A son of Bonny steps onto the world stage: Anticipation builds ahead of historic Ijaw Diaspora inauguration
December 19, 2025
A quiet but significant moment is unfolding across continents, linking the ancient waters of the Niger Delta with the modern corridors of global diplomacy. On December 21, 2025, the Ijaw Diaspora Council (IDC) will inaugurate Prof. Chief Emmanuel Tam Ezekiel-Hart of Canberra, Australia, as President of the Ijaw Diaspora Council Worldwide, a development already stirring anticipation within Ijaw communities at home and abroad.
In a formal communication dated December 16, the Board and Management of the Ijaw Diaspora Council notified His Majesty King (Dr.) Edward Asimini William Dappa Pepple III, Edward I, Perekule XI, CON, JP, the Amanyanabo and Natural Ruler of the Ancient Grand Bonny Kingdom, that a distinguished son of his Kingdom has been entrusted with the highest leadership position of the global Ijaw diaspora body.
For many observers, the moment is deeply symbolic. Prof. Chief Ezekiel-Hart, who bears the traditional title Ama Pele Fi Buru I of Australia, embodies a bridge between ancestral heritage and global citizenship. From Canberra, he has emerged as a unifying figure entrusted with advancing the interests, dignity, and environmental future of the Ijaw people across continents.
According to the Council, his mandate extends beyond ceremonial leadership. Effective December 21, 2025, Prof. Chief Ezekiel-Hart will assume responsibility for coordinating diaspora engagement, advocating for the Niger Delta environment, and strengthening the global voice of Ijawland within the broader Nigerian and international space.
Founded as a platform of committed citizens and stakeholders, the Ijaw Diaspora Council has positioned itself as a moral and strategic force dedicated to the advancement of Ijawland, the Niger Delta region, and the well-being of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The upcoming inauguration is widely viewed as a defining chapter in that mission.
The ceremony, to be held virtually, is expected to draw traditional rulers, political leaders, and Ijaw stakeholders from across the world. His Majesty the Perekule, or a designated representative, has been formally invited to grace the occasion, underscoring the enduring bond between traditional authority and modern diaspora leadership.
The notice was issued under the signature of Professor (Amb.) Mondy Selle Gold, Chairman of the Ijaw Diaspora Council and the Amadabo of the Ijaw Diaspora, a globally recognized academic and recipient of the CSU Best Faculty Spotlight Award and the United States President’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Copies of the communication were also extended to revered monarchs across Ijawland, senior political leaders, and governors of Rivers and Bayelsa States.
As December 21 approaches, expectations are mounting. For many in the diaspora, this inauguration is more than a change of leadership. It is a signal that the Ijaw story is entering a new phase—one written not only in the creeks of the Niger Delta, but on the global stage, where heritage, responsibility, and hope now converge.
The world, it seems, is being invited to watch closely.
