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November 25, 2024
The Senate leadership also never contacted the burial committee nor the family to make input in the preparation of their late colleague's burial and did not attend his burial impressively.
The family of late Senator Ifeanyi Ubah has again challenged the Nigerian Senate, asking its spokesman, Senator Yemi Adaramodu to provide evidences to contradict media report that the Nigeria's upper legislature chamber snubbed and abandoned the family during the burial of their late colleague.
SaharaReporters had reported on Saturday that the Senator Godswill Akpabio-led leadership of Nigerian Senate appeared to have abandoned the family of the late senator who represented Anambra South Senatorial District as the chamber neither sent key delegates nor made financial contributions to the burial, a development that had been criticised as unbecoming.
Citing sources in the family, SaharaReporters reported that the Senate leadership failed to set up a committee to liase with the family or the national burial committee.
The Senate leadership also never contacted the burial committee nor the family to make input in the preparation of their late colleague's burial and did not attend his burial impressively.
The Senate had refuted the claims in a statement issued by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Publicity, Yemi Adaramodu, on Sunday.
Adaramodu had noted that "nearly 100 senators" attended a valedictory session held in Ubah's honour, during which Vice President Kashim Shettima and other lawmakers paid tributes to Ubah’s legacy as a philanthropist, businessman, and politician.
On Monday, a family member told SaharaReporters that they stood by the media report that the upper chamber did not impressively attend the burial of their late colleague who died in service.
In a report titled: "fact check and bare faced lies by Senate Spokesman, Senator Yemi Adaramodu on the allegation of abandonment of Senator Ifeanyi Ubah," the family described as "a big lie" the claim that 100 Senators attended the night of tribute of Senator Ifeanyi Ubah held on Monday evening, 18th November at the NAF Event Centre Abuja.
According to the family source, not more than 30 Senators attended the event, challenging the Senate Spokesman to provide pictorial or video evidence to back his claim instead of lying and deceiving the public that 100 Senators attended the event.
According to the family source, "On Saturday, 17th August 2024, the Senate President led a delegation of four Senators - namely Senator Abiru Adetokunbo, Senator Saliu Mustapha, Senator Karimi Steve and Senator Osita Ngwu and attended the wedding of daughter of ranking Senator Victor Umeh, and been that he was in Lagos same day, paid a condolence visit to the family of Senator Ifeanyi Ubah in the same Lagos.
"It is a big lie that 100 Senators attended the night of tribute of Senator Ifeanyi Ubah held on Monday evening, 18th Nov 2024 at NAF event centre Abuja. The Senators that attended the event were not up to 30 in number, despite the fact that the event held in Abuja. Let the Senate Spokesman provide pictorial or video evidence to rebut this open fact instead of lying and deceiving the public that 100 Senators attended the event."
Another family source said, "On Tuesday, 19th November 2024, the Senate decorated Senator Ifeanyi Ubah's seat with National flag and also that the Senate dedicated the whole legislative day of the said date to pay tribute to the late Senator Ubah is no big deal. It is their responsibility and role since Senator Ifeanyi Ubah died in active service as serving Senator.
"The barefaced lie that substantial Senators attended Senator Ifeanyi Uba's burial in Nnewi on 22nd November 2024, cannot hold water.
"Let the Senate Spokesman list the names of senators that attended the burial. We reiterate that only nine senators attended the burial out of 109 Senators - seven senators from the South East, one from South South and one from North Central. This nine senators represent only 8.2% Senators attendance."
The family maintained that if the Senate Spokesman had contrary pictorial or video evidence to refute their position, he should present such to the public.
"We seriously challenge the Senate Spokesman to provide evidence to rebutt the issue of Senate not liaising with the burial organising committee to know arrangements for the burial of their colleague or that they did not contribute a kobo for logistics for burial arrangements/sent any money to the burial committee for their departed colleague."
SaharaReporters reported that Senator Ubah, an All Progressives Congress (APC) stalwart, died in a hotel in London, the United Kingdom in July.
Meanwhile, attempts to get the reactions of the Senate were not successful as of the time of filing this report.