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284,000 People Missing Worldwide, ICRC Cries Out

284,000 People Missing Worldwide, ICRC Cries Out

No fewer than 284,000 persons were declared missing by their families worldwide, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

The Head of Sub Delegation, ICRC Maiduguri Field Office, Diana Japaridza, made this known at a gathering in unity and compassion to commemorate the International Day of the Disappeared yesterday in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.

The event was organised by the (ICRC), Maiduguri field office.

Japaridza, who expressed their concern, said ICRC had joined with families of the missing to honour missing persons, including victims of enforced disappearance, and to stand in solidarity with their family members.

“The issue of missing people is one of the most devastating and long-lasting consequences of armed conflict and other violence, disasters, and migration.

“Across the world, hundreds of thousands of individuals are missing – many never return and are never heard from again, leaving families shattered and searching for answers.

“By the end of 2024, more than 284,000 people from all over the world were registered as missing with the Family Links Network of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.

“In Nigeria, the ICRC has registered around 24,000 active cases of missing persons since 2014, when the conflict peaked.

“This number, ICRC’s highest caseload in Africa, likely represents only a fraction of the total number of persons missing in the country.

“More than half were children at the time they disappeared,” she explained.

Japaridza also said that the ICRC acknowledged the immense impact of the missing persons on society and on the families.

“It disrupts the fabric of communities, hinders reconciliation, and impedes social and economic progress.

“The weight of this issue often falls on the shoulders of the families, who tirelessly seek answers throughout their lifetimes.

“Today, many families are still living in uncertainty, causing agony and unspeakable suffering.

“We hope that today’s gathering helps authorities, communities, and society-at-large acknowledge your plight.

“As we stand here united on this solemn occasion, let us draw strength from each other and from the collective determination we share,” she said.

According to her, the event was a testament to their unwavering spirit and resilience, adding that ICRC hoped that these families would receive the answers they deserved.

“As we commemorate the International Day of the Disappeared, let us pledge to continue standing together, weaving stories of remembrance and resilience until every missing person’s story finds its ending,” Japaridza added.

Also speaking, the state Commissioner for Education, Mr. Lawal Wakilbe, expressed deep concern to the families over their pains and agony regarding the loss of their beloved ones and reassured them of his Ministry’s full support in the event of any needs.

Wakilbe, who was represented by Hajiya Zainab Mustapha, a Senior Special Assistant to Governor Babagana Zulum on education, also called on the families to continue to pray for God’s intervention toward the reappearance of the missing persons and possible reunion with their families.

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No fewer than 284,000 persons were declared missing by their families worldwide, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The Head of Sub Delegation, ICRC Maiduguri Field
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Diri Demands Urgent Review of PIA to Resolve Conflicts on Petroleum Industry Trust Fund

Diri Demands Urgent Review of PIA to Resolve Conflicts on Petroleum Industry Trust Fund

Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, has again urged the federal government to review the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) to resolve conflicts in the Niger Delta oil-producing communities arising from implementation of the legislation.

Diri made the demand yesterday during the triple celebrations of book launch, 60th birthday, and 25th marriage anniversary of the Chairman of the state traditional rulers council, King Bubaraye Dakolo, in Yenagoa.

The governor was reacting to a comment by the Minister of State for Petroleum (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, who said that litigations in host communities had made it impossible for them to access monies in the Petroleum Industry Trust Fund meant for their development.

Diri noted that when the PIA was a bill during the former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, the state presented its position that excluding the oil-producing states and local councils from the administration of host communities’ funds, as provided in the then bill, would result in a crisis.

According to him, “the PIA, as it was designed, is a time bomb because the federal government cut off states and local government councils to deal directly with communities. It is my submission that the percentage due to oil companies, conspiratorially reduced from 10 per cent to three per cent, should be reviewed.

“I also call on the federal government to immediately review the aspect where states and local governments were excluded from administering what is due to the communities. The states and councils are closer to the communities, and it was wrong to have them excluded from the administration of these communities. The current situation is a recipe for a crisis, and I urge President Bola Tinubu to review it.”

While congratulating Dakolo, who is the Ibenanaowei of Ekpetiama Kingdom, on the launch of his books, “The Pirates of the Gulf” and “The Kingfisher,” Senator Diri described the monarch as a rare king and urged the younger generation to see him as a role model.

He also described Dakolo as a literary giant who took up the challenge after his ordeal at the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) to fight injustice in the Niger Delta, emphasising that he has made a positive impact on the Ijaw nation and the country as a whole.

Diri, who launched the books with the sum of N100 million on behalf of the state government, directed the Ministry of Education to adopt The Kingfisher as part of the state’s secondary school curriculum.

“King Dakolo has served the Bayelsa and Ijaw nation. Dakolo and l had been together in the Ijaw struggle. He is sound and very intelligent. He is a literary giant and l urge our youths of the Ijaw nation to see him as their role model.”

In his remarks, Lokpobiri, who was the chairman at the event, congratulated Dakolo on his achievements, describing him as a man of many parts and a visionary leader.

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Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, has again urged the federal government to review the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) to resolve conflicts in the Niger Delta oil-producing communities arising
The post Diri Demands Urgent Review of PIA to Resolve Conflicts on Petroleum Industry Trust Fund appeared first on THISDAYLIVE.