Wigwe buried with wife, son in private cemetery as dignitaries extol his legacies – Newstrends
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Wigwe buried with wife, son in private cemetery as dignitaries extol his legacies

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Wigwe buried with wife, son in private cemetery as dignitaries extol his legacies

  • Gov Fubara says power struggle meaningless

 

The remains of Dr. Herbert Wigwe, co-founder and Chief Executive of Access Bank Group, his wife Chizoba and 29-year-old son Chizzy were on Saturday buried in a private cemetery of a palatial home he built inside the Wigwe University in Isiokpo, Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State.

They had died in the ill-fated helicopter that crashed between the boundaries of Nevada and California in the United States after 11-hour flight from London on February 9, 2024.

Governor of Rivers State and chief host, Siminalayi Fubara, challenged the political class to reflect on the essence of a power struggle when it is not deployed in impacting society positively.

“Here lies our brother, his wife and son; everyone has come to celebrate them. It means even in the short period that they lived, they lived impactful lives. They made great contributions to humanity.

“Here is a man, though not a politician; he made his money through our investments. He had the world in his palm financially. He even controlled the political class. This takes me to my question to the political class: What is all this struggle all about? You want to kill and bury, to what end?

“But today, with all the power financially, he couldn’t control life. Is it not enough for us to ask ourselves, why are we struggling? Why are we not making enough impact in the lives of our people? Please, let the political class reflect on this.”

Also speaking at the funeral, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, who attended the funeral ceremony at the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, Lion of Judah Parish, Isiokpo, described Wigwe as a great mentor who positively impacted the younger generations to greatness.

The Senate President noted that Wigwe’s passion for human capital development prompted him to support many in acquiring tertiary education across the world, as well as establishing a university in his hometown.

He said the late Access Bank boss had left behind indelible legacies that would be difficult to equate in the education and financial sectors respectively and enjoined all to imbibe the positive virtues of the late billionaire.

“I believe he was a great mentor. He mentored a lot of younger people and he was a serious role model to the future generation that you can build from nothing and get to greatness.”

A former Speaker of the House of Representatives and immediate past Governor of Sokoto State, Waziri Aminu Tambuwal, said Wigwe gave his best to the financial sector in Nigeria.

Dignitaries who attended the funeral service include a former Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, a former Speaker of the House of Representatives Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal, Governor of Abia State, Mr Alex Otti, a former Central Bank Governor, Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and Mr Peter Obi, Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections.

Others are President of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Aigboje Aig-Imuokhuede, co-founder of Access Bank; Pastor Umo Eno, Akwa Ibom State Governor; Dr Kayode Fayemi, former Governor of Ekiti State, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi, a former Minister of Transportation; Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri; Mr Celestine Omehia, a former Governor of Rivers State; Senator Seriake Dickson, a former Governor of Bayelsa State; Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, Mr Timi Alaibe, a former NDDC Managing Director; and Prince Nduka Obaigbena, Publisher of Thisday Newspaper.

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DSS, NIA probe Natasha Akpoti’s attendance at IPU meeting

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Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan

DSS, NIA probe Natasha Akpoti’s attendance at IPU meeting

Nigeria’s security and intelligence agencies have launched an investigation into how Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of Kogi Central attended the recent Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) meeting in New York without official nomination.

According to a report by Premium Times, officials from the Department of State Service (DSS) and the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) are reportedly examining the circumstances surrounding her attendance, including who facilitated her participation, how she obtained accreditation, and whether her presence was intended to embarrass the Nigerian government.

The investigation follows concerns that the senator did not receive official clearance from the Nigerian Senate to represent the country at the IPU event on March 11.

According to the IPU’s regulations, participation is generally restricted to official delegates nominated by their respective national parliaments, with details submitted in advance for accreditation. While some individuals may attend as observers, this typically requires explicit approval from both the IPU and the home country’s delegation.

At the meeting, Mrs. Akpoti-Uduaghan raised concerns about her recent suspension from the Nigerian Senate, describing it as a politically motivated move aimed at silencing her. She also made allegations of sexual harassment against Senate President Godswill Akpabio. In response, IPU President Tulia Ackson stated that the organization would investigate the matter while also considering the Nigerian Senate’s perspective.

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However, Nigerian delegate Kafilat Ogbara, who chairs the House Committee on Women Affairs and Social Development, challenged Akpoti-Uduaghan’s claims, presenting a letter from Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele. The letter stated that the senator’s suspension was due to violations of Senate standing rules rather than retaliation for her statements against Mr. Akpabio.

During a plenary session last Thursday, Mr. Bamidele questioned the legitimacy of Mrs. Akpoti-Uduaghan’s attendance at the IPU event, emphasizing that the IPU operates based on established protocols.

“So, if for any reason one of our colleagues, who was not even supposed to be there, found her way to the place, sat on the seat meant for Nigeria, and spoke for herself rather than for Nigeria, you know, that’s another issue altogether,” he stated.

Similarly, Jimoh Ibrahim, chairman of the Senate Committee on Inter-Parliamentary Activities, issued a statement on Friday asserting that Mrs. Akpoti-Uduaghan had no official authorization to represent Nigeria at the IPU meeting.

Sources indicate that the DSS and NIA’s inquiry is examining whether Mrs. Akpoti-Uduaghan obtained unauthorized credentials or was assisted by external facilitators in securing her participation. Investigators are also looking into whether her presence violated IPU regulations or Nigeria’s parliamentary protocols.

Additionally, the probe aims to determine if her statements at the meeting misrepresented Nigeria’s official position and whether any individuals or organizations played a role in facilitating her attendance without the government’s knowledge.

It remains unclear how the security agencies will act once their findings are concluded.

 

DSS, NIA probe Natasha Akpoti’s attendance at IPU meeting

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Why we awarded Lagos-Calabar coastal highway project to Hitech – Dave Umahi

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Minister of Works David Umahi 

Why we awarded Lagos-Calabar coastal highway project to Hitech – Dave Umahi

The Federal Government has explained why it awarded the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project to Hitech Construction Company Ltd.

The Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, made the explanation during an inspection tour of the highway project in Lagos on Saturday.

“Some people say that it didn’t go through a competitive bidding.

“I want to explain this: we have three types of procurement allowed by law,” he said.

Umahi listed the three types as restrictive procurement, selective/competitive bidding, and open bidding.

“When we started this project, we asked for companies that have up to five wirtgne concrete paver.

“You will agree with me that until we started this, the concrete paver was not common in Nigeria as it is today.

“We had to look for a company that had done this kind of project before, and that is Hitech.”

He noted that Hitech reconstructed the Oworonshoki Apapa Road.

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“We saw that they got it right; so, we called them on Section 1.

“Then, we used restrictive bidding, which we sent to BPP (Bureau for Public Procurement) and we sent to the Federal Executive Council and they looked at it and corrected where they should and passed it accordingly.

“When other companies started bringing in some equipment, because they saw that Ministry of Works is insisting, especially where we have high water table, that we must use concrete, they started to bring in concrete equipment,” he said.

Umahi said that the Federal Government consequently opened Section 2 of the project to selective bidding and selected some companies and they bid.

He said that Hitech won the bidding for Lagos-Calabar Coastal highway project.

The minister said that in Section 3A and 3B, the same thing happened.

“We have not gone outside the law, we have not gone outside the Procurement Act.”

He emphasised that President Bola Tinubu did not recommend any company for the Lagos-Calabar Coastal highway project.

“ I want to say that there is no corruption in it. It is very transparent,” Umahi added.

 

Why we awarded Lagos-Calabar coastal highway project to Hitech – Dave Umahi

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Corps member alleges threats over viral video criticising Tinubu gov’t

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Corps member alleges threats over viral video criticising Tinubu gov’t

corps member serving in Lagos State has alleged that she is receiving threatening messages after publicly criticizing President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

In a viral video, the corps member, identified on TikTok as @talktoraye, voiced her frustration over Nigeria’s worsening economic situation, particularly the rising cost of living.

She questioned the government’s response to inflation and lamented how the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) program has not been financially sustainable for her, as her expenses far exceed her allowance.

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She said: “If a lot of Nigerians come out and start speaking about what we are going through, maybe changes will be made in the government. I just want to say to our president, I don’t know if there is any other president that is as terrible as you, but you are such a terrible president.”

The corps member recounted her shock at the soaring prices of essential goods, including a crate of eggs now selling for N6,500, a significant jump from previous prices. She also complained about skyrocketing utility bills and transportation costs, describing them as unsustainable.

Following the video’s circulation, she claimed to have received calls from an NYSC official, who allegedly pressured her to take down the post.

In a subsequent video, she shared a recording of one such call, during which an official reportedly scolded her, saying: “Are you normal? Keep quiet and bring down the video you posted.”

As of now, the NYSC has not issued an official response to these allegations.

 

Corps member alleges threats over viral video criticising Tinubu gov’t

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