Coptic Christian churches in the United States say they are having to expand to cope with new arrivals, as priests in cities like Cairo and Alexandria talk of a new climate of fear and uncertainty.

“Most of our people are afraid,” Father Mina Adel, a priest at the Church of Two Saints in Alexandria said. “Not a few are leaving – for America, Canada and Australia. Dozens of families from this church alone are trying to go too.”

Father Mina’s church has an important place in the history of the Arab Spring. It was struck by a car bomb on New Year’s Eve 2010, Egypt’s worst sectarian attack in recent decades, in which 23 people were killed.

After the bombing, liberal Muslim groups staged protests in support of Christians, printing posters showing the cross and the crescent interlinked which then went on to be symbols of inter-faith unity during the Tahrir Square protests three weeks later.

But the victory of the Muslim Brotherhood in parliamentary and presidential elections has changed the mood – particularly as the biggest opposition party is the even more hardline Salafist movement which wants strict Sharia law implemented.

“Salafis meet Christian girls in the street and order them to cover their hair,” Father Mina said. “Sometimes they hit them when they refuse.”

President Mohammed Morsi has promised to respect Christians’ rights, and issued a New Year message insisting Egypt was “one homeland for all”. But several Brotherhood leaders and clerics issued thinly veiled threats against them during protests in late 2012, accusing them of being part of a plot to overthrow the government.

The biggest change in attitudes has come since the passing of a new constitution giving Sharia law more prominence.

“With the new constitution, the new laws that are expected, and the majority in parliament I don’t believe we can be treated on an equal basis,” said a congregation leader in Cairo’s Church of St Mary and St John the Baptist.

He said he knew a dozen families who had left already and 40 or 50 more friends who had applied – including, he added, liberal Muslim families who were also unhappy with the prospect of more restrictive laws.

There were 2 Coptic churches in the United States 40 years ago, whereas there are now 200.

The most recent opened in Arlington, outside Washington, last year. “We are trying to accommodate all of the new arrivals,” said Atef Yacoub, a member of the area’s Coptic community. “People are coming and staying by applying for asylum or seeking employment visas.”

The United States, like other countries, does not distinguish visa applications by religion, so there are no absolute figures. One estimate put the number of Coptic emigrants in 2011 at 100,000, of whom more than 40,000 went to the US.

“There is no body counting those who leave the country, neither on the Coptic side nor on the part of our embassies abroad, so it’s all just guesswork,” said Ahmed el-Qoasni, former assistant foreign minister for Egyptians abroad.

For most Christians, estimated to number between 6-8 million of Egypt’s 85 million population, flight is not an option, and many say the fear of Islamist takeover is worse than the reality so far. Most Christians are as poor as other Egyptians, currently afflicted by an economic as well as political crisis.

Nader said things could improve and he could still change his mind. But he added: “As Christians, we are in God’s hands, but I have a daughter, and I want her to be safe too.”

A group, the South East Development Agenda (SEDA), has condemned the silence of the leaders of the South East geopolitical zone and Federal government over the disengagement on non indigenes by the Abia State government.

In a communiqué issued at the end of its’ meeting at Enugu, the group which is a coalition of human rights and pro democracy groups comprising Center for Popular Participation & Local Initiative (CENPPALIN), Foundation for Environmental Rights, Advocacy& Development (FENRAD) ,Echoes of Women Africa Initiative (ECOWA), Movement for Peace & Development in Niger-Delta, Zero Corruption Coalition (ZCC),and South-East Budget Network, , lamented that neither Igbo leaders nor the federal government has condemned the evil action.

Spokesmen for the various organizations; Comrade Godson Ibekwe-Umelo, Comrade Nelson Nnanna Nwafor, Duru Catherine Comrade Henry Nwaigwe, Comrade Onyekachi Uche, Adindu Chinwuba and Bright-Chuks Ogbonna, SEDA noted that the action of the Abia government is unacceptable and runs contrary to the ideals of the Igbo race.

“That the sacking of Nigerian public servants of Igbo extraction from an Igbo speaking state known to have been developed by non indigenes went on without condemnation from Igbo leadership and Nigerian government is curious and regrettable,” the group noted.

“The sacking of Nigerian public servants of Igbo extraction from Abia State is wicked, parochial, and unacceptable and an affront to Ndi Igbo and our collective psyche, and the ideal the late sage stood for, the group said.

SEDA said it is committed and working for the promotion of good governance and sustainable development in the South East zone of Nigeria, stressing that it will continue to meet to review and consider some critical issues of the zone.

The group regretted that the people of the zone has always lost out in the power equation of the country largely because of non committed and focused leadership, and called for coordinated efforts towards giving the people of the zone a sense of security, pride and belongingness.

On the issue of state creation, SEDA called on the National Assembly, the Igbo leadership and indeed, all stakeholders in the Nigerian project to support the creation of an additional state for the South East as a legitimate entitlement of the zone and a necessary condition for peace and security in Nigeria.

It further maintained that the issue of state police should not be politicized but rather be seen as a genuine panacea for lasting security questions in Nigeria in line with the principles of federalism.

SEDA regretted the neglect of federal roads in the South East particularly the Enugu – Port Harcourt Expressway, describing the situation as an affront on the people of the zone, which should be addressed without further delay.

The group further charged Civil Society Organizations to continuously drive the process that ensures that government remains accountable to the people, particularly on issues of security and good governance.

The Government of Bayelsa State received the news of the kidnap of the mother of the Speaker of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly with rude shock and has therefore taken prompt action to arrest the perpetrators of the criminal act.

While condemning the action of the kidnappers, the Bayelsa State Government wishes to seize this opportunity to sound a clearnote of warning to all persons with criminal tendencies to keep a far distance from the state because the law will catch up with them sooner than later.

We have said it time and time again that our government will ensure zero tolerance for crime and all forms of criminality and it is clear to all in Bayelsa State that we mean business.

The huge strides undertaken by this administration in the last one year to address the once deplorable security situation in the state can be attested to by all.

The dizzying pace with which this administration was able to turn around Bayelsa State from a haven of cultism and violence and criminality to a situation now where the state is clearly adjudged as one of the most peaceful and secured states in Nigeria will not be toiled with in anyway.

That is why the kidnapping of the Speaker’s mother is most condemnable and will surely not stand. Not only will the kidnappers be arrested and made to face the wrath of the law, their kind and others with such criminal tendencies will be smoked out of the state.

We wish to enjoin all to go about their lawful businesses with the assurance that the state is safe and they can be rest assured that this government will at all times be there to guarantee their safety, the security of their lives and property.

The Comptroller General of Nigeria Immigration Service, Mrs. Rose Chinyere Uzoma, who is enmeshed in a dirty recruitment scandal, has been sacked from office.

In the last few weeks, she has been in a running battle with the Minister of Interior, Abba Moro, over the controversial scan which favored the section of the Nigeria where she hails from.

The Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, has vowed to recover about N62 Billion naira discovered to have been looted by the past administration led by Chief Ikedi Ohakim.

The state governor who disclosed this while receiving the report of Imo state committee on account reconciliation between May 2007 till May 2011 at the state government House, said that the state government will make the report available to relevant authorities such as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and other Security Agencies and Judicial Commission Panel of inquiry to enable them take necessary action.

Owelle Rochas Okorocha, who was worried over the amount of money looted by the past administration, made it clear that his administration will not cover any corrupt practices in the state and appealed to the Central Bank of Nigeria to assist the state to investigate the fraud.

The governor regretted that the previous administration lavished over 62 billion of state fund without accounting and completing a single project in the state, adding that his administration has embarked on several projects such as massive road constructions, building of 27 new general hospitals, construction of 305 model primary and secondary schools, free education programme from primary to the university level, Heroes square and many others with the same amount of allocation given to the past administration.

He appealed to Abuja-based to desist from blackmailing the state and further urged them to engage in constructive criticism to enable the state move forward. He also vowed that no criminal will be allowed to hold any political office again in the state.

He applauded the committee led by the deputy Governor, Sir. Jude Agbaso for a job well done and reminded Imolites that it is a mere report submitted even as he need them to exercise patience pending the outcome of the judicial of inquiry on the issues at stake.

In his speech earlier, the Deputy Governor of the state, Sir. Jude Agbaso, thanked the people for coming out en masse, and frowned at the level of embezzlement carried out by the previous administration led by Chief Ikedi Ohakim without showing anything tangible or good to the people of the state and advised Imolites to always look well before voting any politician into power. The Deputy Governor, however, regretted that bulk of all the fictitious projects claimed to have been carried out by the past administration was only done on pages of newspapers and televisions stating that the contractors of the past

administration led by Ikedi Ohakim that they have paid were not actually paid and the documentation was not to be found in any file.

Dignitaries present at the occasion include the members of Imo State Expanded Executive Council, traditional rulers, H.R.H. Eze Samuel Ohiri, Chairman Imo State traditional rulers council, prominent Imo sons and daughters, permanent secretaries of all the ministries and directors, the Clergy, artisans, national union of road transport workers representative and many others.

An anti-corruption group based in the United Kingdom,the Stakeholder Democratic  Network (SDN) has frowned at the priority given by the Federal  Government to security action against crude oil theft at the detriment  of the needed environmental protection action against oil spillages in  the Niger Delta region.

According to the group, though the  activities of crude oil thieves is reducing the economic earnings of the nation,the excessive focus and security actions against illegal  bunkering and crude oil theft is a poor reflection of the policy focus  and sign of wickedness against the people of the Niger Delta by the  Federal Government.

The country coordinator of the group,Comrade  Inemo Samiama,in a statement made available to news men in Yenagoa, he  said  the group’s position was fueled by the lack of action on the KS Endeavour blowout in 2012 and the excessive focus or campaigns on  illegal oil theft and illegal oil refineries should distract from  addressing this shortfall.

“The 2012 is   typical of a year where much was put in the public domain about oil  spills especially those from illegal refineries, but too little was done to address the massive gap between Nigeria’s spill record and its  capacity to contain and clean up oil spills. The most fortunate event  in 2012 was that the Chevron rig that exploded in the early hours of  January 16th was tasked to gas rather than oil exploration. However the  lack of any substantive government response or meaningful investigation  (other than accepting flyovers provided by the company) was a hallmark  of all that is wrong in the industry”, the group stated.

They went further, “Even one of the most  dramatic pieces of investigative journalism for the year – where  Thomson Reuters raised many questions about events leading up to the  blowout – did nothing to stir action on globally one of the very few  rigs destroyed in this manner since the Macando disaster in the Gulf of  Mexico.

The lack of action on the KS Endeavour blowout was typical of a year where much was put in the public domain about oil  spills-especially those from illegal refineries- but too little was done to address the massive gap between Nigeria’s spill record and its  capacity to contain and clean up oil spills. No amount of hype,  excessive focus or campaigns on illegal oil theft and illegal oil  refineries should distract from addressing this shortfall. “

The  belated formation of Hyprep was one step that is still in its formative  stages on action over existing oil spills but based on available data  there has been no overall progress on reducing the massive volumes of  oil spilt each year. There is an urgent need for clarity on exactly what actions will be taken on oil spill clean up – both by Hyprep and any  other agencies. The year ended on a sour note with two reported coastal  oil spills from Exxon-Mobil as a reminder of how much needs to be done  to end routine spills.”

An Ebonyi customary court judge, Mr. Stephen Nwankwo, has petitioned the state Commissioner of Police over an alleged attempt by two suspects to bribe him to pervert the course of justice.

Nwankwo, who is the Chairman of Mbeke-Ishieke Customary Court in the Ebonyi Local Government Area, had in a two-page petition signed by his attorney, Mr Luke Nkwegu, called on the police to order diligent prosecution of the two suspects.

The suspects were caught in the act while offering him bribe to pervert justice.

He alleged that the two men (names withheld) came to his house on Jan. 8, 2013 and offered him an envelope containing the sum of N10, 000, adding that his conversation with the suspects was recorded.

“As the conversation was going on, I excused myself and called the police who arrived immediately and arrested the suspects with the exhibit,” he said.

Nwankwo alleged that the money was given to him in respect of a pending case of income tax in his court.

“After the arrest of the suspects, a police officer (name withheld) in the state police command conspired with a lawyer who wrote a rather flimsy petition.

“Following the petition, the case was mysteriously transferred to X-Squad, State Police Headquarters, Abakaliki, and the bribery suspects were hurriedly released,” he said.