The Senate on Saturday expressed sadness over the sudden death of its member, Senator Ifeanyi Ubah.
TVN reported that the lawmaker, who represented the Anambra South Senatorial District, died in London after a brief illness.
Reacting in a statement by its spokesperson Yemi Adaramodu, the upper legislative chamber described the deceased as an exemplary leader, a committed public servant, and an unyielding advocate for his constituents.
According to the Senate, Ubah’s death marks a significant loss for the chamber, Anambra State and the entire nation.
“Before entering public service, Senator Ubah was a distinguished businessman and philanthropist whose contributions will be sorely missed,” the Senate noted.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio, in the statement, conveyed his heartfelt condolences to the deceased’s family.
Akpabio noted that Ubah would be deeply missed by everyone who had the privilege of knowing and working with him.
“Senator Ifeanyi Ubah was a devoted and passionate legislator who left an indelible mark on our country. His commitment to his constituents and his contributions in the Senate were exemplary.
“The Nigerian Senate extends its deepest sympathies to Senator Ubah’s family, friends, constituents, and the Government and people of Anambra State.
“His memory will forever remain in our hearts, and his contributions to the nation’s progress will continue to inspire us all,” Akpabio said.
‘He will be sorely missed’ – Senate reacts to Ifeanyi Ubah’s death
‘He will be sorely missed’ – Senate reacts to Ifeanyi Ubah’s death
Niger NANS disowns nationwide hunger protest
The Niger State chapter of the National Association of Nigerian Students has disassociated itself from the planned nationwide hunger protest, claiming that hoodlums and other miscreants will hijack the event.
The student body said hoodlums would take advantage of the protest to engage in criminal activities, including looting of shops, vandalism and robbery.
Making reference to the 2012 subsidy removal protest in which President Bola Tinubu and other prominent Nigerians were involved, the students alleged that the protest was also hijacked while innocent people were clamped into detention.
An official of the Students Joint Campus Council, Abdulsemiu Abdulganiu, who spoke with our correspondent on Friday, said they did not know the persons behind the planned protest and what they sought from the government.
Abdulganiu said, “Why we are not going to join the protest because we don’t know the organisers of the protest, we don’t know the motive behind organising this protest, and we don’t know what will be the outcome of the protest.
“You cannot be doing anything that you don’t have information about because a lot of things can happen under this protest. When you know the organisers of a protest, they will be able to highlight what they need from the protest, and they will be able to state what they want the government to do, but when there is no organiser, anybody can come under the guise of the protest and carry out any action.
“This protest will be hijacked because we know the hardship everybody is going through, and there are those who just want to use the protest to rob innocent people of their property. They will go and loot shops and vandalise property. We have been part of protests in the past and we saw what happened.
“When we were doing protest during the 2012 fuel subsidy removal. We went on a protest to the National Assembly, and on our way back, hoodlums hijacked it and started looting people’s property, collecting people’s phones, collected cars and laptops from people and at the end of the day, it was innocent people that were arrested and made to pay for them”.
Chairman of the state NANS, Salihu Yusuf, who addressed newsmen on Friday, said the students were distancing themselves from the protest because they believed that dialogue was the only reasonable way to resolve any issues.
He said, “The National Association of Nigerian Students Joint Campus Council Niger State chapter wishes to categorically and unequivocally distance the entire students’ community in Niger State from the planned protest as it is not the best way to resolve whatever situation we find ourselves in. Dialogue is the best.
“We refuse to be hoodwinked into the belief that protest is the only way of getting out of any problem faced by the human race; therefore, we are using this medium to inform Nigerian students to shun this call to protest.”
Niger State Governor, Mohammed Bago, had announced that Niger youths were not going to be a part of any hunger protest, saying they were peace-loving.
Sanwo-Olu mourns Ifeanyi Ubah
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State has described the death of Senator Ifeanyi Ubah as shocking and a great loss to Nigeria, Anambra and Lagos, where the deceased established most of his businesses.
This was contained in a statement on Saturday, by the Special Adviser to Sanwo-Olu on Media and Publicity, Gboyega Akosile.
The governor described Ubah as an astute businessman and politician, who contributed his quota towards nation-building as a representative of his people in the Senate.
The statement partly reads, “Governor Sanwo-Olu expresses his heartfelt condolences to the immediate family of the deceased, his friends, colleagues and associates, especially the good people of Anambra South on the loss of their illustrious son.
“The governor also commiserates with the President of the Senate, Dr. Godswill Akpabio, all the distinguished Senators and the entire National Assembly and the Governor of Anambra State, Professor Charles Soludo, over the unfortunate demise of Senator Ubah.
“He prays for the repose of the soul of the dead and for God to grant the family the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.”
According Online earlier reported that Ubah, who represented Anambra South in the National Assembly, died in a hotel in London, the United Kingdom, on Saturday.
The Senate spokesperson, Yemi Adaramodu, confirmed Ubah’s death to our correspondent on Saturday.
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EndBadGovernance: Kogi cleric urges Nigerian youths to suspend protest
A Kogi State cleric, Rev. Kayode Ojuola, has warned Nigerians to shun the proposed #EndBadGovernace protest, noting that the outcome will be devastating.
Ojuola gave the warning on Saturday at the fourth year anniversary celebration of Aids for Orphans, Widows and Vulnerable People Initiative, AFOWVPI, and the graduation ceremony of students of graphics design program, held in Lokoja.
According to him, Nigerians are currently living below poverty level hence the need for quick intervention.
He admonished government to listen to the complaints of the people, adding that the hardship in Nigeria is becoming unbearable.
“My advice is that government should listen to the complaints of people and amend some of their policies to make live easy. Is not only the youths or the poor that are suffering, the rich are also crying in Nigeria.
“As for the people planning for the protest, I will say let them cancel it because we want peace. We are all aware of what is going on in Uganda, Sudan, and Kenya. If they protest, it will make life worse.
“We are pleading to the youths to suspend the protest and see what the government is willing to do to ameliorate the current suffering in our land.”
He recalled the #EndSARS protest, noting that it was hijacked by hoodlums which led to the destruction of properties and loss of innocent lives.
EndBadGovernance: Kogi cleric urges Nigerian youths to suspend protest
Lawmakers seek overhaul of maritime law to grow economy
The House of Representatives has reiterated its call for the urgent need to amend the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency Act of 2007, to enhance shipping operations in the country.
The lawmaking body stated this in Abuja on Friday at the presentation of a book titled, “Nigeria’s Shipping Policy and Maritime Trade up to the Early 21st Century, written by Edmund Chilaka.
At the event, the House Committee on Maritime Safety, Education, and Administration highlighted the need to revisit the 17-year-old NIMASA Act.
In a statement issued on Saturday, House spokesman, Akin Rotimi noted that the lower legislative chamber was represented at the event by the Chairman of the Committee, Khadijah Ibrahim (APC, Yobe) and Adebayo Samuel (APC, Lagos).
Areas of the amendment proposed by Adebayo include the modernisation of terms-replacing “Free on Board” with “Cost, Insurance and Freight,” in line with contemporary practices, introduction of an open international registry and enhancing prosecutorial powers of the agency.
Others will include strengthening Clause 17 (7) to enhance financial autonomy as well as improving coordination and avoiding duplication of functions among government agencies.
According to the statement, “Stakeholders and experts at the event emphasised the critical need to increase cargo allocations for indigenous shipowners.
“They argued that such measures would support sustainable local shipping operations and strengthen Sections 35-38 of the NIMASA Act concerning the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund,” the statement read in part.
“The House initiative aims at revitalising dormant sectors of the Marine and Blue Economy and mitigate capital flight, which currently sees an estimated $9 billion annually in freight costs paid to foreign shipping lines,” Rotimi added.
Participants also call for clear cargo reservation policies and maintaining a percentage of cargo for domestic shipping companies, in addition to a more proactive role for NIMASA in international trade and cargo management.
The statement however lamented that “Despite the focus on NIMASA’s legislation, officials from the agency were notably absent from the event.
Planned protest: Kano traders set up ‘special guards’ to prevent looting
A group, Patriotic Elders Forum of Nigeria, has asked the organizers of the planned nationwide protest to shelve the exercise and embrace dialogue.
The call is coming as the Kano business community floated an emergency squad to provide security across markets and business places during the planned nationwide protest.
At a stakeholders meeting with market leaders in Kano on Saturday, National President of the Patriotic Elders, Dr Bature AbdulAziz, and leader of the Kano Business Community, Alhaji Sabi’u Bako, stressed the need to take proactive steps to forestall looting.
AbdulAziz noted that protests do not always provide the required results, noting that most times, it plunges nations into catastrophe and uncertainties.
He said there was a need for the government and the planners of the protest to hold talks towards addressing their concerns.
During the meeting, a 20 member committee was inaugurated to coordinate the operations of the emergency market safety squad.
Speaking at the meeting, Alhaji Balarabe Tatari, the chairman, Kantin Kwari Market Traders Association, urged youths to desist from engaging in acts capable of disrupting the peaceful atmosphere in Kano State.
Tatari noted that reports making the rounds indicate that the protest will be conducted peacefully.
However, he noted, “It is incumbent on us to provide adequate measures to protect Kano as the center of commerce.”
“We are aware that in such cases, bad elements usually penetrate and turn it into something else by looting and destroying properties.
“I am appealing to the youths to put it at the back of their mind that Kano is their home and any attempt to make it inhabitable would lead to unforseen circumstances.
“Kano is our state and we must work together to ensure that whatever comes up does not disrupt law and order,” he added.
On his part, the Managing Director, Kantin Kwari Textile Market Management Board, Alhaji Hamisu Saadu Dogon Nama, called on traders and other business owners to comply with directives and contribute their quota to the maintenance of law and order.
Similarly, the managing director, Sabon Gari/Galadima and Singa Markets, Alhaji Abdullahi, said, “We have informed our members to come out on the day of the protest to protect our business premises.”
Planned protest: Kano traders set up ‘special guards’ to prevent looting
Ijaw group cautions FG on use of brute force
The Ijaw National Congress has advised the Federal Government and security agencies to exercise caution in their responses to the nationwide protest planned to be held Aug.1-Aug.10.
Prof. Benjamin Okaba, President, INC, gave the advice in Abuja on Saturday at a news conference tagged “State of the Nation: What the Federal Government Should Do”.
Okaba said that the Federal Government should guide against inflammatory rhetoric and heavy-handed tactics, which could exacerbate tensions and plunge the nation into chaos.
“As our nation teeters on the brink of a proposed protest amidst unprecedented national hardship, the Ijaw National Congress (INC) urges the Federal Government and security agencies to exercise extreme caution in their responses to the agitations.
“We advise against inflammatory rhetoric and heavy-handed tactics, which could exacerbate tensions and plunge our nation into chaos.
“We equally advise all Nigerians; a peace protest is not criminal in as much as we all play according to the rules and regulations guiding such civil demonstrations”, he said.
Okaba said that the current state of the Nigerian nation was one of great concern, as it was bedeviled with various challenges threatening the peace, stability and prosperity of the country.
“From political instability to economic hardship, security threats, social inequality, environmental degradation, infrastructure deficits, corruption, and governance issues, Nigeria is facing a myriad of complex problems.
“These problems require immediate attention, pragmatic policies and actions by all in and out of government.
“This proposed protest and its consequences are avoidable if only the government takes urgent steps to faithfully address the root causes of the multifarious challenges we face as a nation.
“The root causes are principally that of energy scarcity and expensiveness and the astronomical hike in the cost of basic amenities like foods, housing, transportation, security, health care services and water,’’ he said.
He urged the government to embark on constructive engagement with stakeholders with a view to providing immediate, medium term and long term remedies to the challenges.
“The application of brute force or any oppressive measures will only aggravate the present level of oppression and repression”, Okaba said.
The INC President therefore appealed to the Federal Government to take immediate steps to address the root causes of these challenges.
He said that such steps should include economic reforms to stimulate growth and reduce poverty, insecurity and violence in the nation.
He also advocated transparency and accountability in governance, social justice and equality for all Nigerians.
“The Federal Government should also ensure security and justice for all, engage in a heart-to-heart conversation with Nigerians, reduce the cost of governance, promote fiscal federalism, diversify the economy, address environmental degradation, tackle corruption among others.
“However, we urge all Nigerians especially the Ijaws and Niger Delta region where the brunt of national hardship is felt to remain peaceful and law-abiding even in the midst of the planned protest if it must hold.
“We also urge all Nigerians to come together, regardless of tribe, religion, or political affiliation, to work towards a brighter future for our nation’’, Okaba said.
NAN.
Biafra: Simon Ekpa claims 49 million have voted in ‘self-referendum’
The head of Biafra Republic Government in Exile, Simon Ekpa has claimed that over 49 million Igbos have voted in a ‘self-referendum’.
Ekpa disclosed this in a statement posted on his official X handle on Saturday.
The Biafra agitator claimed that the voting process was e-voting and physical voting.
“Over 49 million Biafrans have voted in the ongoing Biafra self-referendum,” he claimed.
Ekpa said the process began in February, claiming that the number of those who have voted for self-referendum in the last six months surpassed the number of voters in the 2023 Nigerian presidential election.
He said the exercise will last till November.
BRGIE had cited marginalization, underdevelopment, insecurity and poverty in the South-East region as justification for the self-referendum.
Biafra: Simon Ekpa claims 49 million have voted in ‘self-referendum’
Senator who survived fraud charge, lost governorship bid
The Senator representing Anambra South Senatorial District at the National Assembly, Ifeanyi Ubah, has died at the age of 52.
Ubah, who was the Chief Executive Officer of Capital Oil, died in a hotel in London, the United Kingdom, on Saturday.
The late lawmaker was a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress and a renowned businessman.
In this article, According Online takes a look at the fraud charges levelled against Ubah by the Federal Government, which was later dismissed, and his failed governorship ambition.
Dismissed fraud charge
In December 2019, the federal government filed a criminal charge against Ubah and his company, Capital Oil, for alleged false claims and debt of N135bn to the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria.
This led to the Federal High Court in Lagos, on June 13, 2023, directing that criminal summons be issued to the senator and his company.
The order was given on an 8-count charge bordering on his alleged indebtedness to AMCON.
According to the debt-recovery agency, Ubah and Capital Oil allegedly conspired to make false claims about the actual values of certain assets transferred to AMCON under a consent judgment he and his company made with AMCON.
The defendants were also alleged to have obstructed AMCON in the realisation of part of his outstanding debt of N135 billion by frustrating the sale of a property at Banana Island, Lagos.
However, on October 8, 2023, AMCON, on behalf of the federal government, withdrew the charges filed against Senator Ubah and his firm.
The case against the senator was withdrawn after both parties reached agreements, and a consent judgment was reached in a sister case before the Federal Capital Territory court in Abuja.
Failed governorship bid
Ubah contested the 2014 Anambra governorship election on the platform of the Labour Party but lost the race to Willie Obiano of the All Progressives Grand Alliance.
On February 24, 2019, he defected to the Young Progressive Party and was declared the winner of the Anambra South Senatorial election on the platform of the party. He won his re-election into the Senate on February 28, 2023.
However, the Anambra senator defected to Nigeria’s ruling party, the All Progressive Congress, on Oct 12, 2023.
The late lawmaker declared interest in contesting the 2025 Anambra governorship election.
A few days ago, Ubah and his campaign council donated N71m to APC in the state to bolster the party’s presence and strength ahead of the election.
Stakeholders call for stronger corporate governance frameworks in Nigeria’s public sector
Stakeholders have called for the institutionalization of corporate governance in Nigeria’s public sector to foster transformation and support the government’s goal of achieving a trillion-dollar economy.
This call was made at the second edition of the National Corporate Governance Summit, held on Thursday in Lagos.
The event, with the theme, ‘Institutionalising Good Governance for National Transformation: The Imperative of Public/Private Sector Collaboration’, was organized by the Institute of Directors’ Centre for Corporate Governance (IoDCCD), the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI), the Financial Reporting Council (FRC), and the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators of Nigeria (ICSAN).
The summit emphasized the need for robust governance practices in the public sector.
Managing Partner at Compliance Professionals Plc, who was also the former chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, Mrs Ifueko Okauru, highlighted the necessity of good corporate governance despite cultural, experiential, and ethnic divides.
Drawing from her public sector experience, she asserted that establishing corporate governance is achievable with dedication, personal sacrifice, and firm commitment.
Okauru stressed that Nigeria must adopt good governance practices to align better with international business standards.
She also called for a legal framework to support this institutionalization and structures to drive national transformation.
Okauru further emphasized the symbolic importance of national elements like the anthem and flag in fostering unity and driving transformation.
She noted that institutionalizing good governance demands significant investment in time, deep thinking, discipline, and sincerity to harness the nation’s diverse population.
Additionally, she urged the development of policies that recognize Nigeria’s diversity and build the trust needed for effective collaboration among governance professionals.
Chairman of IoD CCG, Mr U. K. Eke, stressed the importance of integrating the public sector into national development efforts.
He underscored the critical role of corporate governance in achieving high performance across both private and public sectors, advocating for the application of governance principles across all economic sectors.
Executive Secretary of FRC, Dr Rabiu Olowo, pointed out that good governance is globally recognized as the foundation of economic growth. He commended the success of the Nigerian Code of Corporate Governance, 2018, in enhancing private sector governance and called for similar efforts in the public sector to drive national transformation.
Olowo equally emphasized the need for higher accountability standards in the public sector, similar to those in the private sector.
The CEO of MOFI, Dr Armstrong Takang, stressed the necessity of adopting and institutionalizing corporate governance in the public sector.
He noted that while the private sector, particularly banking, has seen significant success from good governance, government institutions often lack transparency and accountability. Takang expressed optimism that entrenching good governance principles would lead to noticeable improvements.
President of ICSAN, Mrs Funmi Ekundayo, underscored the importance of continuous collaboration between the public and private sectors to embed good governance for national transformation. She stated that good governance would address key challenges such as corruption, insecurity, and economic instability, thereby promoting national development.
Ekundayo added that institutionalizing good governance would enhance accountability, transparency, and resource management, fostering a stable environment for economic growth and public service effectiveness.
Stakeholders call for stronger corporate governance frameworks in Nigeria’s public sector