A lady’s bold move in the Zion Prayer Movement Outreach left the founder, Ebuka Obi stunned and congregants bursting with loud laughter.

The lady who attended the Singles Conference had the opportunity to speak to the congregation and she made an unexpected speech.

She kicked up by stating that in 2022, someone prophesied to her that she was going to marry a prophet and the prophesy was further given a boost after God confirmed it to her in a dream.

However, she noted that the impediment was that the prophet whom she believes is her future husband is quite inaccessible.

Upon further probing by the pastor, the lady revealed that Ebuka Obi was the man whom the lord revealed to her as her husband.

This ultimately threw the church off-guard as the band swiftly kicked off a performance of Flavour’s hit track, ‘Golibe’

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Sharing the video on IG, the pastor wrote:

“She Proposed Marriage to EVANG EBUKA OBI during Singles Conference ?????.”

Recall that a few months back, Ebuka Obi took the public by storm, revealing a life choice that few can ignore.

In a new and eye-opening interview with BBC Igbo, the Imo-born cleric, speaking in his native labuat, Igbo, made a shocking admission that has sent ripples through the spiritual community and beyond—he revealed that he has never had sexual intercourse.

He shared that 12 years ago, he made a sacred vow to God to remain celibate until marriage.

For Ebuka Obi, celibacy isn’t a mere sacrifice but a powerful tool that allows him toremain spiritually focused, helping him hear God’s voice with absolute clarity, unhindered by worldly distractions.

His words; “I have never dated before. I have never had sexual intercourse with any woman. Any woman who says I’ve had sexual relations with her should speak up

“Qualities in a woman is not the reason I am not yet married. What is holding me back is that I want to hear the voice of God on it. He has never directed me about marriage. I prayed for 100 days last year to hear from God about it but there was no sign.”

In a recent interview with ChartsAfrica, Senegalese-American musician Akon weighed in on Nigeria’s biggest Afrobeats stars, sharing his thoughts on Burna Boy, Wizkid, and Davido.

The video, which has since gone viral, generated a wave of conflicting reactions from fans across social media.

Akon, who has long been a significant figure in the music industry, expressed his admiration for Burna Boy, describing him as a “beast” on the global music scene.

He commended Burna Boy for his unique fusion of Nigerian and Ghanaian sounds, which he believes sets him apart from other artists.

Akon also credited his former colleague, who served as the head of international at Konvict Music, for having a strong influence on Burna Boy’s rise to fame.

When speaking about Wizkid, Akon labeled the “Ojuelegba” crooner as a true superstar, noting that his releases remain relevant throughout the year despite only releasing one song annually.

Turning to Davido, Akon referred to the “Awuke” singer as a hardworking artist who was initially an “underdog.”

He pointed out that Davido looked up to Wizkid during his early career and benefitted from the backing of his wealthy family.

Akon highlighted that despite the challenges, Davido’s persistence in releasing quality music and videos eventually secured his place as a leading figure in the Afrobeats genre.

He further praised Davido for having the most songs, recognizing his consistency in both quantity and quality.

Akon also took a moment to shout out Mr. Eazi, acknowledging his ability to blend music with business acumen, which has contributed to his growing influence within the industry.

While Akon’s praise for Burna Boy, Wizkid, and Davido was appreciated by many, his comments about Davido being an “underdog” sparked a heated debate online, with some fans disagreeing with his assessment.

Security experts have urged the federal government through the various security agencies and the National Assembly to investigate alleged revelations by a US Congressman that USAID has sponsored Boko Haram.

A United States Congressman representing Pennsylvania, Scott Perry, had accused the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) of funding terrorist organisations like Boko Haram.
He disclosed this at the inaugural hearing of the Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency on Thursday while speaking during a session entitled “The War on Waste: Stamping Out the Scourge of Improper Payments and Fraud.”

Perry accused USAID of providing $136 million to build 120 schools in Pakistan. He, however, noted “zero evidence” of the schools’ construction.

Perry asked: “Who gets some of that money? Does that name ring a bell to anybody in the room? Because your money, your money, $697 million annually, plus the shipments of cash funds in Madrasas, ISIS, Al-Qaeda, Boko Haram, ISIS Khorasan, terrorist training camps. That’s what it’s funding.

“You are funding terrorism, and it’s coming through USAID. And it’s not just Afghanistan because Pakistan’s right next door. Somebody else got the money. You are paying for terrorism. This has got to end.”

This comes as former President Donald Trump moved to shut down USAID’s operations.
Trump had accused the agency of corruption Speaking to LEADERSHIP, a former director of the Department of State Services (DSS), Barr. Mike Ejiofor, called security agencies and the National Assembly to investigate the allegations.

“I don’t have much information, but he has his. All I expect the National Assembly and our security agencies to do is to investigate the allegations. If it’s true that USAID has been sponsoring Boko Haram, then that’s very dangerous,” he said.

A former Army spokesman, Brig.-Gen. Sani Usman (rtd) lamented the lack of patriotism among Nigerians despite the country facing existential threats from Boko Haram.

He equally called for a thorough investigation to ascertain the veracity of such revelations.

He said, “We face an existential threat, but Nigerians are not patriotic enough. We have suspected these and tried to convince Nigerians, but they wouldn’t believe us.”

He said there are international nongovernmental organisations (NGO) that have paid for accommodation in advance for ten years and above.

He added that the US had, following the action of some Nigerians, imposed an arms embargo on Nigeria despite the country facing existential threats.

“Many of us want to eat our cake and have it, but life doesn’t work like that. Americans have always been pursuing their national interest; anytime they give anything, they know what they want and how to go about it. There is no way somebody would wake up and give you the best of the best, so I’m not surprised because there must be some strings attached. ”

He recalled that security agencies had uncovered a female Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) operative who rented an apartment in Maiduguri and stayed for an extended period.

“When we raised issues at the time about the move of some of these NGOs, Nigerians said it was a lie.

“It has been there, and that is why we keep emphasising that security is local, so let us develop local resilience.

“These have been there as allegations, and now that the US Congressman has brought them up, there is a need to investigate them thoroughly. He has lent credence to things that have been suspected over time; therefore, it is necessary to examine them and ensure that such doesn’t continue thoroughly.

“As a former Army spokesman, I know there have been suspicions; several commanders have called for NGOs regulation due to their suspicious activities, which is unsurprising. People have been raising the concern,” he said

A victim of Boko Haram who doesn’t want to be named expressed disappointment at the revelation.
He said the Borno State government strictly regulates the activities of NGOs, so it is surprising that the same NGOs will be funding the activities of Boko Haram, which has destroyed many lives.

The Ministry of Defence’s spokesperson, Henshaw Ogubike, could not be reached on his phone line to discuss the Ministry’s position on the revelation.

He also did not respond to messages trying to get his official comment at the time of this report.

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps on Sunday warned the Nigeria Labour Congress against its planned March 1 shutdown of telecommunication services in response to the recent 50 per cent tariff hike.

The Private Telecommunications and Communications Senior Staff Association of Nigeria and the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria similarly pushed back against the NLC’s planned boycott of telecom services and shutdown of telecom infrastructure, arguing that such actions are misguided and could harm the industry.

The spokesman for the NSCDC, Babawale Afolabi, in a chat with The PUNCH on Sunday, said the agency had deployed operatives to the base stations to prevent any illegal action by the protesters.

The NSCDC, tasked with protecting critical national infrastructure, including telecommunications, expressed concerns over the potential risks the NLC action could pose to national security and public safety.

The NLC announced its intention to shut down the operations of telecommunications companies across the country if the tariff hike announced by the Nigerian Communications Commission was not reversed by the end of February.

The union directed Nigerians to boycott the services of major telecom providers, including MTN, Airtel, and Glo, daily between 11am and 2pm starting February 13 and continuing through the month.

The NLC in a communiqué signed by its President, Joe Ajaero and General Secretary, Emma Ugboaja, accused the telecom operators of breaching public trust by implementing the tariff hike before the conclusion of a 10-man review panel’s deliberations.

The union also faulted the government for failing to protect citizens from corporate exploitation.

The NLC argued that the tariff increase represented a betrayal of public trust, given the earlier agreement to establish a committee to review the proposed hike.

However, the NSCDC urged the NLC to reconsider its planned protest, warning that any disruption to telecom services could expose the country to criminal activities and compromise national security.

Afolabi made it clear that the agency will not allow any action that could jeopardise the security of the nation.

He revealed that state commandants had been directed to maintain round-the-clock surveillance at telecom facilities, with a nationwide deployment of officers, including undercover operatives, to ensure the protection of these assets.

Citing the importance of telecommunications to national security, the corps warned that any disruption could result in vandalism and other criminal activities.

He added, “Already, the NSCDC commandant-general has directed state commandants to maintain round-the-clock surveillance in and around all the telecom masts in their locations.

“Also, there is going to be nationwide massive deployment of the officers and men of the corps, including undercover and intelligence operatives, to maintain peace and ensure that all the government and corporate organisations’ critical national assets and infrastructure are protected from the miscreants who might likely use the opportunity of the planned protest to carry out their criminal activities.’’

“Available credible intelligence already established the fact that the planned protest will be hijacked by hoodlums and that is why the NSCDC is on top of the situation,” he further stated.

The NSCDC called for dialogue to resolve the dispute and hoped that the NLC would reconsider its stance.

Afolabi stated, “The NSCDC, under the leadership of Commandant-General, Dr. Ahmed Audi, is appealing to the organized labour under the umbrella of the Nigeria Labour Congress to shelve their planned protest of March 01, 2025 and the move to shut down telecommunication facilities nationwide.

“Although peaceful protests are allowed under the law, experience and fallouts of similar threats in the past necessitate the need to appeal to the NLC not to embark on any action that will further affect the security of the country.

“NSCDC will not fold its arms and allow any action that will expose the nation’s security and eventual compromised economic stability and public safety, under the guise of protesting the increase in telecom services tariffs.

“The scars of similar protests that turned violent in the past are still there as reference points and the NSCDC and other security agencies in the country will not allow the miscreants, hoodlums and other non-state actors to hide under the guise of NLC protest to loot and vandalise government and corporate organisations assets and infrastructure.”

The NSCDC stressed its commitment to safeguarding the nation’s critical infrastructure and stated that it is prepared to take decisive legal action against those who attempt to undermine the security of the country.

“The NSCDC is committed to safeguarding the lives of Nigerians and property of the government and corporate organizations we are ready to take decisive actions against any individual or group that embarks on any action that can jeopardise the security architecture of the country,” he added.

The corps said it has placed its personnel on high alert and warned that anyone found engaging in illegal activities during the protest will be dealt with according to the law.

“We still believe that dialogue remains the best solution and we hope that organised labour will listen to the voice of reason and jaw-jaw with the government. We advise organised labour leaders to stay away from base stations and telecom mast locations as NSCDC personnel have been placed on red alert.

“Anybody found wanting will be dealt with according to the stipulated law of the country,” the spokesperson cautioned.

The Private Telecommunications and Communications Senior Staff Association of Nigeria criticised the NLC over its planned protest.

The Secretary-General of PTECSSAN, Abdullahi Okonu, told The PUNCH on Sunday that the union had already made its position clear, arguing that the increase is necessary to prevent a collapse of the industry.

In a letter addressed to the NLC, PTECSSAN said the labour congress had acted “in error” by taking decisions without consulting the union, which represents workers in the telecom sector.

“It is our firm belief that the Congress Leadership has acted in error in taking these decisions without prior consultation with our union that operates in the sector,” the letter read.

“Perhaps, getting in touch with us to provide you with information on the happenings in the sector would have assisted the Leadership in taking a better decision than it had taken,” it further said.

The union acknowledged the concerns over the impact of the tariff increase on consumers but insisted that the hike was unavoidable due to rising operational costs.

PTECSSAN pointed to the removal of fuel subsidy and the subsequent surge in petroleum prices, which have significantly increased the cost of maintaining telecom base stations across the country.

On its part, the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria urged the labour unions to suspend its planned rally, pointing out that there had been no formal engagements or discussions with the telecom operators before the union’s decision.

ATCON president Tony Emoekpere criticised the planned boycott of telecom services and shutdown of infrastructure declared by the workers’ union.

“This isn’t a labour issue; it’s an industry-wide challenge. Interest rates, for example, fluctuate constantly, yet banks don’t shut down in protest. These economic policies affect all sectors, not just telecoms. So why single out our industry?” Emoekpere told The PUNCH.

He emphasised that while concerns about service quality are valid, expecting businesses to operate at a loss is unsustainable.

“If the goal is better service, let’s have that discussion. But resorting to actions that could disrupt the industry and the economy isn’t the way forward,” he added.

The telecom executive further stated that telcos are solely focused on improving services that will be beneficial to subscribers and get value for their money.

But speaking with The PUNCH, the Lagos State NLC Chairperson, Funmi Sessi, rejected the warnings from the NSCDC, making it clear that Labour would not be cowed by threats.

“No one can threaten us – no one! This is about our commonwealth, our joint heritage. Civil Defence officers are merely working for their pay, but they have no authority to dictate to us. If necessary, we will shut down the electricity itself! Who are they to tell us otherwise?” she declared.

 She further lambasted the security forces for attempting to intimidate workers, saying, “Let them threaten all they want, nothing will stop us. We know the song we sing: how many people will the soldiers kill? Even the police must remember to remain civil. They cannot kill us all!”