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APPOINTMENT OF CHAIRMAN OF IHRC AFRICA INDIGENOUS RELIGIONS COMMITTEE

After an extensive search carried out by the African Region HQ Secretariat of the International Human Rights Commission (IHRC) Relief Fund Trust, His Most Supreme Eminence (HMSE) of African Indigenous Religions, Dr. Sir. Valentine Ossai Sunday Akpati, Paramount Ruler of the Royal Traditional Priesthood Federation Kingdom, the Osele Uku of Ogumeland has been given appointment as the Chairman of the IHRC Africa Indigenous Religions Committee. This appointment has been confirmed by the Global Director General and Ambassador-at-Large of the IHRC RFT accredited under the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. The underpinning idea upon which the African Indigenous Religions Committee has been established is based on the collaborative and networking mandate entered into by the IHRC RFT Africa Region HQ Secretariat and a Civil Society Organization registered as the Indigenous Peoples Initiatives for Cultural Integration. The framework of the mandate officially empowers the IHRC’s African Indigenous Religions Committee to operate the Indigenous Order of Black Knights of Rasta Fari Emperor Haile Selassie with the purpose to create and foster a feeling of fraternity and fellowship among the various renowned promoters of interfaith peace and to promote a more generous and filial respect for the spiritual authority of the known religions in the world. Dr. Sir Valentine Akpati, is also granted status of the Grand Protector for the Realm charged to hold investiture event for the Indigenous Order of Black Africa Knights of Ras Fari Emperor Haile Selassie for bestowing tokens of respect for well-deserving citizens, to reward their services to the world in the fight for peace and reconciliation amongst religions and to recognize merit in the field of unity of the religions. The investiture of the Indigenous Order will be based on a constitution or statutes for the organization with a description of the origin of the order, its privileges and the degrees of its members as well as the reason for conferring the order and its form of the decorations. The term “order” is limited to the insignia which the members are entitled to wear. Amb. Dr. Tivlumun Innocent Ahure stressed in the release that Indigenous peoples have struggled to defend their rights throughout history. IHRC RFT is promoting the legitimacy of their claims which has become increasingly and widely recognized at the international level: Dr. Ahure said the UnitedNations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2007) and the ILO Convention No.169on Indigenous and Tribal Peoples (1989) provide global frameworks for recognizing these rights,while other milestones such as the appointment of the United Nations Special Rapporteur for the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2001) and the establishment of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (2000) and most recently the Paris Agreement,19 represent global recognition of the need for wider participation of indigenous peoples to ensure rights are realized. Several other organizations have developed their own policies and platforms to engage with indigenous peoples. And it is in thiscontext, the 2030 SDGs Agenda, under an overarching framework that promises to leave no-one behindprovides scope to go further by bringing indigenous peoples on board as partners in national plans to, first, ensure they are not left behind, and, second, to enable societies, and indigenous peoples themselves, to benefit from the unique contribution indigenous communities can make to the realization of the entire agenda. Realizing this potential depends on the way and extentgovernments and other private and public stakeholders work together with indigenous peoples, prioritize the protection of their rights, and bring them on board as valued partners in building the future we are all working towards.

IHRC HONOURS THE DISTINGUISHED CHIEF PETER GYAWU-KYEM WITH APPOINTMENT INTO THE COMMITTEE ON AFRICAN INDIGENOUS RELIGIONS AS SPECIAL MEMBER, PUBLIC RELATIONS DESK OFFICER AND REPRESENTATIVE FOR GHANA

A special release by Amb. Dr. Tivlumun Innocent Ahure, the Global Director General/Ambassador-at-Large and Administrator of the Africa Region HQ Secretariat of the International Human Rights Commission (IHRC) Relief Fund Trust with Special UN Consultative Status has pointed out that it is pertaining to the objective of attaining mutual understanding and interreligious dialogue which constitute important dimensions of a culture of peace that the Africa Indigenous Religions Committee of the International Human Rights Commission (IHRC) was established and mandated as it’s organ that concentrates on Interfaith Harmony and devises ways to promote harmony between all African peoples regardless of their faith. The release remarked that Chief Peter Gyawu-Kyem, Nii Osabu Baffour-Awuah Mpese 1, (Kingmaker/Mpese Royal Stool), King Kpowullenu Allohmadzi 1, Ghana Chief of Adjarra, Benin has been given appointment and accorded recognition by the IHRC RFT regarding the work of the IHRC Africa Indigenous Religions Committee. This appointment is for the respected Chief Peter Gyawu-Kyem to serve as member of the IHRC Committee of African Indigenous Religions and overseeing the Public Relations Desk for the Committee as well as special member representing Ghana. In a charge to the appointee, the Chairman of the IHRC African Indigenous Religions Committee, His Most Supreme Eminence Dr. Sir, Valentine Akpati, Traditional Representative of the Ogbe-Ogume Traditional Council, Protector of the Realm and Central Chancellery of the Knighthood of the Order of Emperor Haile Selassie urged the new member of the committee to put his doggedness into the work of the committee in recognition of the imperative need for dialogue among different faiths and religions to enhance mutual understanding, harmony and cooperation among African peoples. Dr. Akpati enjoined the entire members of IHRC and other international organizations to encourage his committee in their work to spread the message of interfaith harmony and goodwill in the world’s churches, mosques, synagogues, temples and other places of worship on a voluntary basis. In his appreciation of the honour on him, Chief Peter Gyawu-Kyem pointed out that the IHRC RFT Committee on African Indigenous Religions has to consciously plan the regular commemoration of the World Interfaith Harmony Week (WIHW), conceived by the United Nations to promote a culture of peace and nonviolence, first proposed by King Abdullah II of Jordan at the United Nations in 2010. This was quickly adopted by the UN General Assembly (resolution A/RES/65/5), declaring the first week of February each year as World Interfaith Harmony week, calling on governments, institutions and civil society to observe it with various programs and initiatives that would promote the aim of the WIHW objectives. Chief Peter Gyawu-Kyem said by the Grace of God, he will work with a total commitment to pursue a course that will benefit Africa by contributing efforts for commemorating the WIHW in Ghana in the month of February, 2024. “I will work very closely with the office of the Chairman of the African Indigenous Religions Committee of the IHRC Africa Region HQ to get the Ghana authorities to see that the holding of this commemoration is not only held by February 2024 but this will be in future held on a regular basis. This structure for the unity of religions focuses on the dreams and visions of the United Nations Interfaith and Harmony. One way that the IHRC plans to sustain the work of the committee is the establishment of an award for Interfaith Unity for Peace Revival and Reconciliation in Africa. The award is bestowed on personalities who stand against Religious Discriminations who are champions of interfaith dialogue and the fight against extremism. All persons appointed into this committee have been adjudged to possess personal and permanent commitment to the defence of interreligious and intercultural dialogue, tolerance and diversity.

KILLINGS ON THE PLATEAU IN NIGERIA

H.E Dr. Tivlumun Innocent Ahure, Global Director General/Ambassador-at-Large of the International Human Rights Commission, (IHRC) with UN ECOSOC accreditation has received an Inside Story on the killings in the last week of 2023 in Nigeria. The views of the report condemns in the strongest of terms the killings of over one hundred and sixty people in Plateau State of North Central, Nigeria. The IHRC Country Director for Nigeria, Amb. Abdullahi Adamu Bakoji pointed out that the recent attacks have been severally described as reprisals by some ‘aggrieved’ people. Don’t forget that the most fundamental of human rights and freedoms is the right to life. It is the mother of all rights; if it taken away from people every other right is gone. United Nations Human Rights Commission Article 3 states that: ”Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.” said Amb Abdullahi Adamu Bakoji. He concluded that “by this, human life is made sacred, and this right should not be violated without just cause”. IHRC believes that jungle justice is a negation of the rule of law and it has been observed that people resort to taking the law into their hands because of the failure of the authorities to take the appropriate action at the instance of the first act of aggression. Perpetrators of heinous crimes should always be apprehended timely to ensure that justice is done without unnecessary delays. It is therefore pertinent to emphasize that the Nigerian government should guard against the breakdown of law and order in the country by directing the security agencies to always harmonize their operations by sharing intelligence reports and work swiftly in a collaborative manner to immediately nib in the bud any potential security threats. IHRC advises security agencies to swing into action in order to fish out the perpetrators of the Plateau massacre and prosecute them accordingly without unnecessary delays. The security agencies should in addition, gather intelligence information and use it to prevent reprisal attacks that would further endanger the lives of innocent people. The IHRC will keep watch on this matter and all other cases of infringement of the people’s fundamental human rights. In this regard the Global Director General said his office will continue to follow events as they unfold regarding the struggle to ensure justice is done in respect to earlier reported deaths of the people killed at Tudun Biri, Igabi Local Government of Kaduna State (North West) Nigeria, as a result of the ‘accidental’ bombing of a Maulud celebration site.

IHRC Celebrates Afro Hair Culture And Beauty Festival 2023 Organized In Partnership With Photizo Life Foundation & European Cultural Centre, Nigeria

The Africa Hair Culture and Beauty Festival 2023 was held on Saturday December 02, 2023 at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja-Nigeria. The Festival is an Initiative that pays tribute to African Heritage annually. This event is a colourful and spectacular celebration of all things African particularly the Hair Culture and Contemporary Hair styles. A release by the IHRC Global Director General, H.E Dr. Tivlumun Innocent Ahure revealed that the festival is organized to promote solidarity among all Africans, and develop a cultural support network for African Cultural Hair Designs and the cultural integration of African Indigenous Arts and Crafts. As part of the occasion the organizers reviewed paper presentations by selected African experts on the challenges besetting the African countries. Thus, the 2023 event focused it’s discussions on the unity and togetherness of African peoples and the human rights issues of increased xenophobic attacks and police brutality in Africa. H.E Dr. Tivlumun Innocent Ahure, expressed that the Afro Hair Culture and Beauty Festival 2023 was successfully dedicated to the unity and healing of Africa in the face of adversity. The night witnessed a hair culture pageant, exhibition of arts and culture, world-class entertainment and live performances from African and Caribbean countries. In attendance for the event were traditional rulers from various African communities as well as government officials.

IHRC DEDICATED THE COMMEMORATION OF WORLD HUMAN RIGHTS DAY TO FIGHTING POVERTY

In several significant ways the UN Consultative Status International Human Rights Commission (IHRC) joined the United Nations (UN) and people all over the world to observe December 10, 2023 as World Human Rights Day. This is observed every year around the world as the date when the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. When people living in poverty talk about their lives, it becomes very clear how poverty is, in fact, a violation of human rights. Poverty is a global problem. According to the World Bank in 2015, over 700 million people were living on less than $1.90 a day. While that represents a milestone (in 1990, it was over one billion) that’s still way too many people. That number also includes extreme poverty that is defined by the UN as “a condition characterized by severe deprivation of basic human needs, including food, safe drinking water, sanitation facilities, health, shelter, education and information. It depends not only on income but also on access to services.” Taking measures to be a recognized voice of primary advocacy efforts on addressing extreme poverty from a human rights perspective, the office of Amb. Abdullahi Adamu Bakoji, the IHRC Country Director for Nigeria carried out a human-rights-based approach to gifting the poor people which is important advocacy for poverty alleviation. In the report to the IHRC Global Director, H.E Dr. Tivlumun Innocent Ahure at the IHRC Headquarters the IHRC Nigeria chapter officials gave indications of many areas they have been engaged in to willfully serve humanity with aid and support. The outreach programme have empowered widows who are an invisible part of society—ignored, rejected and, sometimes considered cursed, for being responsible for the cause of their husbands’ deaths. Amb. Abdullahi Adamu Bakoji, IHRC Country Director, Nigeria Beginning a day earlier, the IHRC Nigeria visited the Correctional facility (Prisons) in Kano to engage in charity and reformation counseling and on December 10, 2023, the team greatly impacted the Kano Children’s Home where there are millions of children who must fend for themselves: orphans, runaways or abandoned children. Alone and unprotected, these individuals face immense hardships. The report viewed the occasion of the World Human Rights Day as a day that should be dedicated to minister to these precious women and children in addition to the work of human rights diplomacy.

10TH DECEMBER 2023, WORLD HUMAN RIGHTS DAY BROADCAST BY THE IHRC GLOBAL DIRECTOR GENERAL, H.E DR. TIVLUMUN INNOCENT AHURE

I have chosen to address my African Brothers and Sisters today on occasion of the 2023 anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights also called the World Human Rights Day. I do this with a high sense of humility and responsibility. As an International Not-for-profit Non-governmental Organization and also an Intergovernmental organization, the International Human Rights Commission (IHRC) with Special UN Consultative Status will continue to push that the world leaders and everyone accepts the fact that Human rights are extremely important for the overall development of the If we take a look at the basic human rights, we see how there are right to life, the right to practice any religion, freedom of movement, freedom from movement and more. Each right plays a major role in the well-being of any human. Right to life protects the lives of human beings. It ensures no one can kill you and thus safeguards your peace of mind. Subsequently, the freedom of thought and religion allows citizens to follow any religion they wish to. Moreover, it also means anyone can think freely. Further, freedom of movement is helpful in people’s mobilization. It ensures no one is restricted from traveling and residing in any state of their choice. It allows you to grab opportunities wherever you wish to. Next up, human rights also give you the right to a fair trial. Every human being has the right to move to the court where there will be impartial decision making. They can trust the court to give them justice when everything else fails. My Dear African Brothers and Sisters, let’s stick together in loyalty and devotion to our African continent during such World celebrations of this nature especially to show a sense of African consciousness and placing primary emphasis on the Human Rights protection for the peoples of African countries and interests. It is in this spirit that I have chosen to recount in my message to you some Human Rights positions of three African nationalists. On 6 March 1957, barely a decade after the adoption of the Declaration of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) by the UN, Ghana’s then–prime minister, Kwame Nkrumah, told a huge celebratory crowd at the Old Polo Grounds in the capital, Accra: “At long last, the battle has ended! And thus, Ghana, your beloved country, is free, forever!” Ghana, a former British colony, had just gained independence. In his speech Mr. Nkrumah aptly invoked the principles of equality, freedom and justice for all—the same principles that the declaration enshrines. Before the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC, then Republic of the Congo) became independent in 1960, Patrice Émery Lumumba, a historical figure in the continent-wide independence movement, emphasized that self-determination in Africa was a basic human right, underscoring the relevance of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in the fight for independence. “Let [the West] today give proof of the principle of equality and friendship between races that its sons have always taught us as we sat at our desks in school, a principle written in capital letters in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,” Mr. Lumumba said in 1959 at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, a renowned center of intellectual ferment in colonial Africa. “Africans must be just as free as other citizens of the human family to enjoy the fundamental liberties set forth in this declaration and the rights proclaimed in the United Nations Charter,” he added. In 1955 then-president of the African National Congress, Chief Albert Luthuli, said, “People from all walks of life [must meet] as equals, irrespective of race, color and creed, to formulate a Freedom Charter for all people in the country.” The Nobel Foundation awarded Mr. Luthuli the Peace Prize in 1960 and described him as “the leader of ten million black Africans in their nonviolent campaign for civil rights in South Africa.” As we commemorate today, we should rededicate to struggling for the rights of our African countries today and tomorrow. Once you start taking a small step, one day you are sure to find your way. I sincerely believe that all of us will never give up on our Dreams and will continue to work persistently to make our Dreams come true. All you need to do is dare to dream and put it into action. Thanks

Report Of The Country Director Of The IHRC, Federal Republic Of Nigeria On The Bombing Of Over 80 Innocent People At A Maulud Event.

The Nigerian Chapter of International Human Rights Commission (IHRC) has filed a report to the office of the IHRC Global Director General, H.E Dr. Tivlumun Innocent Ahure at the Commission’s Headquarters that the chapter condemns the recent ”accidental” killings of innocent people by military operations in Nigeria. IHRC Headquarters has requested and received detailed report that within a period 19 years (2014 to 2023) over 300 innocent people were killed ”accidentally” by military operations in Nigeria. The report observed that these killings are too numerous to be considered as accidental. According to IHRC’s Global Director General H.E Dr. Tivlumun Innocent Ahure, “the fact that these incidences occur almost every year without the government taking drastic actions to forestall future occurrence gives the impression that the government has no respect for the sanctity of human life. There is the tendency for citizens and indeed the international community to term these killings as a form of official terrorism” Contry Director of the IHRC in Nigeria, Amb. Abdullahi Adamu Bakoji said the Nigerian government should know that its human rights protection record is worsening by the day on account of its inaction and insensitivity to the feelings of the citizens and warned that the World is watching and if the situation to know if the trend is left to continue unabated. IHRC said it is terribly shocked by the recent bombing by the Nigeria Army of over 80 innocent people including women and children at Tudun Biri Igabi LGA Kaduna State, Nigeria while they were attending a Maulud activity. It can not fanthom how an Army which is supposed to have the capacity for surveillance, intelligence gathering and levearaging modern communication gadgets bomb innocent people with precision in the name of decimating terrorists. IHRC condemns this callous act in the strongest terms and calls on the government to institute proper investigation into the matter with a view to punish the culprits in accordance with international conventions and the Nigerian military code of ethics and rules of engagement. Failure to do so will leave the IHRC with no other option than to embark on an international campaign to black list the Nigerian Authorities as Grand Human Rights Abusers. IHRC will keep watch on the situation to see whether justice will be done or not, including paying compensation to the families of those killed innocently, because it has the mandate of the United Nations to do so.

UGANDA IHRC RFT MAKES CONTRIBUTIONS FOR QUALITY EDUCATION.

1st December, 2023 The people of Nyamisingiri primary school of Kicwamba sub county Burahya county Kabarole District have been overwhelmed with an official visit of IHRC RFT to the school. The visit has put smiles on the faces of many persons including local council officials, the needy, parents, children some of which are orphans and the school administrators. Accordingly IHRC Uganda called on the authorities of government and parents who were present to concern themselves with the issue of fundamental rights and responsibilities in order to have a clear future for every one while urging the government to provide basic needs to poor children in schools like lunch and ICT programmes so that remote school children should have equal opportunities as those in urban setting. Periodically the IHRC RFT in Uganda implements a comprehensive social impact program dedicated to promoting Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) – Quality Education. H.E Daniel Neviliya, IHRC’s Country Director of Uganda who has been leading the IHRC Uganda on outreach programmes with the primary beneficiaries being primary and secondary school students aged between 6 and 18 years in a few underserved rural areas in Uganda particularly has forwarded his report. In the report to IHRC Global Director General Amb. Dr. Tivlumun Innocent Ahure who supervises the IHRC Africa Region HQ, H.E Daniel Neviliya emphasized that the initiative was geared towards addressing the immediate needs of students by providing essential school relief materials, including books, pens, school uniforms, and chairs. Amb. Dr. Tivlumun Innocent Ahure, has encouraged the IHRC Uganda and the other national IHRC chapters to continue to have passion for empowering school children and help to affect their lives and the attainment of quality education in a positive way. Indeed IHRC’s diverse global team and contributors work toward making the world a better place.