Martin Amaewhule, the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, has criticized Governor Siminalayi Fubara for the delayed submission of the state’s 2026–2028 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF). According to a statement released by the Speaker’s media aide, Martins Wachukwu, the document was delivered well past the legal deadline.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

• Legal Compliance: Speaker Amaewhule noted that Section 10(1)(b) of the Rivers State Fiscal Responsibility Law of 2010 mandates that the MTEF be presented to the House by September—four months before the upcoming fiscal year.

• Timeline Failure: The Speaker asserted that the Governor failed to meet this statutory timeline, leading to significant delays in the state’s budget planning process.

• Legislative Action: Despite the delay, the House of Assembly opted to approve the MTEF during Friday’s plenary session—just 24 hours after it was presented—to prevent further setbacks for the state.

• Prioritizing the State: Amaewhule explained that while the submission was late and the year is already halfway through, the Assembly chose to expedite the review of the document as it serves as a necessary foundation for the 2026 Budget Estimate.

To bolster operational success and national security, the Nigerian Army has implemented a significant restructuring of its senior leadership. This overhaul includes new General Officers Commanding (GOCs), commandants, and principal staff officers, as confirmed in a Saturday statement by Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Colonel Appolonia Anele. These appointments, sanctioned by the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, impact critical areas of command, operations, and training.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

• Regional Command: Major General WM Dangana succeeds Major General EF Oyinlola as GOC 3 Division and Commander of Joint Task Force Operation ENDURING PEACE. Major General EI Okoro takes over as GOC 6 Division and Land Component Commander of Joint Task Force South-South Operation DELTA SAFE, replacing Major General EE Emeka.

• Administrative and Specialized Roles: Major General JR Lar is now Commander of the Army Headquarters Garrison. Brigadier General OM Oyekola has been named Acting Military Secretary (Army), while Brigadier General I Waziri remains Chief of Staff to the COAS. Major General SA Emmanuel will lead the Nigerian Army Space Command, and Major General O Adegbe assumes the role of Director of Intelligence and Security at Defence Headquarters.

• Operational Commands: Brigadier General IB Buhari is the new commander of Headquarters 63 Brigade, and Brigadier General K Rabiu takes charge of Headquarters 31 Artillery Brigade.

• Training and Education: Major General KE Chigbu is the new Deputy Commandant of the National Defence College. Major General SD Makolo takes over the Nigerian Army Armour School, while Major General SO Adejimi will lead the Nigerian Army School of Supply and Transport. Major General FS Etim is the new Chief of Training at TRADOC, and Brigadier General U Ahmad has been appointed Commandant of the Depot Nigerian Army in Zaria.

• Corporate Appointments: Major General KO Ukandu has been named Managing Director and CEO of Post Housing Development Limited, and Major General AI Allison will serve as Managing Director of Defence Properties Limited.

In his directive, Lieutenant General Shaibu charged these officers to embody professionalism and innovation in their new capacities. The Army emphasized that these changes are vital to its broader goal of cultivating a highly skilled, combat-ready, and responsive force prepared to meet Nigeria’s dynamic security needs.

Nigerian Christian leaders and major ecumenical bodies have firmly rejected United States President Donald Trump’s claim that American military operations have successfully put an end to the killing of Christians within Nigeria. The groups, including the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) for the 19 Northern states and the FCT, alongside the Ecumenical Synods of Bishops, dismissed the President’s remarks as misleading and disconnected from the ongoing, violent reality in the country.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The backlash follows President Trump’s assertion on Friday in Washington, where he claimed: “As you know, we recently struck Nigeria and largely ended the slaughter of great Christian populations.”

Key responses to the claim from Christian leaders include:

• Victims must speak: Rev. Joseph Hayab, CAN Chairman for Northern Nigeria, argued that only Nigerian Christians and victims of insecurity—not President Trump—can determine if there has been actual improvement. He accused Trump of acting on inaccurate information.

• Interventions inadequate: Hayab acknowledged limited US operations against terrorists, such as the December strike near Sokoto and the targeting of ISIS commanders, but pointed out that after these strikes, US forces “went on a long recess” while Nigerians continued to be killed “every day.“

• Call for genuine help: The CAN Chairman urged the US to provide practical, sustained assistance, emphasizing, “We want help, but the help shouldn’t be propaganda or misinformation.” He highlighted that many people remain in bandit captivity across states like Borno, Katsina, Kwara, and Kogi.

• Demanding evidence: The Ecumenical Synods of Bishops, through International Secretary Archbishop Osazee William, stated there is “no convincing evidence” to support Trump’s claims. William described the reported actions as falling far short of the “good intervention” Nigeria hopes for, suggesting it had done little more than convey a minor message without solving the security crisis.