News

U.S. has inescapable responsibilities for Ukraine crisis

Published

4 years ago

March 30, 2022

By Zhong Sheng, People’s Daily
After experiencing profound changes and a pandemic unprecedented in a century, the globe today is confronted with another major issue – the Ukraine crisis. Solving existing and future challenges and pursuing a ceasefire is a common aspiration of all peace-loving nations and peoples.
Major countries should particularly play a constructive role in this. However, the U.S., which has inescapable responsibilities for the crisis, is failing to take actions to resolve it.
The country is on the one hand portraying itself as a so-called “guardian of peace” and a “protector of rule-based international order,” while on the other hand fabricating political stories of democracy combating authoritativeness and justice fighting the evil. It is trying to foment camp confrontations and instigate ideological conflicts, in an attempt to shift responsibilities, make contradictions and contain the development of other countries.
The Ukraine crisis further exposed the essence of American hegemony and the pernicious consequences of Cold War mentality.
The eastern expansion of the U.S.-led NATO is the root cause of the crisis, and the U.S. is the initiator of the crisis. As an international expert pointed out, it’s possible to stop the war only when the background of the war is known to all.
Ukraine’s intricate historical backdrop is the consequence of the interaction of several causes. However, when it comes to the causes and development, as well as the rights and wrongs of the issue, the eastern expansion of the NATO is an inevitable topic.
According to an article recently published by Spanish media organization Rebelion, the insatiable desires of the NATO are the root cause and cancer cells of all these conflicts. It highlighted that the NATO would continue to upgrade among “Western countries” to send the orders of the fake “free world” to farther places, and wage wars against all the countries that oppose its plans.
The NATO is a Cold War hangover. As the Soviet Union dissolved and the Cold War ended in the 1990s, there was no reason left to retain the NATO. However, the alliance, led by the U.S., has been constantly expanding its sphere of influence. Under the disguise of consolidating democracy, ensuring stability and promoting common values, it has again and again broken its promise and expanded eastward five times, pushing its borders eastward by more than 1,000 kilometers. It has deployed massive advanced strategic offensive weapons and promised Ukraine and other countries NATO membership, stabbing the NATO knife to the border of Russia.
American geo-strategic theorist even claimed that an expanding and democratic Europe has to be an open-ended historical process, not subject to politically arbitrary geographic limits. However, rational American academics have long recognized the danger of NATO’s eastern expansion, with one stating that “expanding NATO would be the most fateful error of American policy in the entire post-cold-war era.”
NATO, as a military alliance, has long been used by the White House to further expand American hegemony. The U.S.-led alliance instigated “color revolutions” and has been causing havoc near Russia by repeatedly opening Pandora’s boxes.
The NATO bombed Belgrade without the approval of the U.N. Security Council, destroyed Serbia, and launched wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya. All of these contributed to Russia’s feeling of being surrounded, said Academician Andrei Makine of the Institut de France. The West, especially the U.S. shall be responsible for the Ukraine crisis, noted professor John Mearsheimer at the University of Chicago.
From a historical and global point of view, the Ukraine crisis is another world security upheaval directed by the U.S. Since the end of World War II, the U.S. has always been guiding its diplomacy with geopolitics, perceiving the world as a chess board on which a looting game is played.
Incited by such a Cold War mentality, the U.S. remotely staged the Arab Spring in Sub-Saharan Africa, the color revolutions in Europe, the Monroe Doctrine in Latin America, as well as coups and assassinations in a number of countries, wrecking havoc on the international order and jeopardizing world peace.
Alice Weidel, joint leader of the Alternative for Germany party, noted that adhering to the outdated Cold War mentality and arrogantly denying Russia’s major country status, the West has made a promise to Ukraine that’ll never be fulfilled. She called it a catastrophic historical mistake. What’s needed by all parties is a realistic and clear view of geopolitics, and to make utmost efforts to establish a security mechanism for Europe that transcends the West-East camps mentality.
“Why, with all the hopeful possibilities engendered by the end of the cold war, should East-West relations become centered on the question of who would be allied with whom and, by implication, against whom in some fanciful, totally unforeseeable and most improbable future military conflict?” This question raised by former U.S. Ambassador to Soviet Union George Kennan in 1997 is still waiting for an answer from the U.S. government.
As the starter and the biggest driving force of the Ukraine crisis, the U.S. should have some moments of introspection on its dishonorable roles, completely abandon the Cold War mentality and hegemonic practices, and make some meaningful contributions to maintaining global and regional peacekeeping.

News

Dogara Celebrates Baba Jang at 82, Hails Him as a Visionary Statesman

Published

2 days ago

March 14, 2026

milcah

Former Speaker of the House of Representatives and Chairman, Board of Trustees of the National Credit Guarantee Company Limited (NCGC), Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara, has joined Nigerians in celebrating Former Governor Jonah Jang, fondly called Baba Jang, as he clocks 82 years.

In a glowing tribute, Dogara described Baba Jang as a visionary leader whose life and service remain a beacon of hope for generations. He noted that Jang’s tenure as Governor of Plateau State was marked by courage, foresight, and an unwavering commitment to peace, unity, and development.

“Baba Jang’s life is a testimony of service and sacrifice. He invested in infrastructure, strengthened institutions, and worked tirelessly to foster unity in Plateau State. His leadership was never about personal gain but about building lasting foundations for progress,” Dogara said.

He further emphasized that Jang’s integrity, resilience, and mentorship have shaped leaders across Nigeria, adding that his legacy continues to inspire beyond the boundaries of Plateau State.

“As he celebrates 82 years, we honor him not just for the offices he has held, but for the enduring impact he has made on countless lives. Baba Jang remains a statesman, a father figure, and a model of quality leadership,” Dogara added.

The tribute underscores Baba Jang’s enduring influence in Nigerian politics and governance, highlighting his role as a leader whose footprints on the sands of time cannot be erased.

News

Civil Society Coalition Raises Alarm Over Nigeria’s Maritime Boundaries, Oil Wells Allocation

Published

3 days ago

March 12, 2026

Becky Hassan

A coalition of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), maritime experts and policy advocates has raised serious concerns over Nigeria’s maritime boundary management and the allocation of offshore oil wells, calling for urgent intervention by the Federal Government.

The concerns were presented on Thursday in Abuja during a civil society roundtable where the coalition leader, Dr. Gabriel Nwambu, addressed stakeholders and unveiled the communiqué issued after a recent verification mission to Nigeria’s offshore maritime corridor bordering Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea.

The communiqué followed a technical fact-finding and verification exercise conducted at sea on February 28, 2026, focusing on Nigeria’s offshore hydrocarbon blocks OML 114, OML 115 and OML 123 as well as the maritime boundary areas involving Nigeria, Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea.

Dr. Nwambu explained that the mission involved maritime governance stakeholders, mapping professionals and public policy experts who undertook physical observation of the maritime corridor, technical mapping verification and consultations with relevant authorities.

According to the coalition, the mission sought to independently verify the status of Nigeria’s maritime boundaries, offshore hydrocarbon entitlements and the implications of administrative and regulatory decisions affecting the Cross River maritime corridor.

ICJ Judgment Clarified
Presenting the findings, the coalition noted that the 2002 judgment of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) between Nigeria and Cameroon ceded only specific settlements in the southern Bakassi Peninsula — Atabong, Akwabana and Archibong Town — to Cameroon.

The coalition stressed that several areas often assumed to have been ceded were not included in the ruling.

“The Cross River Estuary and the western Bakassi peninsular islands of Dayspring I and II, Abana and Kwa Island were not ceded under the ICJ judgment,” the communiqué stated.

The group further emphasized that Nigeria still maintains maritime boundary continuity between the Cross River Estuary and the Akwayefe River Estuary based on the ICJ cartographic evidence and the physical geography of the region.

Dr. Nwambu also clarified that the Cross River Estuary remains Nigeria’s natural maritime gateway to the Atlantic Ocean and provides Cross River State with direct offshore access.

Questions Over Boundary Management

A major concern raised by the coalition relates to the actions of the National Boundary Commission (NBC) in implementing the Offshore/Onshore Dichotomy Abrogation Act using what it described as a temporary implementation map.

According to the communiqué, the baseline drawn from Tom Shot into the Cross River Estuary effectively closed the estuary’s mouth to the sea, thereby rendering Cross River State non-littoral.

The coalition warned that this development raises serious constitutional, economic and national security concerns.

It further criticized the NBC for failing to demarcate the Nigeria–Cameroon maritime boundary more than two decades after the ICJ ruling, stating that continued reliance on the temporary map could jeopardize Nigeria’s territorial integrity.

The report also alleged that the situation has effectively resulted in the ceding of about 780 hectares of maritime waters within the Cross River Estuary toward the Akwayefe River Estuary to Cameroon.

Oil Wells and Revenue Concerns

Beyond boundary issues, the civil society coalition raised alarm over oil revenue allocation and the management of transboundary oil fields.

According to the findings, the failure of relevant institutions to brief the President on key inter-agency reports could prevent Nigeria from exploiting 49 identified transboundary oil wells located within OML 114 in the Cross River Estuary.

The coalition also raised concerns over alleged financial irregularities relating to the Ekanga and Zafiro transboundary oil fields jointly developed by Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea.

It alleged that more than ₦33 billion may have been approved from the Federation Account in favour of Akwa Ibom State without clear presidential authorization.

The group further questioned whether revenues from the Ekanga and Zafiro fields — estimated at over $8 billion — had been properly remitted into the Federation Account.

Call for Presidential Intervention

To address the concerns, the coalition recommended several urgent measures, including a presidential review of the 2024 and 2025 inter-agency oil verification reports affecting Cross River and Akwa Ibom states.

It also called for the proper demarcation of the Nigeria–Cameroon maritime boundary in line with the ICJ judgment and the establishment of a Presidential Special Investigation Panel to probe the alleged loss of Nigerian maritime waters.

Other recommendations include a forensic audit of revenues from the Ekanga and Zafiro oil fields, investigation into the alleged ₦33 billion payment approvals, and diplomatic engagement with Cameroon to develop transboundary reservoir agreements.

The coalition also urged the Federal Government to restore and recognize Cross River State’s littoral status based on the geographic and legal status of the Cross River Estuary.

National Security Implications

In its concluding remarks, the coalition warned that the issues uncovered during the verification mission have far-reaching implications for Nigeria’s territorial integrity, maritime sovereignty, national security and oil revenue accountability.

Dr. Nwambu called on the President to treat the matter with urgency, stressing that transparent management of maritime boundaries and offshore resources remains critical to Nigeria’s economic stability and geopolitical standing.

The communiqué was jointly signed by representatives of the coalition of civil society organizations, maritime policy experts, technical observers and economic governance accountability groups.

News

Nigerian Youth Storm National Assembly Demands Access to Present Dishonourable Award to Senator

Published

5 days ago

March 10, 2026

milcah

Nigerian Youth under the leadership of Empowerment for Unemployed Youth Initiative (EUYI) on Tuesday stormed the National Assembly to present Senator Olajide Ipinsagba with the Most Dishonourable Senator of the year award.

EUYI previously threatened to present the Senator with the award, citing a plethora infractions and unwholesome dealings especially with his legislative aids and associates.

The group urged the Senate President to grant them access to the hallowed chambers to make the presentation as wake up call to other public servants.

Addressing the press at the National Assembly complex, Comrade Danesi Momoh Prince disclosed that they had gathered as early as 7 am at the National Assembly gate only to discover that the Senate is not sitting and that the embattled Senator was absent despite prior information.

“We’re angry that Senator Olajide Ipinsagba has refused to show up and collect his award for his dishonourable conduct especially as it pertains the exploitation and underemployment of Nigeria youth under his office

“How can a Senator be paying his legislative aid 30,000 naira when the national minimum wage is 70,000 Naira? Is he the only one that needs money? Is it not wickedness to treat unemployed Nigerian youth like that?”, he queried.

The group vowed to go ahead and present the award to the Senator in person, be it in the Senate Chambers or his house. We shall however not give the award to anybody but the senator due to the “seriousness of his offense”