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Crisis In Church As Junior Pastor Impregnates General Overseer
Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mrs Ibim Semenitari (right) congratulating the newly elected state APC Woman Leader, Mrs Caroline Nagbo (left) at the party’s congress last Saturday in Port Harcourt.
Crisis of confidence is currently brewing at the Lord’s Delight Ministries (a.k.a Delight Arena) located at 51, Afolabi Street, Ishibiri Road, Ajangbadi, Lagos, as its founder, who is now embroiled in a sordid divorce suit, is accused of being impregnated by a young pastor.
At the centre of the storm is the General Overseer of the church, Pastor Rita Obioma Obiakor, and her minister-husband, Pastor Paulinus Obiakor.
Both are entangled in a web of accusations and counter-accusations of infidelity, and behaviour unbecoming of the clergy.
The duo is before a customary court, sitting at Ojo, Lagos, under President T.A Said, seeking dissolution of their 15-year-old marriage.
When Pastor Paulinus Obiakor stepped into the dock to give his side of the story, he accused his wife of defiling the church by sleeping with prominent male members of the congregation in order to raise funds and establish herself financially.
The land she acquired for the new church and her new apartment, he alleged, were paid for with funds she raised from her illicit sexual affairs with male church members.
“My wife is the founder of the church, but as her husband, I am entitled to be the general overseer of the church. I had suspected my wife was frolicking with the wealthy and influential members of the church.
“My fears were eventually ascertained when she abandoned me and moved to her new church and apartment at Shibiri with a younger man she employed as her personal assistant known as Pastor Nwachineye,” Obiakor claimed.
He further dropped a bombshell, alleging that his wife was impregnated by one of the pastors she employed.
He substantiated this accusation by alleging that she took the man in question to her village and had introduced him to her family members and relatives as her new husband.
“That is a big sacrilege because I am still very much alive and active, so why would she take another man to replace me?” he argued.
His bitterness towards his wife, Obiakor asserted, was that she has been denying him access to their children.
But in her testimony, the Orlu, Imo State-born prophetess alleged that her estranged husband and father of her four children, has turned a thorn in her flesh.
Speaking through her counsel, Godson Samuel, she justified her decision to opt out of the troubled marriage thus: “My husband is on the verge of destroying all the work and effort that I have put in place to establish this church over the years.”
She outlined the heart of the matter: “I got married to him when I was barely 16 years old, and he, 27 years. Then, he had nothing, jobless and looking very unkempt. I started doing odd jobs to make both ends meet. Precisely in 2005, the Lord called me into His vineyard to serve Him and show His people the right path.
She further alleged that her husband’s greed and jealousy has done much damage to the image she had laboured so much to build.
The disharmony between the couple degenerated to the extent that she was forced to buy another plot of land at Shibiri, Ajangbadi, a far away suburb, and constructed a new church, thereby abandoning the old church located at 1, Bakare Street, Amukoko.
She also abandoned their accommodation, and gave up some members of the old church to her estranged husband.
“I moved in with my children to a rented apartment close to the (new) church while my faithful members moved into our new church.”
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The Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has directed his lawyers to withdraw all ongoing defamation lawsuits against several individuals, saying he was moved by counsel during a New Year Mass.
Speaking at the Sacred Heart Parish in Uyo, yesterday, Akpabio said he had filed nearly nine lawsuits against individuals he accused of defaming him.
He said, “I had almost nine cases in court against some individuals who defamed me, who lied against me, who slandered my name.
“But I listened to the priest and suddenly realised he was talking to me, so I hereby direct my solicitor to withdraw all lawsuits against them.”
In 2025, Akpabio had filed several high-profile defamation lawsuits, including one against colleague Senator Natasha Akpoti?Uduaghan.
In late 2025, Akpabio filed a N200 billion defamation lawsuit against her over allegations of sexual harassment, which he denied and urged her to substantiate in court.
Earlier in the year, Akpabio’s wife also filed defamation suits against Akpoti?Uduaghan over claims she said had harmed her family’s reputation.
Relations between the two lawmakers soured after Akpoti?Uduaghan accused Akpabio of influencing her suspension from the Senate in March 2025, following her public allegations of misconduct.
The Senator had previously challenged actions taken against her in court, including a N100 billion defamation suit she filed against Akpabio and other defendants over alleged remarks that she said damaged her reputation.
With yesterday’s announcement, Akpabio has formally ended all pending legal disputes arising from defamation claims, signalling closure to the publicised litigations as the year begins.
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has declared that the best form of gratitude Rivers people owe President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for protecting the interest of the State is to galvanize massive support for the President in 2027.
Fubara disclosed this last Monday during the commissioning of Permanent Secretaries Quarters built by his administration at Elimgbu in Obio Akpor Local Government Area of the State.
He said that the State has what it takes to deliver the President during the 2027 general elections.
“We’ve taken a decision,our decision is for the good of Rivers State, our decision is to say thank you for the protection we have from Mr President, our decision is to prove that we have what it takes to deliver Mr President.”
Fubara expressed delight over the completion of the project, stating that the initiative was to provide accommodation, a basic need of life for public servants in the state to improve their productivity.
He explained that lack of effective social welfare was at the root of some incriminating actions that undermine the purpose of governance, noting that the commissioning of the newly built Permanent Secretaries Quarters marks a significant milestone in civil service welfare and institutional development.
“Insecurity begins when individuals are uncertain of what the next hour holds. This situation is especially challenging for family men and women, affecting confidence and decision-making,” he observed.
Fubara emphasized the need for proper maintenance of the facility and urged the beneficiaries to protect the project like a personal property, while directing the State Head of Service to appoint a facility manager to ensure long-term maintenance.
In her remarks, the Special Guest of Honour and Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Didi Esther Walson-Jack, who unveiled the project, expressed appreciation to the governor and Rivers State for inviting her to commission the project.
She commended Fubara for prioritizing the welfare of Permanent Secretaries who are senior public servants and accounting officers, noting that the project reflects purposeful and visionary leadership, and urged other states to borrow a cue from the Rivers State Governor.
Walson-Jack described the initiative as a strategic investment in staff welfare and institutional continuity which she noted is in line with Renewed Hope Initiative on provision of mass housing and social stability.
“The commissioning of these houses reflect a deliberate commitment to the dignity, welfare, and productivity of senior public servants responsible for policy coordination and service delivery,” she said.
In his goodwill message, the National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Ajibode Bashiru, who led a high powered delegation on a visit to the governor, congratulated Rivers people for aligning with the Pan Nigerian political party, assuring that the interest of Rivers State will be duly protected in the APC.
He described President Bola Tinubu as a detribalised Nigerian who anchors his leadership on equity, fairness and justice, adding that the APC will provide a level playing ground for all.
The APC chief scribe also commended Fubara for providing good accommodation for public servants, stating that it will address issues of sabotage, compromise and disloyalty on the part of public servants.
Giving the project description, Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Works, Dr. Austin Ezekiel-Hart, said the estate comprises 29 units, including nine standalone duplexes and 20 terrace buildings.
Facilities feature a water treatment plant, synchronized power generators, CCTV and alarm systems, a gym, recreational areas, and green spaces—designed to enhance comfort, performance, and productivity.
Earlier, the Head of the Rivers State Civil Service, Dr Mrs Inyingi Brown, had thanked the governor for his visionary initiative and unwavering commitment to the welfare of Rivers State Civil Servants, and restated the commitment of the State civil servants to the success of Fubara’s administration.
By: Taneh Beemene