seem to fall into the same snare, splintered at the very threshold of victory.

Dependence that is disguised as liberation is but another conglomerate in new clothes. Northern Nigeria remembers its martyrs. The West recollects its bargains. The Niger Delta recalls its shackles. Only the East seems convinced not to remember anything. Except for the echo of its grudges, replayed like a dirge that dulls ambition. History does not always forgive repetition so if 2023 was a missed moment, then 2027 will surely be the litmus test. The East must ask itself: Will we bend for one another this time, or break once again before the world?

So when giants step aside in 2027, what will the East do? Will they bend, build alliances, and seize history’s fleeting smile? Or will they squabble, rupture, and hand victory once more to those who mastered the art of waiting? Oftentimes, history is unforgiving. It offers no make-up tests and no retakes. If the East continues to wound itself, the Presidency will remain a mirage. Similarly, if Biafra goes on chaining others to its restless dream, then even independence shall elude it. For nations are not built on pride, but on the humility of bending, so that all may rise together.

When giants step aside, but brothers refuse to bend, history writes no footnotes, only obituaries of opportunity.

✍🏽 William Z. Bozimo

Veteran Journalist | Columnist | National Memory Keeper

Mike Edoukumo lnvites Friends as Remains of his late Father, Pa. Stephen set for Burial on Thursday August 21, in Ayakoromo

Francis Tayor 

The Edoukumo family of Ayakoromo Federated Community in Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State, has announced the final burial rites of their beloved son, father, grand father, great grand father, teacher and community leader, late Pa. Stephen Edoukumo who slept in the Lord in May 6, 2025 after a brief illness.

According to the burial programme jointly signed by Pastor Presley Edoukumor for the family and Hon. Michael Edoukumor (aka) Senator for the children stated as follows:

Today Wednesday 20th August, 2025 by 5PM: Service of Songs at Stephen Edoukumo family compound, GRA Ayakoromo Community.

Tomorrow Thursday 21st August, 2025: Corpse leaves Ame Specialist Hospital Mortuary, Okumagba Avenue Warri by 8:AM in a motorcade Via Miller Jetty NPA, through speed boat to Ayakoromo Town.

_12.00PM: Funeral Service at Altar of Fire lnt'l Church located at the market square, Ayakoromo community, Delta State.

_2.PM: Internment Service at Edoukumo family compound GRA, Ayakoromo.

Reception follows immediately at Ngbilebiri Primary School field, Ayakoromo till dawn.

Music by Gen. Best May alias JFred and his giant star band of Africa.

Late Pa Stephen Edoukumo was a caring father, devoted christian and elder at the Altar of Fire lnt'l Church, Ayakoromo. He was a community leader and peace maker in ljaw nation. His love, wisdom and philanthropic kind gesture would be greatly missed by the children, family members, community and ljaw nation at large.

However, Hon. Michael Edoukumo popularly known as the senator on behalf of the children use this medium to invite friends and well wishers to join them on Thursday 21 August, 2025 in order to give their departed father a befitting final farewell, the statement added.

Featured Article: William Bozimo's Stagecraft: Southern Redemption, Personal Gain, and The Politics of Wike_ By: Ebi Kedikumo

William Bozimo  in his masterpiece "WIKE: REBEL WITH A CAUSE, OR EMPEROR WITHOUT A THRONE?" writes about Nyesom Wike in a clear, easy style that prays to show two main ideas. One idea is that Wike acts for the South, for the people of Rivers State, and for the places that share their worries. The other idea is that Wike acts for himself, for power, for money, and for a big place in the future. Bozimo asks us to see which of these ideas is true, or if both are true at once.

Bozimo uses strong pictures to show Wike. He calls Wike a "lion with a microphone and a bulldozer" , a man who speaks loud and acts fast. This shows two things at once. Wike seems to care for the South, for jobs and security, but he also moves very hard to keep power. The words make us feel that Wike can be good for the region, but he can also be a force that makes others lose out. Bozimo asks us to think about how much Wike changes his aims when the party or the nation asks him to. Is he loyal to the South, or is he loyal to himself?

The piece says Wike shifts from the PDP to brand new support for Tinubu’s plan for the capital city. This is a sign many take as personal gain. It looks like Wike swaps sides when it helps his own name and his own reach. Bozimo shows that some people may see this as clever, a way to stay in the game and stay useful to the big bosses. Yet others see it as a betrayal of those who trusted him in the PDP. This clash shows a big idea: if a leader changes a lot, people may ask, is it for the people or for himself?

Bozimo writes about Wike’s past fights with Rotimi Amaechi, calling it a long and loud fight that shapes Rivers State. The question is what has the people gained from these fights. Bozimo wonders if the state is stronger, or if its heart grew tired and worn. The way he tells the story makes us feel that long battles can both defend a place and exhaust it. It invites readers to think of the cost of power struggles on ordinary people who live in the region. When the bosses fight, it is  the downtrodden that suffers. 

Bozimo goes further to ask hard questions about Wike’s plan for 2027. Will he be kingmaker, king, or king-breaker? Bozimo keeps Wike in the centre of the scene, but he also asks what kind of legacy Wike will leave. Will history smile at his work for the South, or will it ask hard questions about the losses that came from his wars and moves? This is not a simple praise or a simple blame. It is a careful look at how a strong leader can help a region but also bring risks for many.

Overall, Bozimo presents a careful view of Wike. He shows two big pulls: the dream of the South being saved and the lure of personal gain. He does not say one is right and the other wrong. He asks us to look at both ideas together and to see how they mix in real life politics. In his view, the truth is not a single gift or a single fault. It is a mix, where the needs of a region and the aims of a single man can both move forward and pull back. Bozimo’s aim is to make us think about how much one leader can change a whole region and a whole party, for good and for ill, in the long run.

What interests me here is how Bozimor effortlessly presents Wike  as a bold man who acts like he is always on a stage. He makes Wike sound loud and sure, a leader who uses big words and big actions to grab attention. Wike is not a quiet diplomat but a strong force who spills into every room with a loud voice, as if he loves the glare of the public and the buzz of headlines. Bozimo asks us to see whether this energy helps his people or just helps him, and it leaves us unsure, because Wike seems to change sides and styles depending on what he wants most at the moment.

On one hand, Bozimo praises Wike for his brave, theatrical moves, suggesting he can push big changes and shake up old deals. On the other hand, there is a hint of doubt, with talk of self-interest, power plays, and a longing to see what he will really leave behind after many battles. The piece makes us think he might be a builder for some, but a wrecking force for others, and it makes us wonder if true leadership lies in vision, or in how loudly you speak and how much you fight.

Bozimor has artfully delivered a concise yet sweeping portrait of Wike’s persona in a single narrative. 

I tip my hat to the seasoned  William Bozimo.

EBIKABOWEI KEDIKUMO  - writes from Ayakoromo Town

Just-ln: Nigerian Welders Appoint Veteran Journalist, Cletus Opukeme as Media and Publicity Officer

By Esther Eugene 

 The executive Council of Nigerian Welders (NWA), Zone 'B' Delta state has appointed Comrade Cletus Opukeme, a UK trained journalist and Publisher of Delta Watch, a vibrant online news platform as the ''MEDIA AND PUBLICITY OFFICER '' of the association as far as Delta state is concerned to pilot the affaire as matters related to news and media and Nigerian welders

His appointment letter was dated 13th March, 2025 and co-signd by the Chairman Comrade Eseroghene Odima and Secretary Comrade Monday Usiakpor respectively. 

According to the letter which was formally handed over to him at the state Secretariat said, Opukeme's appointment was due to his vast experience as a journalist and welder which made it possible for this recognition. 

The delay of the handover of the appointment letter was due to his engagement in far offshore welding jobs, until   it was made successful Monday at the office.

In his brief speech, Opukeme thanked the leadership of the Union and pledged to work in harmony with the union and all other relevant stakeholders to bring peace and  development to the union and the nation.

He emphasized that ''We will vigorously and peacefully pursue welders reform in the oil and Gas industry in the country where all professional welders in Nigeria will earn a standardised (Uniform) monthly earning in line with international standard of American  approved NDT and X-ray welders policy. Life insurance and ensure maximum safety policies adherence on site in line with international standards. We will achieve this through a peaceful legislative protection of both the National Assembly and the Senate with respect to full implementation of the nation's local content law.

 Opukeme  assured the union  to promote industrial harmony in the media between welders, contractors, host communities, the government and multinationals which are key stakeholders in the oil and Gas industry in the country''

However, it could be recalled that soon after the approval and  endorsement of his appointment, the trade Union body from the National level has changed to National Union of Nigerian Welders.

Opinion: Power is a Loan, Not a Possession, Use It Wisely to Build People_By: Kingsley lgiebor

Power is a loan. It is never truly owned, only held for a while, whether it comes through politics, position, influence, or privilege, power has an expiry date. Yet, many who ascend into authority forget this fundamental truth. They build monuments to themselves, silence the voices around them, and focus on preserving their grip on power rather than using it to empower others. Unfortunately, by the time the truth becomes evident, it's often too late to do the needful.

Leadership, in its truest form, is not about how long you sit in a seat, rather it is about what you do while you’re there. The greatest misuse of power is to leave people the same or worse than you met them. The greatest honour is to uplift others in your wake because one day, the spotlight will shift, the position will change hands, and the very people you ignored will become the ones who determine your place in history.

Across all walks of life—government, business, religion, or community leadership, those who succeed in building people are the ones whose relevance outlives their reign. That’s because people are legacy. A bridge you built for someone may carry your name longer than any title you ever bore. An opportunity you created for someone may become the ladder that generations will climb through.

On the other hand, when leaders hoard opportunities, suppress the growth of others, or treat their position as a personal empire, the outcome is almost always tragic. The end of tenure is followed by isolation. Once-revered figures are forgotten, mocked, or pitied, not because they didn’t once have power, but because they did nothing meaningful with it while it lasted.

We must remember that the applause fades and the motorcades disappear. The titles become past tense and when they do, all that remains is what you planted in others. The man or woman who used their position to mentor, empower, support, or create platforms for others will always have a place in the hearts of people, even when the office is no longer theirs.

So, plant people while your voice still carries weight, and speak for the voiceless too. While your table has room, invite others to sit. While your hand still holds the pen, sign opportunities into others' lives, because when the pen is no longer yours to hold, the people you lifted will become your greatest reference.

After all, power is a loan, not a possession; use it wisely, by building people.

God bless you

Again, Mulade calls for Developmental Bonds Amongst Ijaw & Itsekiri Nationalities in Delta State

A renowned peace and development advocate in the Niger Delta region, Comrade Mulade Sheriff, Ph.D has urged the Ijaw and the Itsekiri ethnic nationalities of Delta State to foster bonds of unity and friendship so as to attract investors to their areas for positive development and growth.

Comrade Mulade, who is the Ibe Serimowei of the ancient Gbaramatu Kingdom in Warri South-West council area of the State, made the call while speaking to some leaders from the Ijaw and Itsekiri ethnic groups in Warri 

The United Nations peace ambassador appealed to the leaders from both ethnic nationalities to embrace peace, to unite, and to let love lead in their collective pursuit for sustainable development, devoid of bias and ethnic supremacy, which he said "is the only way that we can grow and development our areas."

Speaking further, he sad, "Frankly, we are disgracing ourselves, and it is highly disappointing that many of us are beating the drum of ethnic war for personal interest and recognition.

"Please, we don't need division, but progressive ties that will attract investors and development to our communities," he pleaded.

Comrade Mulade further argued that the Ijaws and the Itsekiris contribute so much to the revenues of both the state and the nation, but are not recognised in terms of infrastructure, worsened by the continued state of acrimony.

"It is imperative to state that the Ijaw and Itsekiri areas in Delta State contribute the highest quota in the oil and gas industry as well as the blue economy, but we are deliberately deprived, neglected and shortchanged from development because of ethnic division and hatred amongst ourselves, which has eluded us", he posited.

"I want to strongly appeal to our revered traditional rulers, political leaders, and stakeholders to allow peace and development thrive"

"We are victims of underdevelopment because of our individual and ethnic pride that is affecting our growth and development. Today, all development efforts are concentrated in the uplands while neglecting the sources of the resources," he lamented.

The Day Nigeria Stood Still as Fela Kuti Farewell in Glass Casket on August 2, 1997 in lkeja, Lagos State

When Fela Anikulapo Kuti died on August 2, 1997, it wasn’t just the death of a man — it was the passing of a movement. Lagos, and indeed much of Nigeria, went silent. But then, it erupted in song, in drums, in tears, and in dance — a final tribute to the Abami Eda.

Days later, a glass casket was placed in the middle of Tafawa Balewa Square. Inside lay the man who had spoken truth to power, the man who defied military regimes with saxophone in hand and fire in his lyrics. It was a sight like no other.

Thousands flooded the venue. Men and women from all walks of life — fans, fellow musicians, market women, even people who had once criticized him — all came to pay their respects. His body, dressed in vibrant Ankara, lay peaceful, as if still listening to the rhythm of Afrobeat echoing from massive loudspeakers.

Some came in full traditional attire, others with fists raised high, chanting:

“FELA! FELA!! FELA!!!”

There were weeping mothers, young students who’d memorized his lyrics, and elders who had danced to his tunes in the 70s. The air was thick with heat, incense, and emotion.

As the sun set, his glass casket was carried through the streets of Lagos in a procession that lasted hours. Traffic stopped. Time slowed. The people of Kalakuta, and Nigeria at large, had come out for their hero.

He was later buried at his home in Ikeja, but his spirit never left.

Fela didn’t just die.

He transitioned.

And in that moment, a nation remembered how deeply one man could shake the system — and still be loved..

Source:

This is Bendel

I AM HOME, DEAR TOMPOLO_By: Enewaridideke Ekanpou Ph.D

On this  land alloted to me three years ago I laboured alone.

I have just dug and mined a treasure!

It is a gold, a gold now awaiting your touch of refinement.

I promised you the net must catch some fish.

On the river bank I did not come to scoop water with a basket.

Tompolo, please let loose your refining touch on the gold like a heavy downpour, keeping the gold drenched and glistened.

A gold is no gold without your  anointed touch.

Tompolo, let the doctor depart to the waiting world with a bag of transformation tranches

Tompolo, let the waiting world see the doctor and smile.

I have done what you decreed me to do and now I am home.

I am now home because every traveller goes home after a journey.

I am now home because to home every bird flies to roost after a journey.

Flags dance when the wind sings soothing songs;

Trees bow when the wind twangs her guitar;

The mother-hen searches for shelter with her children when the wind blesses the earth;

Mortals mouth doctor when the doctor heaves into sight like ship;

To every dance there are

 steps uniquely choreographed.

A doctor has his own rituals, so are the rituals of the mystic who has a foundry hammering out mortals as its relics.

The man decorated doctor without being doctored must be the nunc dimittis for the doctor to leave your sight and transform the waiting world.

The doctor's nunc dimittis must be  a transformation tranch, not the silence-inducement nunc dimittis of Simeon in the book of Luke.

The randy beetle is the gold of both the dead and the living raffia palm trees in the forest.

Touch the doctor, turn the doctor into the randy beetle in the forest.

The world  knows happiness, smiling seamlessly when the randy beetle journeys around the forest.

Raffia palm trees worry no more when the randy beetle cuddles them.

Dear Tompolo, I am back from the bloodless brain battle for branches to bud;

From this bloodless brain battle may branches bud and bind the world like the mustard seed.

All through the creeks I shall gong this bloodless brain battle until all the iguanas are awakened from their legendary deafness.

Dear Tompolo, I am now home with a dug gold as the relic of the journey you decreed me to take on.

Decorated, should I still be home to Akparemogbene as my home?

Or should I be home to your home in your home in the mangrove forest?

Dr. Ekanpou writes from Akparemogbene, Delta State

Egbema Focus Group Charges President Tinubu to call Gov. Oborevwori to Order for spreading falsehood, inciting ethnic tension in Warri North in Delta State

FOCUS EGBEMA GROUP URGES PRESIDENT TINUBU TO CALL DELTA STATE GOVERNMENT TO ORDER

Accuses State of Spreading Falsehoods, Inciting Ethnic Tensions in Warri North

The Focus Egbema Group has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to urgently caution the Delta State Government over what it described as a deliberate attempt to incite ethnic crisis between the Ijaw and Itsekiri people in Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State.

In a statement jointly signed by the Central Coordinator of the group, Comrade Mingo Meshach Sayami Ogumaka, the group condemned a recent publication on the Spotlight Delta Facebook page, which falsely claimed that the Itsekiris are the majority ethnic group in Warri North and misrepresented Ijaw monarchs as mere “clan heads,” while referring to the Olu of Warri as “His Majesty.”

The claim that Itsekiris are the majority tribe in Warri North is false and misleading. The Ijaw people are the majority in Warri North, and this fact is well-documented. Governor Sheriff Francis Oborevwori’s administration should know the actual demographics of his own state, and no official publication should carry false data,” the statement read.

Comrade Sayami stressed that the longstanding disputes between Ijaws and Itsekiris in Warri Federal Constituency have spanned over 30 years and are well known to successive state governments. He accused the current administration of taking sides for political reasons, despite the Delta State Traditional Council laws clearly defining the status of every ethnic nationality’s traditional institution.

Calling an Ijaw throne a clan head is not only insulting but also unlawful. Egbema Kingdom will not bow to intimidation or eye-service judgments. For over 20 years before the administration of Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, Egbema people were marginalized. Although Okowa brought some relief, the injustice and deprivation have resumed under the current government,” Sayami declared.

The group noted that despite Egbema Kingdom’s position as a major oil-producing area and the largest Ijaw population in Warri North, the people have been denied appointments, projects, and government recognition.

They also referenced the recent Supreme Court judgment that nullified the existing wards and polling units in Warri North and other Warri LGAs as proof that urgent corrective measures are needed to ensure fairness.

Egbema Kingdom’s throne is one of the oldest in Southern Nigeria and the biggest Ijaw kingdom in the Niger Delta. How can a tribe smaller than even one of our clans mislead the government into spreading false information? Governor Oborevwori has visited nearly every other kingdom in Delta State to commission or award projects, yet he has ignored Egbema. He did not even pay a condolence visit when our monarch passed. Truth is bitter, but it must be told — this hatred and bias must end. Egbema people deserve development and respect,” the statement added.

The Focus Egbema Group reaffirmed that Egbema Kingdom will never cede its rightful position to any ethnic group in Warri North after decades of suffering and marginalization, and urged President Tinubu to intervene to ensure peace, equity, and justice in Delta State.