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UBA: Elumelu Harps On Gender Equality As Bawuah Becomes CEO

By
Tosin Olatokunbo
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Tony Elumelu, Group Chairman, United Bank for Africa, UBA says the bank is very gender sensitive when it comes to appointing persons into top executives roles.

Women now dominate the board of the commercial bank following the appointment of Abiola Bawuah as Chief Executive Officer, UBA Africa, UBA Africa, Elumelu said.

Bawuah is the first female to be appointed to the position by the bank.

To qualify for the position, Elumelu said “Abiola has contributed significantly to the growth of UBA Africa for close to a decade. She brings a wealth of experience in commercial banking, and stakeholder engagement.

“It also gives me great pleasure that with her appointment, the UBA Group Board has now become a majority female board.”

In her new role as one of the Executive directors of the bank, Bawuah will oversee the Group’s operations across 19 African countries, excluding Nigeria.

The appointment of the Ghanaian born banker further demonstrates UBA’s commitment to diversity, the commercial bank said, adding that it now has eight female Directors.

Bawuah is coming into her new role with a ruburst experience in the banking and financial services sector.
Prior to her appointment, Bawuah was Regional CEO, West Africa, supervising the Group’s operations in nine subsidiaries, including Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Senegal, and Sierra Leone. She previously held the role of CEO, UBA Ghana.

Meanwhile, the bank has also announced other appointments.

Chris Ofikulu becomes the Regional CEO, UBA West Africa. Ofikulu, who has over two decades of banking experience spanning corporate, commercial, and retail banking.

Uzoechina Molokwu will take on the role as Deputy Managing Director (DMD) of UBA Ghana, subject to local regulatory approvals. He was previously the Executive Director, Business Development – UBA Côte d’Ivoire and has over 23 years banking experience.

Ayokunle Olajubu will be the Managing Director/CEO UBA Liberia, subject to local regulatory approvals. He currently drives compliance across Africa subsidiaries andcomes with 30 years banking experience in Nigeria and other African countries,includingSierra Leone, Cote D’Ivoire and the Gambia.

Theresa Henshaw has been appointed as CEO of UBA UK, subject to local regulatoryapprovals. She was previously the DMD, Business Development, UBA America and joined the Group as ED, Business Development at UBA UK.

Usman Isiaka, currently CEO, UBA Sierra Leone, will be the Deputy CEO in UBA America, subject to local regulatory approvals.

Adeyemi Adeleke, the former CEO of UBA, UK is now the Group Treasurer. Adeleke will be working to unlock the immense value in the Group’s multi-jurisdictional balance sheet, leveraging on its presence in 24 countries within and beyond Africa.

“Initial Server Report Gave APC Victory” At Osun Election Petition Tribunal

By
Ayodele Oni
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Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi

By Ayodele Oni

Analysts and election experts have continued to punctuate the judgement of the Election Petition Tribunal on the Osun governorship election.

A top official of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has provided clarifications on the discrepancy related to the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).

The tribunal, on Friday nullified the election of Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) Ademola Adeleke amid over voting and additional votes for Adegboyega Oyetola of All Progressives Congress, (APC) putting him ahead of Adeleke.

A former Director, Voter Education and Publicity, INEC, Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, in a live appearance on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Monday, said there should not have been a discrepancy in the 2022 Osun State governorship election.

Osaze-Uzzi explained that the APC obtained a certified copy of the initial server report before some of the data had been transmitted by the BVAS hardware.

Saying that was why the verdict was not a unanimous judgement, he explained that “The second tribunal member – the honourable justice who dissented from his two colleagues – said, ‘I would rather use the primary source of this information, and the primary source of this data is actually the machine itself.

“It is basically a computer. So, rather than go to the server where it transmitted data, I would use the printout from the machine itself.

“The machines were tendered, so were the reports from the server, and there ought not to have been a discrepancy, but somewhere along the line, not all the data had been transmitted at the time the APC obtained the certified copy of the initial server report.”

Osaze-Uzzi, however, described the judgement as a validation of the role BVAs has played in enhancing the electoral process.

Rather than view the discrepancy from a negative perspective, he encouraged stakeholders to take a more optimistic outlook, arguing that BVAs exposed the over voting in the election.

“It was BVAs that exposed that as it were, and the fact that the BVAs report was relied on. But we have to be careful; which of the BVAs report was relied on?

“Was it what was transmitted to the server – to the back-end – or was it the BVAs itself?”

According to him, there is a need to break the verdict of the tribunal, adding that the majority of the tribunal  “the chairman and the second member” relied on the initial report and the initial report of the back-end, duly certified by INEC.

“It was downloaded from the server after it was transmitted. But a couple of days later,  INEC used the word ‘synchronised’, I’m not too sure I like that word, but  you synchronise it and say, ‘Have all the results been transmitted, has all data been transmitted from the machine, BVAs itself, to the server?’

“The machine is a physical one and then it transmits to a physical one. It now went, checked and said, ‘There’s a problem here.’ The BVAS report now downloaded itself, [we] now brought it out and examined each BVAS machine and now found out that no, some data was not transmitted to the server.”

Another Container Falls In Lagos, Hours After Container Crushed Eight Persons To Death

By
Akinwale Kasali
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Ojuelegba Container Accident

By Akinwale Kasali

Less than 24 hours after Eight persons lost their lives in Ojuelegba, Lagos, after a Container fell on a Commercial Bus popularly known as Danfo, another Container has fallen off again on the ever busy Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway, Dopemu, Lagos.

The 40ft container fell off at the Sawmill inward Dopemu under bridge, and blocked 90 per cent of the road.

Though no casualties has been recorded so far, the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, said its personnel  are trying to take the Container off the road. Vehicular movement has been halted following this development.

According to a Tweet from LASTMA, “A 40ft container laden truck fell at Sawmill inward Dopemu under bridge, it’s occupying 90 per cent of road. Our men are on ground doing the needful as effort is on for recovery.”

Vehicular movement is still  halted at the Ojuelegba area of the State as LASTMA officials are still making frantic efforts to clear the debris of the ill-fated accident that happened on Sunday.

The Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Emergency Agency, LASEMA, Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, disclosed that effort is currently being made towards rescue and evacuation.

LASEMA, in a statement stated that “Recovery of the fallen container is still ongoing, though it has been taken off on top of the minibus but is yet to be completely removed from the location. Traffic is still on hold, and we have a backlog of traffic presently at Alaka.

“Kindly exercise patience or find an alternative if you are not trapped in the traffic,” he added.

Court Dismisses Suit Seeking Sack Of President Buhari

By
Akinwale Kasali
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By Akinwale Kasali and Ayodele Oni

An Abuja Federal High Court on Monday, January 30th 2023,  dismissing the Suit filed by the Hope Democratic Party, HDP, Presidential Candidate at the 2019 Presidential Election, Ambrose Owuru against the election of President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019. The suit sought for the sack of the President.

Justice Inyang Ekwo, the Presiding Judge, dismissed the suit on three grounds which include; That the suit constituted a gross abuse of court process, statute barred and was an affront to the supremacy of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

The Judge also held that the suit was baseless and frivolous.

It would be recalled that Rivers State born British-trained lawyer, called to the Nigerian Bar in 1984 asked the Federal High Court to declare him as the winner of the poll.

Among other reliefs, he had asked the Court to determine the legality or otherwise of the decision by INEC in 2019 during which it postponed the election from February 16 to March 23.

He claimed that INEC acted against the constitution in illegal and unlawful ways and manners the Presidential poll was shifted and the declaration of Muhammadu Buhari as the winner of the unlawful act should be declared null and void and of no effect.

The ground of his claim was predicated on the fact that the petition he lodged against Buhari had not been adjudicated upon by the Supreme Court as required by law.

The politician claimed that his petition at the Supreme Court was unjustly dismissed following his absence from the Apex Court due to discrepancies in the hearing dates conveyed to him.

He, therefore, prayed the court removes Buhari and declares him (Owuru) the authentic President and that Buhari should be compelled to refund all monies he collected as salaries, emoluments and security votes.

The HDP Presidential candidate also asked the Court to order his inauguration for a four-year tenure of office upon removal of Buhari from office and that the Federal High Court should stop INEC from conducting the 2023 presidential election.

While claiming that his tenure had been usurped by President Buhari, the plaintiff prayed that the court should compel Buhari to refund all monies he collected as salaries, emoluments and security votes.

Suspended PDP Senator, Nnamani, Insists On Support For Tinubu; Gives Reason

By
Uche Mbah
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Chimaroke Nnamani

By Uche Mbah

Dr Chimaroke Nnamani, the Peoples Democratic Party’s Senator, representing Enugu East Senatorial Zone, has insisted on his support for the All Progressives Congress Presidential flag bearer, Bola Tinubu.

Dr Nnamani was suspended on January 20, 2023, from the PDP, because of his months of open support for the APC Presidential Candidate over his own Party’s Candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

The Leadership of the PDP was forced to suspend him for what it rightly termed “anti-party activities”

But Nnamani is not remorseful. Instead, he is standing by, and sticking to, Tinubu. In a statement he released on Sunday, January 29, 2023, the suspended Senator is blaming his Party for his waywardness. He says the Party breached its own constitution when it discarded the zoning arrangement of offices between the North and the South. He insisted that the PDP’s constitution provided that key political offices be rotated between the North and the South to ensure equity.

He said : “Conscious of the need to share and rotate key political offices among the diverse people of our country, the PDP constitution clearly stated that it shall adhere, at all times,  to the policy of the rotation and zoning of the party and public elective offices in pursuance of the principle of equity , justice and fairness.

“Even when the PDP National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, made a firm commitment to step down should a Northerner emerge as Presidential Candidate for 2023 election, the Leadership jettisoned the constitutional provision and turned the logic upside down .

“Recall that the PDP in 2019 allowed the North to contest the primaries for the presidency in Port Harcourt , Rivers in which Atiku Abubakar clinched the ticket and contested the election.

“It was expected that in 2023, the PDP in a corresponding manner allows the South to contest for the plum position, but the party in its decision opened the contest for both the Northern and Southern aspirants.

“In a twist of events and political maneuvering Atiku Abubakar got the ticket again.

“The outcome of the Presidential Campaign infuriated southern PDP faithful including the G5 Governors who insist on respecting the North/ South rotation principle.”

According to him, the action of the PDP is injustice and lacked  equity, saying that leaving power in the North after President Buhari is morally wrong. Even Buhari himself threw up conditions that threw up Tinubu, a Southerner, he said.

“Having critically examined the situation , I found Bola Tinubu as the preferred candidate from the south to foot the bill in 2023,” Nnamani submitted.

Although Nnamani has, allegedly, had several meetings with Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, he has  never, in reality, been part of the G5.

The G5 is made up of five PDP Governors who are opposed to the candidacy of Atiku and Chairmanship of Ayu.

The G5 as a body has not made a choice of the Presidential Candidate of choice but some members may have made individual choices outside their party’s flag bearer, Atiku Abubakar.

This is the first time Nnamani is attributing his support for Tinubu to the alleged breach of its constitution by his party. He has, always, said his support  for Tinubu is because of the APC Candidate’s competence.

For the records, Nnamani has, since 2003, been desirous of being the President of Nigeria.

Presidency: Bello Rallies South West Youths For Tinubu

By
Tosin Olatokunbo
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Tunji Bello

The Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment, Tunji Bello has called on youths across the six south west states to vote for Bola Ahmed Tinubu, All Progressives Congress, APC, presidential candidate in the next month election. He said Tinubu is the best candidate to be president and Commander-in-Chief.

Bello, a former Secretary to the state government made the appeal at weekend, urging youths in the region to mobilisation massive votes for Tinubu because the APC candidate is the best among the candidates, adding that the former Lagos state governor will transform the country.

He spoke to the youths under the aegis of South West Youths Coordinators Mandta Meeting,

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC has recently claimed that youths constitute a huge percentage of thise that registered to votes in this year’s national election.

According to Bello, in a statement by his media aide, Kunle Adesola, Tinubu is the only candidate who has the track records to set the country on the right part.

He said: “Tinubu remains one of the brilliant minds that the country has produced and is attested from the multivarious achievements recorded during his tenure as the Governor of Lagos State with the revolutionary ideas and achievable policies he injected into the system.

“The APC candidate remains the most qualified amongst all the Presidential candidate vying for the seat based on his consistency in idea formulation and implementation.”

Akwa Ibom: PDP Insists On Eno Despite Court Order

By
Tosin Olatokunbo
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Pastor Umo Eno remains the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Akwa Ibom state in the March election, the opposition party has said.

The party in a statement on Sunday spoke in the light of rumours that Eno, a close ally of Governor Udom Emmanuel, has been suspended by the party, and therefore no longer the candidate of the party for the election.

Debo Ologunagba, the National Publicity Secretary of the party was said to have signed the letter suspending the governorship candidate.

The party’s spokesman, however, said in a statement yesterday that Eno has not been sacked from the party, as he remains the PDP candidate for the election.

Ologunagba dimissed a purported meeting held by the party recently, where such decision was said to have been reached, saying the allegation was a figment of imagination of the peddlers.

He further deny issuing a query to Eno, contrary to the allegation, adding that Eno did not violate the party rules to warrant such treatment.

“The attention of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been drawn to a fake letter purported to have been signed by the national publicity secretary, Hon. Debo Ologunagba and mischievously claiming that our governorship candidate in Akwa Ibom state, pastor Umo Bassey Eno has been suspended from the party,” the statement read.

“The PDP states in clear terms that pastor Umo Eno remains the governorship candidate of our party in Akwa Ibom state for the 2023 general elections. He is not suspended from the party, the NWC has no contemplation in that regard and there are no issues whatsoever to warrant such.

“Contrary to the claims in the fake letter, the NWC did not at any time hold any emergency meeting on any matter related to our governorship candidate in Akwa Ibom state.

“Also, the national publicity secretary did not at any time issue any letter to pastor Eno on any matter whatsoever.

“Moreover, there is no issue of violation of rules around our governorship candidate in Akwa Ibom state either at the ward, state or national level to warrant any meeting of the NWC or any organ of our party at any level on him in that regard.

“The PDP therefore in very strong terms condemns the said fake letter which is clearly the handiwork of enemies of our party whose aim is to cause disaffection and disunity in our party in Akwa Ibom state.

“Our party urges Nigerians, particularly our teeming members and supporters in Akwa Ibom state to disregard the said fake letter as pastor Umo Eno is not and was never suspended from the party.

“The NWC has already commenced investigation into those behind the malicious letter and will take very firm legal and punitive actions against any individual found culpable in accordance with the law as well as the constitution of the PDP.”

Recall that a federal high court in Abuja had on January 20 sacked Eno as the party’s governorship candidate.

Justice Fadima Aminu while delivering judgment in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1295/2022, also ordered the PDP to submit Michael Enyong’s name to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC as its candidate.

Naira Swap: House Of Representatives Rejects 10-Day Extension, Demands Longer Period

By
Ayodele Oni
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0

By Ayodele Oni

The House of Representatives has reacted to the 10 days extension granted the Naira Swap by the Central Bank of Nigeria, (CBN).

Following change in the design of N200, N500 and N1,000 denominations, the CBN gave a deadline of Tuesday, January 31, 2023, which was on Sunday, January 29, extended to February 11, 2023.

Hours after the Governor of CBN, Godwin Emefiele, announced that President Muhammadu Buhari  approved extension of 10 days as deadline, the House of Representatives rejected the extension.

The CBN Governor on Sunday said President Muhammadu Buhari gave permission for the deadline to be extended to February 10.

But, in a swift reaction, the Adhoc Committee, of the House, chaired by the leader of the House, Alhassan Ado Doguwa, rejected the deadline, insisting that the CBN must comply with sections 20 sub 3, 4, and 5 of the CBN act.

Doguwa, in a statement, signed on Sunday, said that “The 10-day extension for the exchange of the old Naira notes is not the solution.

“We, as a Legislative Committee, with a constitutional mandate of the House, would only accept clear compliance with section 20 sub 3, 4, and 5 of the CBN act and nothing more.

“Nigeria, as a developing economy and a nascent democracy, must respect the principle of the rule of law. And the House would go ahead to sign arrest warrant to compel the CBN Governor to appear before the Adhoc committee.”

He said under his chairmanship, the Committee would continue its work until it gets the demands of Nigerians addressed in accordance with the laws of the land.

Describing the extension as a mere political gimmick to further deceive Nigerians and worsen their economic and social livelihood, Doguwa said the CBN Governor must appear before the house or stand the risk of being arrested on the strength of legislative writs signed by the Speaker on Monday.

He also said the policy is capable of frustrating the forthcoming general elections.

”Security Agencies and their operations, especially at the State levels,  are generally funded through cash advances and direct table payments of allowances to operatives during elections.”

Will Federal High Court Sack President Buhari On Monday?

By
Akinwale Kasali
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0

By Akinwale Kasali

An Abuja Federal High Court, will deliver a landmark judgement Monday, January 30th, 2023, in a suit seeking the removal of the President Muhammadu Buhari from office over alleged illegalities in the 2019 presidential election.

Justice Inyang Ekwo is to deliver judgement that would also resolve a request seeking to stop the conduct of the 2023 Presidential election scheduled for February 25.

A notice for the judgment delivery just sighted on Friday by journalists at the Federal Ministry of Justice in Abuja indicated that the verdict would be handed down by 9.00 am by Justice Ekwo.

The notice was directly served on the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN) as the Chief Law Officer of the Federation for President Buhari.

Ambrose Owuru, Hope Democratic Party, HDP, Presidential Candidate in the 2019 Presidential Election had instituted legal action against Buhari and the Independent National Electoral Commission.

The Rivers State born Owuru Owuru, a British-trained constitutional lawyer, called to the Nigerian Bar in 1984 however asked the Federal High Court to declare him as the winner of the poll.

Among other reliefs, he had asked the Court to determine the legality or otherwise of the decision by INEC in 2019 during which it postponed the election from February 16 to March 23.

He claimed that INEC acted against the constitution in illegal and unlawful ways and manners the presidential poll was shifted and the declaration of Muhammadu Buhari as the winner of the unlawful act should be declared null and void and of no effect.

The ground of his claim was predicated on the fact that the petition he lodged against Buhari had not been adjudicated upon by the Supreme Court as required by law.

The politician claimed that his petition at the Supreme Court was unjustly dismissed following his absence from the Apex Court due to discrepancies in the hearing dates conveyed to him.

He, therefore, prayed the court removes Buhari and declares him (Owuru) the authentic President and that Buhari should be compelled to refund all monies he collected as salaries, emoluments and security votes.

The HDP presidential candidate also asked the court to order his inauguration for a four-year tenure of office upon removal of Buhari from office and that the Federal High Court should stop INEC from conducting the 2023 presidential election.

While claiming that his tenure had been usurped by President Buhari, the plaintiff prayed that the court should compel Buhari to refund all monies he collected as salaries, emoluments and security votes.

Justice Ekwo had on November 4 last year fixed January 30 as the judgment date following the adoption of final addresses by Buhari, the AGF, INEC and the plaintiff.

“Who Will Obi Withdraw For, Who?” – Dismisses it As “Ridiculous”

By
The Source
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Peter Obi

The Obi-Datti Campaign Media office has dismissed the strong insinuation that its Presidential Candidate, Peter Obi, plans to step down for another Presidential Candidate.

In a release, the Media Office said  “it finds it so ludicrous as to be amusing the counterfeit  news item suggesting that the Labour Party Presidential Candidate, Mr. Peter Obi is considering stepping down for somebody.

“Nothing can be more absurd than the fact that 18 persons are in a marathon to pick a trophy and somebody is suggesting that the front runner in the race who is already sighting the trophy wants to step down for somebody behind.

“The fact that other parties contesting for the President have been cloning the LP candidate in their corruptly induced gift items like bags of rice, posters and bill boards speak volume of who is the man to beat in this race.

“Since June 2022 when Obi emerged as the flag bearer of the Labour Party alongside other Presidential contestants, the Labour Party and it’s presidential campaign have increased in leaps and bounds attracting both local and global attention. The truth is that Peter Obi’s performance is now the standard by which other contestants and their parties are being measured.

“The fact that the other parties  struggle to associate their own candidates with Obi even without his consent says it all who should be associated with withdrawing or discontinuing in the race.

“In an ideal clime where respect is accorded to merit and other audacious   qualifications, other presidential candidates should have honourably thrown in the towel.

What those flying the unreasonable and ridiculous kite are trying to achieve which appeared dead on arrival, is firstly to give themselves the fake hope that they are in the race to win; secondly to distract and remove our candidate’s  eye from the ball where it’s already glued to and thirdly, to inject confusion in the mind of the public.

“After being confirmed to be ahead by four scientifically conducted opinion polls, it would be laughable to suggest even as a joke that Obi is considering stepping down, for who,  for God’s sake.

“But we understand their handicap of living in the past and refusing to buy into the raging idea whose time has come that the most vibrant and vigorous arm of the country’s populace, the youths are resolute and already charged to take back their country and that they have found in the LP standard bearer, Obi the right man for this journey whose destination is already known.

“It’s either that the purveyors of this ignoble news are incomprehensible and unintelligible about the developing political dynamics in the country or that they are clear agents of mischief hoping to inject confusion in the polity.

“Finally, given what is in the political space around the leading Presidential candidates since the electioneering, it’s crystal clear that the obviously established filthy  and disgustingly dirty candidates should be the ones who should be bowing out to give way for the revolution whose time has come.”

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