Nigerian singer, Duncan Mighty has made a shocking confession.

In a recent interview, the singer revealed that he was involved in the Niger Delta militancy some years ago.

According to him, God saved his life several times when he was involved in militancy.

Speaking in a recent interview with 3Music, Accra Ghana, Duncan Mighty said, “I was involved in the Niger Delta crisis.

“God has saved my life severally. I am a Port Harcourt boy. I am not from Lagos. I come from the South South, from the war zone before the amnesty.

“I have been involved with a lot of community activities that had to do with protecting of our people, oil.

“But when fame came, nobody know I am that boy who was in the creeks back in the days.”

He also revealed that he was a drummer in the church before switching to secular music.

“I was the first drummer for Christ Embassy in Port Harcourt,” he said.

The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Kukah has said the recruitment of vigilantes, hunters and others to fight banditry and terrorism has a high tendency of weakening the Nigerian Army’s professionalism and ethics.

Kukah said this in his Easter message on Sunday. He urged the Nigerian government to show how it intends to put the country on a path of national healing.

The priest said for over 60 years, Nigerian leaders have resembled guys in a drunken haze, stumbling and fumbling for their way home.

The statement reads in part: “Our leaders chose the feast rather than the fast. We are today reaping what we sowed yesterday. For over 60 years, our leaders have looked like men in a drunken stupor, staggering, stumbling and fumbling, slurring in speech, with blurred visions searching for the way home.

“The corruption of the years of a life of immoral and sordid debauchery has spread like cancer destroying all our vital organs. The result is a state of a hangover that has left our nation comatose.

“Notwithstanding, Easter is a time to further reflect on the road not taken. It is a time to see if this Golgotha of pain can lead us to the new dawn of the resurrection. Nigeria can and Nigeria will be great again. Let us ride this tide together in hope.”

He urged the government to “design a more comprehensive and wide-ranging method of recruitment that is transparent as a means of generating patriotism and reversing the ugly face of feudalism and prebendalism”.

“There is a need for clarity over questions of the who, what, when, and how national set goals are to be attained and who can be held accountable,” he said.

The bishop added, “Second, the notion of rejigging the security architecture is a hackneyed cliché that is now at best, an oxymoron. It is difficult to fathom our current situation regarding the ubiquity of the military in our national life.

“It is impossible to explain how we can say we are in a civilian democracy with the military literally looking like an Army of occupation with an octopus-sean spread across all 36 states and Abuja.

“This has very serious consequences both for its professionalism, its integrity and perceived role in protecting society. No other person than the immediate past Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor, who recently referred to the military as facing the dilemma of what he called ‘see finish.’ It is now difficult to say whether the persistence of insecurity is a cause or a consequence of military ubiquity.

“Trillions of naira continue to go into bottomless pits with little measurable benefits. Our military’s professionalism cannot be diluted by the recruitment of hunters, vigilante groups, and other unprofessional and untrained groups.”

Kukah argued that “this is not sustainable because it leaves the military open to ridicule and perceptions of surrender”.

“Fighting insecurity is now an enterprise. I believe our security men and women can defeat these criminals in a matter of months. All we hear and see are fingers pointing to the top. No, this must end,” he said.

He said Nigerians need to see a “relentless and implacable plan to end this menace with a definite deadline for bringing these terrorists to their knees, no matter what it will take”.

“Give our people back their farms and develop a comprehensive agricultural plan to put our country back on the path of honour and human dignity,” he added.

Benue state governor, Hyacinth Alia, said he has not borrowed any any money since he was inuagurated on May 29, 2023.

Reacting to a newspaper report which alleged that 13 new state governors, including Benue, collectively borrowed N226.8bn from both domestic and external financiers, between the period of June and December, 2023.

Governor Alia, who spoke through his Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Kulas Tersoo, said: “We want to state emphatically that, the government of Rev.Fr. Alia has not borrowed any money from either Domestic or External sources.

“All debts mentioned in the said report were incurred before May 29, 2023, and not after Governor Hyacinth Alia led administration took over office.

“Let it be known that the government of Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia is skeptical of borrowings, and will only do so when and if it becomes necessary and it is in the interest of the Benue people, especially to fund critical projects.

“We challenge the newspaper reporter to be more investigative in his reports, providing accurate facts, which is a key component of journalism practice.”

Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga has alleged that Obidents, the supporters of the Labour Party presidential candidate at the 2023 general election, Peter Obi, desperately want the government of President Bola Tinubu to fail.

Making this allegation during a podcast session with renowned broadcaster Seun Okinbaloye, the presidential spokesman further detailed that Obidients were happy when the country’s currency crashed against the dollar.

Naija News reports that Onanuga wondered why supporters of Peter Obi were suggesting that he won the presidential election after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) revealed that the Labour Party candidate emerged in third place at the poll behind Tinubu and the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar.

He said, “Of course, it is very clear unless people are not acceptive, up till now, some are still writing that Bola Tinubu stole the presidency, and some people are saying that the man who came third actually won the election, and they are very unapologetic about that.

“How could somebody who came third how could he have won that election? You can even see when they were talking about the naira, some people were just happy that the naira was going downhill, and you can trace them, people who are saying so are members of the Obidient movement,”

When asked if he believed the Obidient movement wanted the Tinubu government to fail, Onanuga said, “Of course, it is clear.”

A former Deputy National Organising Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Yekini Nabena, has alleged that the ruling party has failed Nigerians.

In an interview with Sunday Sun, Nabena lamented that the APC failed in its promises to Nigerians when it sought to take over power from the People’s Democratic Party in 2015.

According to Nabena, the current exchange rate under the administration of President Bola Tinubu confirms that the ruling party has failed.

The APC chieftain, reacting to the state of things under his party’s leadership, said, “Sincerely speaking, and if I should tell you the truth, based on the propaganda and the tension we gave the PDP, I thought that all our promises were supposed to have come to reality.

“If we base our judgment on the promises we gave Nigerians, I will say that we have really failed the country. We didn’t keep any part of the promises. For example, even the incumbent was part of the promise we gave to Nigerians in 2015 that we would make the exchange rate one dollar to one naira. The current exchange rate confirms that we have failed the country.

“Based on other indices and campaign promises we have failed to keep, I will admit that we have failed Nigerians, just like the PDP failed for the 16 years it was in charge, starting from 1999 to 2015. There is no difference between PDP and APC in terms of failing Nigeria.

“Yes, the current administration is still less than one year old, but we may have to wait to see if they can perform magic. My concern is that the same strong forces and elements against the government are all still there. They are the same people that feel that the government belongs to them. They are the same strong and greedy elements that feel that they must always be in the corridors of power.”

The name of Edo State Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, was missing as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), yesterday, displayed the list of candidates of the 17 political parties that would participate in the September 21 governorship election in the state.

The list was displayed at the state office of the Commission in Benin City notice board and in all INEC offices across the 18 local government areas.

Ighodalo Asuerinme of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP); Okpebholo Monday of All Progressives Congress (APC), and Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party, LP, made the list.

Others are Boot Party (BP), Osirame Edeipo; Accord party (AP), Enabulele Bright; African Democratic Congress (ADC), Obazele Paul Agbone, People Redemption Party (PRP), Key Ndidi and Young Progressive Party (YPP),Okungbowa Paul Ovbokhan.

The list also showed that Mr Uwaifo Osaro is the governorship candidate of Action Alliance (AA) while the Social Democratic Party (SDP) had Aner Abdullai Aliu. New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) had Azena Azemhe Friday and the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) had Osifo Isiah as its candidate.

Others are the All People Movement (APM), Ugiagbe Odaro Syvelster; All Peoples Party (APP), Areleogbe Amos Osalumese; Action Democratic Party (ADP), Akhime kingson Afere; African Action Congress (AAC) Udoh Obersifo David and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), Akhalamhe Amiemenoghena.

The state INEC head of voters education and publicity, Timidi Wariowei, said that the pasting of the particulars was in line with the electoral law, noting that parties and the public can now view the particulars of the candidates and their running mates.

He Continues To Violate Laws

Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara is facing a fresh impeachment threat from the majority members of the State House of Assembly who claimed yesterday that the governor has not relented in breaching critical provisions of the constitution.

The 27 lawmakers are supporters of Fubara’s immediate predecessor, Nyesom Wike, and defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the heat of the first round of hostilities between the governor and Wike, who is now the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The legislators, in a communique issued in Port Harcourt yesterday, accused Fubara of jettisoning the terms of the agreement he signed with Wike last December following the peace talks brokered by President Bola Tinubu.

This, they said, includes the non re-presentation of the state budget to the assembly for deliberation.

The lawmakers also took a dig at a former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Uche Secondus, Dr. Abiye Sekibo and others who, under the auspices of the Former Rivers State PDP Presidential Campaign Council, recently attacked Wike.

The lawmakers said it was laughable that the Secondus group, who worked against the victory of President Tinubu and Fubara in the last elections, could now come out to declare support for the two men and tried to despise and lie against Wike who made the victories possible.

The lawmakers said: “These new arrivals have just landed like hawks. They now want to grab what they spat on but need to be careful of their ranting and utterances against the institution of the legislature and the FCT Minister as they can derail the existing peace in the state.

“The FCT Minister is doing fabulously well in Abuja and should be commended. Rather than looking for advice for Mr. President who we believe knows them very well, should they not be calling on the Governor to learn to abide by the laws of Rivers State and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria?

“Should these new self-acclaimed advisers also not be advising the Governor to do the needful so that there can be a smooth transition from the current democratically elected Councils in the State to the next democratically elected Councils and avoid the challenges of attempting the opposite?

“What about advising the Governor to heed to the Peace Agreement he begged for, willingly signed, and has chosen not to abide by some of the terms?

“It is worthy of note that the notice of impeachment of the Governor was quickly withdrawn by members of the House in fulfillment of the terms of the agreement and out of immense respect for the person and office of the President of the Federal Republic and believing that there would be a u-turn in terms of unlawful actions of the Governor.

“The reverse is now the case as we see from the day to day activities of the State Governor being conducted outside the laws of Rivers State and the Constitution.

“To this day, Rivers State remains the only state without an Appropriation Law and the Governor recklessly abandons laws of the state. These new hawks in the scene and all those who are quick to refer to the Governor as ‘Mr. Innocent’ will not go and advise him.

“They prefer to hold talk shows, organize rallies, hold press conferences and announce that the House commenced impeachment proceedings against the Governor for no just cause but fail to ask the Governor if he has not been informed of the particulars of gross misconduct leveled against him or at least read them when they were filed in Court in response to his petition.

“They must not forget that the Rivers State House of Assembly has the mandate of the people and that we swore an oath of allegiance to the Constitution to do the needful including the Impeachment of the Governor as a last resort.

“So, if it becomes a last resort, in accordance with the law, we will not hesitate to do so, because no individual is bigger than Rivers State, including the Governor.

“We assure the good people of Rivers State that we remain undeterred in our service to our fatherland and no number of threats including those of violence against us just like they attacked the Speaker’s residence will make us abandon our constitutional mandate to make laws for the good governance of our dear State.

“Efforts to utilize misguided individuals and attack dogs to spew lies against the House or misinform the populace with the intention of bringing the House to disrepute has only succeeded in strengthening our resolve to represent our people even better by focusing on our job and ignoring their distractions.”

The lawmakers recalled how they survived sponsored attacks on the House from persons they described as enemies of the people and those who could not withstand the principles of the rule of law “as well as checks and balances in our nascent democracy”.

They said such democratic forces out of their frustration started with the burning and later demolition of the Hallowed Chamber insisting that their plot was to eliminate the legislature for pushing for the independence granted her by the Constitution.

The lawmakers said: “We survived these attacks. Their new strategy is to use another arm of government, lobbyists, attack dogs and the mainstream and social media to bring the House to disrepute and consummate their agenda. In this regard, various individuals, groups, media mercenaries have been recruited to actualize their objectives”

The lawmakers described the Secondus group under the auspices of Former Rivers State Presidential Campaign Council as the latest of the new groups recruited against the 10th Assembly.

They said: “In a press conference on the 26th of March 2024 signed by Dr. Abiye Sekibo, this group inferred that the House is an illegal and unconstitutional Assembly. Others in this group are the likes of Rt. Hon. Austin Opara, Senator Lee Maeba and Prince Uche Secondus. Hon. Tamunosisi Gogo Jaja, Sir Celestine Omehia, amongst others.

“They are among these desperate politicians who left their houses and gathered under a canopy with H.E. Atiku Abubakar and H.E. Ifeanyi Okowa’s pictures on a banner behind them professing their new support for Mr. President and the Rivers State Governor.

“On the other hand, they derided the 10th Assembly who they are unhappy with for joining the All Progressives Congress (APC) which incidentally is the President’s political party. Worse still, they lied against and attacked the FCT Minister who worked tirelessly for the victory of the President and the Governor in Rivers State.

“In other words, they are against those who defeated them and put them to shame by ensuring the victory of the President and Governor in the State, but they now “subscribe” to the President and Governor. What a weak strategy from a group who think they are smart!

“The good people of Rivers State know who they truly are. Our constituents will not forget in a hurry how they fought against the candidature of the current Governor and Mr. President during the elections. We are not surprised that they are no more saying all the unprintable things against the President and the Governor because this is who they are.

“They now want to advise the President and use unprintable words against the former Governor of Rivers State- His Excellency, Ezenwo Nyesom Wike CON. GSSRS. Life Bencher who God used to unite and transform Rivers State to enviable heights.

“Their new game plan is to blackmail Mr. President with “oil production and OPEC Quota”. This is the end game for them. What a shame!

“They said in their statement that they now support the Renewed Hope Agenda and we are not against it. However, can they be trusted going by their past actions? Is it not a ploy to deceive the President, gain rewards and milestones as usual and later fight back after discrediting their old benefactor – the FCT Minister?

“Time will tell, but we must keep in mind that they vowed ‘never to serve master and later boy’ and campaigned that the President was unqualified, not healthy enough and unfit for the job.

“We were inundated by the sad commentaries and speeches of their spokesperson in the media against the President, Governor, and those of us who stood by the President and Governor”.

The lawmakers vowed to make a positive difference in legislation, oversight functions and effective representation.

“Several Bills that are in the interest of the State have succeeded so far and resolutions passed with the objective of making things better. As we push to meet or surpass the yearnings and aspirations of our constituents, we are focused on our avowed goal of legislative oversight for the betterment of the good people of Rivers State”, they said.

They asked the President to ignore the group which they branded as hawks, saying in due time, such individuals would reveal their true intentions.

They said: “We remain very prayerful and ever supportive of the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr President’s government. We toiled day and night while these hawks called us names as we canvassed for votes for Mr. President from unit to unit, ward to ward and LGA to LGA.

“Today, we have happily joined our progressive party with the intention of supporting Mr. President and further protecting what we worked for- his mandate.

“No amount of blackmail would derail the resolve of this 10th Assembly to support Mr. President, his government and especially the son of Rivers State that is making us proud as the FCT-Minister- His Excellency, Ezenwo Nyesom Wike.

“We also call on Nigerians to give Mr President’s efforts at economic recovery and improved life all the support that it deserves.

“Finally, we assure the good people of Rivers State of our commitment to stand up for them and urge them to remain prayerful against tyranny and dictatorship in the state because we believe that as agents of positive change, things can be better in the State if the rule of law prevails and there is mutual respect for and from all arms of government and institutions”.

The 27 lawmakers, who signed the document are Martin Amaewhule, Dumle Mail, Jack Major, Somiari-Stewart Linda, Franklin Nwabochi, Ofiks, Kabang Christopher, Azeru Okpara, Opuende Isaiah, Tekenari Granville, Adoki Smart, Wami Solomon, Enemi Alabo, Igwe Aforji, Prince Nyeche, Emilia Amadi and Enyinna Sylvanus.

Others are Ezekwe Ijeoma, Abbey Peter, Arnold Davis, Barile Nwakoh, Onwuka Obenachi, Arnold Davids, Gerald Oforji, Ngbar Bernard, Emeji Mgbechukwu, John Iderema, Tony-Wiliams Uwuma and Chimezie Nwankwo.

Councillor, SDP candidate declare support for Fubara in Rivers

The Leader of Ahoada East Legislative Assembly, Bernard ThankGod Unwhe, has declared support for Governor Fubara in the face off with Wike.

The Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate in the 2023 election for Ahoada East Constituency in the State House of Assembly, MacSunday Ugwu, has also dumped his party to identify with the governor.

Unwhe and Ugwu revealed their new camps during a meeting presided over by the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Dr Edison Ehie, at Government House, Port Harcourt.

The two leaders in the area were accompanied to the meeting by the former councillor representing Ahoada East Ward 11, Daniel Igbudu.

A statement signed by Fubara’s Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Nelson Chukwudi, said the Managing Director, Rivers State Signage and Advertising Agency (RISAA), Aye Pepple, was also present at the meeting.

Pepple was also a member of the Rivers State House of Assembly between 2007 and 2015 and represented Bonny State Constituency.

Fubara, in a broadcast last December had pledged his commitment to implementing the eight -point peace agreement.

He said the implementation would be done without compromising the collective interest of the people and democratic values.

He said as a principal participant in the saga, he had taken some time to study the terms of the proclamation and had come to the conclusion that the peace pact was not as bad as it might be portrayed by those opposed to it.

Fubara said the peace accord “is not a death sentence”, but an opportunity to achieve the needed stability in the state, adding that both sides of the divide have so far demonstrated some goodwill towards the implementation of the agreement.

He said while the Martin Amaewhule led Assembly which is loyal to Wike had withdrawn the impeachment notice, his government had also released the withheld allowance of the State House of Assembly.

However, signs that renewed hostilities might break out between the governor’s camp and that of Wike reared their heads recently when the State Assembly passed into law the repealed House of Assembly Service Commission Bill, overriding the power of the governor

The law as repealed took away the power to appoint the chairman and members of the State House of Assembly Service Commission from the governor and vested it in the Assembly.

Fubara’s Chief of Staff, Edison Ehie, criticized the assembly for the action and said it lacked power to do what it did.

The Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, in the 2023 general election, Peter Obi, has said hunger and famine await Nigeria if farmers are denied access to farms by bandits and terrorists.

Obi, who was reacting to publications and the international agency’s warning on the matter, said the alarm should be given adequate attention.

“I just read on the daily this morning, about the concerns being expressed by stakeholders in our agriculture sector over the worsening food insecurity in Nigeria,” he wrote on X.

“I have remained consistent in public voicing out my worries over this growing food crisis, which has even continued to claim the lives of our fellow citizens.

“I do believe that the urgency required to address these issues cannot be over-emphasized.

“The report this morning reads, in part, “The number of food-insecure Nigerians increased significantly, from 66.2 million in Q1 2023 to 100 million in Q1 2024 (WFP, 2024), with 18.6 million facing acute hunger and 43.7 million Nigerians showing crisis-level or above crisis-level hunger- coping strategies as of March 2024.

“While the above report gives an understanding of the present and impending food crisis looming large on the nation, the present realities show that we are already in a worse situation than is presented in the report.

“An earlier similar report by Cadre Harmonise stated that about 31.5 million Nigerians are projected to face acute hunger by the June-August of this year.

“What is now very worrisome is that many Nigerians have lost their lives in their quest to find food, reflecting a very acute level of hunger not yet captured in the media. We are gradually descending to the level of the survival of the fittest, where, driven by hunger and a quest for survival, one loses every sense of order to do the unthinkable.

“With the recurrent bandits and terror attacks on farmers, many of them have abandoned their farms. It is reported that in a state like Sokoto, farmers have paid an accumulated sum of N3 billion in ransom to bandits, others pay as high as N100,000 to bandits to gain access to their farmlands. About 165 farmers have reportedly lost their lives to insecurity this year alone.

“It is, therefore, a matter of urgency, for the government to solve the problems of insecurity in the country. This will in turn reduce the problems of food insecurity when farmers safely return to their farms. A New and hunger-free Nigeria is POssible.”

The Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, has said rehabilitating the Third Mainland and Carter bridges in Lagos will cost N21 billion and 25 billion, respectively.

Umahi disclosed this during a Friday tour of key infrastructure projects in Lagos with the National Assembly Joint Committee on Works.

The Minister said there is a need to declare an emergency on the two bridges to avert a reconstruction cost of N6 trillion.

He warned of the substantial financial and safety risks posed by continued delays of the rehabilitation works.

“The cost of rehabilitation of the Third Mainland Bridge is estimated at N21 billion.

“…I want the National Assembly to note that this is the worst of our challenges on these two bridges. The cost of rehabilitation of Carter Bridge is N25 billion”, he stated.

The National President of the Actors Guild of Nigeria, Chief Ejezie Emeka Rollas, MON, has expressed gratitude to President Tinubu for his fatherly intervention on the health of the ailing Zack Orji who has departed to the United Kingdom for post-surgery assessment.

Rollas also commended the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu for her motherly care towards the veteran actor as well as the son of the President, Seyi Tinubu for his inflicting support.

He equally thanked Minister for women affair Barr. Uju Kennedy Ohanenye for her relentless efforts in ensuring that Zack Orji gets back on his feet as soon as possible and Orji’s longtime friend, Ahmed Bala for standing by him all through the period.

According to him, “We have witnessed the unprecedented support that President Tinubu is giving to the creative industry which has clearly shown his clear determination to uplift the sector to be more relevant and beneficial to both the practitioners and the national economy and we find it necessary to appreciate him.”

Rollas had earlier expressed profound gratitude to President Bola Tinubu on the appointments of an AGN member, Ali Nuhu, Managing Director of Nigeria Film Corporation and other key professionals such as Dr. Shaibu Husseini, Director General of National Fim and Video Censors Board and Obi Osika, Director General, Council for Arts and Culture.

Recall that days back, it was rumoured that Zack Orji was no more. But the leadership of AGN later debunked the viral report.