News
Don’t Take Fubara’s Quietness For Granted, Cleric Warns
The Vicar of Saint Paul’s Anglican Church, Opobo, Venerable Emmanuel Nwuju, has warned the political class not to take the quietness of the Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, for granted as God usually fights for such people.
The cleric also tasked the political class to be mindful of their actions in order not to jeopardise peace and development of the country, especially Rivers State.
Nwuju gave the warning while speaking at the outing and thanksgiving service in honour of the late Mrs. Adeline Ndalu Jaja, the mother in-law of Governor Fubara, in Opobo, yesterday.
According to him, people should be careful of what they do or say about the governor’s quietness especially now that he is an orphan as only God will fight for him.
The Vicar urged the political class to always do the right thing no matter the situation, as it will be counted for them on the last day, saying Jesus did the right thing yet he paid with his life.
“Jesus paid for doing the right thing as a lamb. The quiet disposition of our governor is confusing. He is simple and quiet, but don’t take that for granted. This is because such persons receive inspiration in quietness”, he said.
The clergy noted that in the days of Jesus, instead of the people to embrace him and walk in righteousness, they ganged up to antagonise and killed him together with criminals, but in a twist of fate, he was buried in a rich man’s tomb and eventually rose in glory.
He said same things happen these days, with those who benefit from corruption perpetuating it across sectors, and by extension, destroying the available quality of education, which is endangering the future of the youths.
He, however, declared that those who focus on God would be emboldened to bring solution to the many woes bedeviling the country.
The outing and thanksgiving was climaxed with a special prayer for the family by the Bishop of Niger Delta Diocese, Rt. Rev. Dr. Emmanuel Oko-Jaja,
The event was graced by traditional rulers, elders, leaders and stakeholders of the State including Fubara and his wife, Valerie.
Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has called on Nigerians to reject silence in the face of extrajudicial killings and other abuses of human rights.
Soyinka stressed that accountability and civic courage remain essential to rebuilding public confidence in the nation’s institutions.
He made the call during the 28th Wole Soyinka Lecture held in Port Harcourt, last Friday as part of activities marking his 92nd birthday.
The lecture, themed “Reclaiming the Nigerian State through Accountability, Justice and Civic Courage,” drew participants from different sectors of society.
The renowned playwright and human rights advocate said the country’s greatest tragedy was not only the unlawful killings carried out by state and non-state actors, but also the silence that often follows such incidents, allowing perpetrators to evade justice.
According to him, indifference by citizens to abuses of power and violations of fundamental human rights has contributed to the persistence of extrajudicial killings and other forms of injustice across the country.
Soyinka said he dedicated this year’s lecture to victims of unlawful killings, noting that the event was intended to honour individuals who had lost their lives as a result of failures within the justice system and society’s inability to protect the sanctity of human life.
He stressed that the lecture was dedicated to what he described as the basic unit of every society – the human being, and urged Nigerians to place greater value on human dignity irrespective of ethnicity, religion or social status.
The Nobel Laureate recalled several incidents of violence, including the fatal shooting and killing of a young man in Ugheli in Delta State by a police officer, and the mob killing of Deborah Yakubu in Sokoto State sometime ago, lamenting that many of those responsible are yet to face justice.
He expressed concern that some perpetrators of violent crimes had openly admitted their actions without fear of prosecution, describing such situations as evidence of serious failures within the nation’s justice system.
Soyinka maintained that when justice is delayed or denied, public confidence in state institutions continues to erode, thereby encouraging further violations of human rights.
Responding to critics who accuse him of promoting religious or ethnic divisions whenever he spoke on such issues, Soyinka dismissed the allegations and pointed out that his advocacy has always centred on the protection of human life and the rule of law.
He urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and continue demanding justice in cases of alleged extrajudicial killings, including the recent shooting of a young man by a police officer, stressing that every life deserves equal protection under the law.
The literary icon also recalled an earlier pledge by a past incoming president to make public the files relating to unresolved assassinations and extrajudicial killings, questioning the status of the promised investigations.
He challenged citizens to continue asking questions about unresolved cases, insisting that justice, accountability and respect for human dignity are indispensable to building a peaceful, democratic and inclusive Nigerian society.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has clarified that there was no fire at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, contrary to its earlier advisory.
Earlier yesterday, FAAN had announced that a fire incident had occurred at Terminal 2 of the nation’s busiest airport, and assured that its Aerodrome Rescue and Firefighting Service had been deployed to contain the situation.
There were also reports that activities were briefly disrupted at the airport yesterday after smoke was seen inside parts of the terminal.
Videos circulating online showed passengers kept standing outside the terminal while firefighters responded to the incident.
However, in an update issued less than two hours later by the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Henry Agbebire, and posted on FAAN’s official X handle, the authority said preliminary findings showed that the smoke seen at the terminal was caused by the discharge of the facility’s FM-200 fire suppression system.
“Further to our earlier advisory regarding the incident at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) wishes to provide the following update,” the statement read.
“Preliminary findings indicate that there was no fire at the terminal. The smoke observed within the affected area resulted from the discharge of the terminal’s FM-200 fire suppression system. The reason for the activation of the fire suppression system is currently being investigated,” FAAN stated.
The authority said normal operations had resumed at the terminal while investigations were ongoing to determine the cause of the incident.
“Normal operations have since resumed at the terminal, while detailed investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause of the incident,” the statement added.
The authority thanked passengers, airlines, airport users and other stakeholders for their understanding and cooperation.
FAAN appreciated the understanding and cooperation of passengers, airlines, airport users and all stakeholders, and reiterated its commitment to the safety and security of all airport operations.