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Civil Society Coalition Condemns Attacks on Gaza, Calls for Global Intervention in Hamas-Israeli Conflict

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The Coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CCSO) in Nigeria yesterday condemned what it described as “the ongoing genocidal attacks by the Israeli army against defenseless civilians in Gaza among them women and children with number of casualties continues to rise.”

The group at a World Press Conference held in Ikeja, Lagos, vowed to stand with the people and freedom of Palestine.

While speaking with THISDAY on the sideline, one of the leaders of the groups and the General Secretary of United Action for Democracy, Mr. Kunle Wizeman-Ajayi, insinuated that the Hamas-Israeli war might have a dimension in Nigeria.

According to him, “Any war can affect the world in one way of another, and that’s why we are in support of the freedom of Palestine. The battle between Hamas and Israel has a global effect, and you can see it today that it is even a debate in Nigeria already because the Israeli apartheid is pseudo-attached to Christianity, and there are several Christians in Nigeria, and many Muslims in Nigeria don’t understand the battle Palestine is fighting, because if they support the freedom of Palestine, they should also support the freedom of Biafra in Nigeria.

“Also, if Christians in Nigeria, especially those in the Southeast, support the freedom of Biafra, they should also support the freedom of Palestine. So freedom does not have any religious connotation. So freedom is freedom because we are all human. This can become a global war, and once that happens, just like in the Second World War, soldiers would be taken away from Nigeria to fight. Many would become soldiers by force just like our grandparents did during the Second World War. So we must nip any war in the bud before it becomes global just like we did in Niger Republic.

“American President, Joe Biden, wanted to force ECOWAS to start a war in that country, but because Nigerians rose against it, by now, we would have been in war. So because we stop the French occupation of Niger Republic, we, Nigeria, Africa, and the world should also rise against the occupation of Palestine by Israel.”

The other civil society coalition leaders, including Omotaje Olawale Saint of Work Bond International Network (WIN); Ahmed Balogun of Frontline Socio-Economic Research Centre (FSERC); Alex Omotehinse of Centre for Human and Socio-Economic Rights, among many others, while addressing journalists, declared that the death of over 500 Palestinians “in a single Israeli strike at the Al-Ahli Arab hospital south of Gaza on October 17, 2023, is a case of crimes against humanity that the ICC must investigate and hold Israel accountable.

“It was the Israeli army that asked Palestinians in Gaza to flee to a safe corridor. It is therefore reprehensible and callous for Israel to carpet-bomb the same place it chose as a safe haven for people fleeing its destruction in one part of Gaza. The bombing clearly attests to deliberate and well-coordinated crime against humanity.”

They added that the attempt by the duo of Israeli Prime Minister,Benjamin Netanyahu, and US President Biden “to exonerate Israel of the bombing in hospital is shameful and condemnable. The argument that the bombing at the hospital was due to self-explosion is deceptive and a conspiracy in genocidal mission.

“President Biden cannot walk back his talk. His promise to provide everything Netanyahu needed to prosecute this genocide is on record. The president shall answer to crime against humanity at the appropriate time. His refusal to call for a ceasefire and his open green-lighting of Israel’s premeditated genocidal mission are now well-documented.”

The coalition further affirmed that “as an occupied people Palestinians have the right to resistance which they continue to muster despite their backs being against the wall. Palestinians are not fighting just Israel, they have been fighting a rogue superpower which is America. We salute their courage and their refusal to be bullied into silence

“The world must rise to help Palestinians reclaim their rights, their dignity, their humanity; they must be free to determine their own destiny; create their own political institutions; establish a viable and sovereign state; and live in peace.

“Our prayer is that the United Nations must prevail on Israel to halt its war crimes by calling for a ceasefire. It should as a matter of urgency reclaim the peace process and take it away from the monopoly of the United States and European Union

“Other nations of the world, from the Arab World to Turkey and China, must invest in the peace process to end US monopoly.

“Governments of the world must begin to isolate Israel as the pariah that it has become. In this vein, all justice-loving countries and peoples of the world must patronise the BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) and take appropriate action.”

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International

Trump hints at softening China tariffs and says no plan to sack Fed boss

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US President Donald Trump has appeared to soften his recent comments on China and the head of the US Federal Reserve after recent clashes as he pursues his economic agenda.

He said he has “no intention of firing” Jerome Powell after repeatedly criticising the head of the central bank, but he added that he would like Powell to be “a little more active” on cutting interest rates.

Speaking in the Oval Office on Tuesday, Trump also said he was optimistic about improving trade relations with China.

He said the level of tariffs – or import taxes – that he had imposed on Chinese imports would “come down substantially, but it won’t be zero”.

The president’s tariffs are an effort to encourage factories and jobs to return to the US. This is a pillar of his economic agenda – as is a cut in interest rates, aimed at reducing the cost of borrowing for Americans.

Trump has ratcheted the rate on Chinese goods up to 145% – sparking reciprocal measures from Beijing and warnings from economists about the global impact of a trade war.

In his comments to reporters on Tuesday, Trump said he would be “very nice” in negotiations with Beijing – in the hope of securing a trade deal.

Earlier, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent reportedly said he expected a de-escalation of the trade war, which he said was unsustainable. Responding to comments from China, he said the current situation was “not a joke”.

The trade war has led to turbulence in financial markets around the world – to which Trump’s comments on Powell have also contributed.

The Fed has not cut rates so far this year, after lowering them by a percentage point late last year, a stance Trump has heavily criticised.

Last week, the president intensified his attacks on the Fed chief, calling him “a major loser”.

The comments sparked a selloff of stocks, bonds and the US dollar – though markets have since been recovering from those losses.

National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett said on Friday that Trump was looking into whether it would be possible to sack Powell – who he first nominated to lead the central bank in 2017.

Powell was then renewed in 2021 by Joe Biden.It is unclear whether Trump has the authority to fire the Fed chair. No other US president has tried to do so.

Most major Asian stock markets were higher on Wednesday as investors appeared to welcome the latest remarks.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 index rose about 1.9%, the Hang Seng in Hong Kong climbed by around 2.2%, while mainland China’s Shanghai Composite was down less than 0.1%.

That came after US shares made gains on Tuesday, with the S&P 500 ending Tuesday’s session up 2.5% and the Nasdaq rose 2.7%.

US futures were also trading higher overnight. Futures markets give an indication of how financial markets will perform when they open for trading.

Investors feared that pressure on Powell to lower interest rates could cause prices to rise at a time when trade tariffs are already seen boosting inflation.

Trade tensions between the world’s biggest economies, as well as US tariffs on other countries around the world, have triggered uncertainty about the global economy. Those concerns triggered turmoil in financial markets in recent weeks.

On Tuesday, the forecast for US economic growth for this year was given the biggest downgrade among advanced economies by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) due to uncertainty caused by tariffs.

The sharp increase in tariffs and uncertainty will lead to a “significant slowdown” in global growth, the Fund predicted.

Trump has imposed taxes of up to 145% on imports from China. Other countries are now facing a blanket US tariff of 10% until July.

His administration said last week that when the new tariffs are added on to existing ones, the levies on some Chinese goods could reach 245%.

China has hit back with a 125% tax on products from the US and vowed to “fight to the end”.

The Chinese government has not yet officially responded to the latest statements from the Trump administration.

However, an article in the state-controlled Global Times on Wednesday quoted commentators who said the remarks showed that the US is beginning to realise the tariffs do more harm than good to America’s economy.

BBC

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International

Ghana president suspends chief justice in unprecedented move

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Ghanaian President John Mahama has suspended the country’s Supreme Court chief justice – Gertrude Torkornoo.

An investigation has been launched and three undisclosed petitions have been filed making allegations against Gertrude Torkornoo, calling for her permanent removal.

Chief justices in Ghana enjoy security of tenure – meaning they can only be removed from office on a few grounds, which include incompetence and misbehaviour.

The content of the petitions has not been made public and she is yet to comment, while Ghana’s former attorney general has claimed her suspension is an attempt to undermine the judiciary.

“I think it is a complete charade,” Godfred Yeboah Dame told the BBC.

“It’s the biggest assault on the [judiciary] in the nation’s history, the greatest assault on the independence of the judiciary under the constitutional dispensation of this country.

“Ms Torkornoo is Ghana’s third female chief justice and was nominated in 2023 by former president Nana Akufo-Addo.

It is her responsibility to oversee the administration of justice in Ghana.

According to news agency Reuters, Ms Torkornoo survived a removal request earlier this year when former President Akufo-Addo said a petition to have her dismissed had “several deficiencies”.

Copies of the three recently filed petitions against Ms Torkornoo were not initially made available to her.

But some lawyers argued that withholding the documents was a violation of Ms Torkornoo’s right to a fair hearing.

Copies of the petition were subsequently made available to the chief justice, allowing her to respond to the allegations privately and in writing.

Ms Torkornoo will be invited by the five-member committee to respond again to the petitions before a final decision is reached as to whether she should be removed from office or not.

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International

Pope Francis: Governor Soludo Consoles Global Catholic Community

In his condolence message, Governor Soludo extends his solemn condolences to the Catholic Church in Anambra State, Nigeria, the Vatican, and the global Christian community.

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The Governor of Anambra State, Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, has expressed deep sadness at the passing of His Holiness, Pope Francis, who departed peacefully on Easter Monday, April 21, 2025, at the age of 88.

In his condolence message, Governor Soludo extends his solemn condolences to the Catholic Church in Anambra State, Nigeria, the Vatican, and the global Christian community.

He said that the loss of Pope Francis, a globally respected icon of faith, humility, and compassion, has indeed grieved the hearts of Catholics and all humanity as his lifelong dedication to championing the cause of the poor, fostering interfaith unity, and advocating for peace and justice has left the world a better place.

Governor Soludo further remarked that Pope Francis was a shepherd whose legacy transcended borders.

His teachings on love, mercy, and solidarity touched base with the people of Anambra, inspiring the government to build a society rooted in dignity and hope.

Indeed, the Holy Father’s passing on Easter Monday, symbolizing Christ’s triumph over death, is deeply instructive and a reflection of the enduring power of resurrection and hope.

Therefore, Governor Soludo stands in solidarity with the global Catholic community during this period of mourning, celebrating a life extraordinarily lived in service to God and humanity, and praying for the soul of Pope Francis to find repose in the comforting grace of the Almighty God.

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