Category Nigeria News

Rivers Will Emerge Stronger From Political Crisis, Says Fubara

Suspended Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, has assured residents that the ongoing political crisis in the state will ultimately strengthen the people rather than weaken them.

Fubara made this statement when he received Muslim leaders from 20 Islamic-based groups, including the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, at his private residence in Port Harcourt during an Eid-El-Fitr Sallah visit.

Addressing the delegation, Governor Fubara urged them and his supporters to trust in God’s process, saying: “This season is one of love, sharing, and sacrifice. You have come to share in our pain and have made a great sacrifice through your prayers. As Christians, we believe that everything happens for a purpose, and I strongly believe that this situation is leading us toward a greater purpose”.

He acknowledged that the current political tension might leave many feeling depressed but emphasised that supernatural forces may be at play beyond human understanding.

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“No matter what we see, we must remain steadfast. In all things, we give glory to Almighty God. I believe that in the end, we will emerge stronger”, he added.

He reaffirmed his commitment to justice and equality, stressing that his administration envisions a society where no one is oppressed.

“We believe in egalitarianism, and if our beliefs bring us some pain, so be it. The most important thing is that we stand on the side of truth and righteousness”, he stated.

He regretted that he was unable to formally reach out to the Muslim community during their celebrations but promised that the relationship between religious groups and the government would be strengthened once the current uncertainties are resolved.

He also assured the leaders that their pending requests would be addressed after the crisis subsides.

Urging patience and perseverance, Governor Fubara drew an analogy from religious history, saying, “If God could be patient with Noah to allow even the snail to enter the Ark, then patience remains an essential virtue in our struggle”.

He also cautioned against falling prey to those who want engineer violence by fanning provocative acts, warning his supporters and Rivers people to avoid certain elements who sought to destabilize the state.

“Their goal is to create problems and deny people their means of livelihood. We will not allow that. We will continue to operate peacefully and respect constitutional authority to ensure that our state remains a model for others in Nigeria”, he concluded.

Speaking earlier on behalf of the Muslim community, Alhaji Nasir Awhelebe Uhor, declared their solidarity with Governor Siminalayi Fubara, assuring him of their prayers and support as he navigates the state’s current political challenges.

Alhaji Uhor stated that the majority of Muslims in Rivers State stand with Governor Fubara due to his inclusive approach to governance and his recognition of the Islamic faith.

He noted that unlike the previous administration that declared Rivers a 100% Christian state, Governor Fubara, upon assuming office, acknowledged the state as Christian majority while allowing room for inclusiveness.

Encouraging the governor to remain steadfast, Uhor reminded him of the Islamic belief that Allah rewards patience.

He said the present challenges align with the teachings of Islam, where the Creator tests His people through wealth, power, and authority.

He further called on President Bola Tinubu to review the emergency rule in Rivers State and restore Governor Fubara’s full authority, emphasizing that the governor has been performing effectively despite the crisis.

Rivers Chief of Staff Alleges N5bln Bribe Offer to Facilitate Fubara’s Impeachment

Edison Ehie, the Chief of Staff to the suspended Rivers Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has come forward with a startling claim, alleging that he was offered a staggering N5 billion bribe to facilitate the impeachment of Fubara, who is currently embroiled in a political crisis.

“I can also open my phone to show you, in the beginning of October 2023, when they approached me with a bribe of N5 billion. It is here in my phone,

” It was for impeachment. It is here. I have it and I have printed it and distributed it, in case, in their evil imagination, they decide to attack me. I already have a son and a brother, “Ehie said on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, monitored by Persecondnews.

According to him, he has evidence of the bribe offer stored on his phone.

The offer, he alleged, was made while he was serving as the majority leader of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

Ehie vehemently denied allegations that he masterminded the October 30, 2023, bombing of the State House of Assembly complex at Fubara’s behest.

Persecondnews recalls that the allegation was made by the immediate past Head of Service in the state, Dr. George Nwaeke, who resigned last week at a news conference on March 28.

Nwaeke had alleged that he personally witnessed a bag of money being handed over to Ehie to carry out an” operation”, although he claimed he did not know the exact amount inside the bag.

Ehie rejected the allegations as” false “and” politically motivated “saying:” It is very important to clarify that I had no hand and was not part of the burning down of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

“Like everyone else, I woke up in the early hours of 30th of October 2023 to hear of the burning down of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

” I will not join issues completely with Mr. George Nwaeke because I have already instructed my lawyers to file an issue of criminal libel against him, and I hope he is very prepared to substantiate his claims and his allegations. “

He further alleged that Nwaeke had sought financial assistance from him on the very same day he resigned as the Head of Service.

Rivers State has been plagued by intense political upheaval, triggered by the highly publicized rift between Fubara and his estranged predecessor, Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.

This fallout has sparked a fierce power struggle, drawing in various key players, including the State House of Assembly, and culminating in impeachment proceedings against Governor Fubara.

The situation has been further complicated by a Supreme Court ruling that reinforced the legitimacy of Speaker Martins Amaewhule, leading to escalating tensions between the governor and the assembly.

President Bola Tinubu had declared a state of emergency in the state on March 18, 2025, and suspended Fubara, his deputy, and all elected members of the House of Assembly for a period of six months.

Retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Étè Ibas, whom he swore in on March 19 as the sole administrator, has already taken office.

Sustain Peace Or Face Dethronement, Adeleke Warns Osun Monarchs

Governor Ademola Adeleke has warned of stern state action against traditional rulers of Ifon, Erin Osun and Ilobu communities if they fail to sustain current peace and de-escalation of the crisis in their communities.

The Governor issued the warning against the backdrop of online reports that some faceless groups across the conflict areas are planning another round of attacks.

“In the midst of Sallah celebrations, I got reports of some people planning another round of conflict around Ifon, Ilobu and Erin Osun towns. The security agencies have tightened surveillance to ensure no attacks take place”, Governor Adeleke was quoted to have said in a statement signed by his spokesperson Olawale Rasheed on Monday.

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“The security agencies are also speeding up the interrogation of key chieftains and actors in the conflict. I will remind top leaders of the towns that the peace undertaking they are signing are not for joke. They will be held accountable. There will be accountability before the law.

” The curfew we relaxed was on humanitarian grounds. As a compassionate government, we know many innocent people are suffering because of the evil agenda of a few elements across the conflict areas. Any attempt to exploit the adjustment of the curfew for renewed violence will be met with full re-imposition of the 24-hour curfew.

Myanmar Declares Week Of Mourning As Quake Toll Passes 2,000

Myanmar declared a week of national mourning on Monday over the country’s devastating earthquake, as the death toll passed 2, 000 and hopes faded of finding more survivors in the rubble of ruined buildings.

National flags will fly at half-mast until April 6 “in sympathy for the loss of life and damages” from Friday’s massive quake, the ruling junta said in a statement.

The junta also announced a minute’s silence on Tuesday, to begin at 12: 51: 02 pm (0621 GMT) — the precise time the 7.7-magnitude quake struck.

People should stop where they are to pay tribute to the victims, the junta said, while media should halt broadcasting and show mourning symbols, and prayers will be offered at temples and pagodas.

The announcement came as the tempo and urgency of rescue efforts wound down in Mandalay, one of the worst-affected cities and the country’s second-largest, with more than 1.7 million inhabitants.

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“The situation is so dire that it’s hard to express what is happening”, said Aung Myint Hussein, chief administrator of Mandalay’s Sajja North mosque.

A man walks along a road carring a tent to setup outdoors in Mandalay on March 31, 2025, three days after the deadly Myanmar earthquake. Myanmar declared a week of national mourning on March 31 for the country’s devastating earthquake, as the death toll passed 2, 000 and hopes faded of finding more survivors in the rubble of ruined buildings. (Photo by Sai Aung MAIN / AFP)

People prepared to camp out in the streets across Mandalay for a fourth successive night, either unable to return to ruined homes or nervous about the repeated aftershocks that rattled the city over the weekend.

Some have tents but many, including young children, have been bedding down on blankets in the middle of roads, trying to keep as far from buildings as possible for fear of falling masonry.

The junta said Monday that 2, 056 have now been confirmed, with more than 3, 900 people injured and 270 still missing, but the toll is expected to rise significantly.

Three Chinese nationals are among the dead, China’s state media said, along with two French people, according to the foreign ministry in Paris.

At least 19 deaths have been confirmed hundreds of kilometres away in Thailand’s capital Bangkok, where the force of the quake caused a 30-storey tower block under construction to collapse.

Indonesian Air Force troops and National Mitigation Agency officials prepare to load humanitarian aid from the Indonesian government for earthquake victims in Myanmar into a Hercules C-130 transport aircraft at Halim Perdanakusuma Air Base in Jakarta on March 31, 2025. (Photo by BAY ISMOYO / AFP)

– Outdoor hospital –

Mandalay’s 1, 000-bed general hospital has been evacuated, with hundreds of patients being treated outside.

Patients lay on gurneys in the hospital car park, many with only a thin tarpaulin rigged up to shield them from the fierce tropical sun.

Relatives did their best to comfort them, holding hands or waving bamboo fans over them.

“We’re trying to do what we can here. We are trying our best”, said one medic, who asked to remain anonymous.

The sticky heat has exhausted rescue workers and accelerated body decomposition, which could complicate identification.

But traffic began returning to the streets of Mandalay on Monday, and restaurants and street vendors resumed work.

Hundreds of Muslims gathered outside a destroyed mosque in the city for the first prayer of Eid al-Fitr, the holiday that follows the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan.

– Humanitarian crisis –

The challenges facing the Southeast Asian country of more than 50 million people were immense even before the earthquake.

Myanmar has been ravaged by four years of civil war sparked by a military coup in 2021, with its economy shattered and healthcare and infrastructure badly damaged.

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the quake a top-level emergency as it urgently sought $8 million to save lives, while the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies has launched an appeal for more than $100 million.

International aid and rescue teams have been arriving after junta chief Min Aung Hlaing made an exceptionally rare appeal for foreign assistance.

In the past, isolated Myanmar’s ruling generals have shunned foreign assistance, even after major natural disasters.

Junta spokesman Zaw Min Tun thanked key allies China and Russia for their help, as well as India, and said the authorities were doing their best.

“We are trying and giving treatment to injured people and searching for missing ones”, he told journalists.

But reports have emerged of the military carrying out air strikes on armed groups opposed to its rule, even as Myanmar grapples with the quake’s aftermath.

One ethnic minority armed group told AFP on Sunday that seven of its fighters were killed in an aerial attack soon after the quake, and there were reports of more air strikes on Monday.

Myanmar’s raging civil war, pitting the military against a complex array of anti-coup fighters and ethnic minority armed groups, has displaced around 3.5 million people.

In Bangkok, diggers continued to clear the vast pile of rubble at the site of the collapsed building.

Officials say they have not given up hope of finding more survivors in the wreckage, where 12 deaths have been confirmed and at least 75 people are still unaccounted for.

US H-1B Visa Lottery 2026 Results Released

The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) have started releasing the results of the H-1B visa lottery for the year 2026.

Applicants are to check their status online through the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) portal, through their employer, or their legal representative. Since notifications are being issued in phases, some applicants may need to wait longer for confirmation of their status.

The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows U. S. employers to temporarily hire foreign workers in specialty occupations that require specialised knowledge and at least a bachelor’s degree or equivalent.

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It is commonly used for jobs in technology, engineering, finance, healthcare, and academia.

This year’s registration opened on March 7, 2025, and closed on March 24, 2025.
USCIS implemented several changes this year, the most significant being a steep increase in the registration fee—rising from $10 to $215 per beneficiary. This non-refundable fee, payable at the time of registration, marks a 2, 050% increase.

Each year, the issuance of H-1B visas is capped at 65, 000, with an additional 20, 000 slots allocated for applicants with advanced degrees from U. S. universities.

PDP Assistant Women Leader In Cross River South Resigns From Party 

The Assistant State Woman Leader of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Cross River South Senatorial District, Margaret Okon, has officially resigned from the party.

Her decision comes barely 48 hours after Emana Amawhe, the deputy governorship candidate for the 2024 general elections, also stepped down from the PDP.

In a letter addressed to the Ward Chairman of Edem Odo Ward, Akpabuyo Local Government Area, Cross River State, Okon expressed gratitude for the opportunities and experiences she gained while serving the party.

She reflected on her journey, which included roles as a ward executive member, councillor, and most recently as a member of the state executive council and assistant state women leader for the South.

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“I am grateful for the opportunity to have served the party in various capacities, from being a Ward Exco member to serving as a Councillor, and most recently, as a member of the State Executive Council/ Assistant State Woman Leader, South, a position I have held until today. These experiences have been invaluable, and I deeply appreciate the trust and support I received throughout my journey”, she said.

“The insights and lessons I have gained during my time in the PDP will undoubtedly play an instrumental role in shaping my future endeavors. As I take this step forward, I remain committed to the service of my community and the pursuit of progress for our people”.