The Nigerian Senate has denied media reports that it abandoned or was poorly represented at the burial of the late Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, who represented Anambra South Senatorial District.
A statement issued on Sunday by the chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Publicity, Yemi Adaramodu, said the chamber fully accorded respect to the late lawmaker, insisting that the purported snub was a mere media insinuation.
He said Ubah was a sitting senator and deserved full honour, which the Senate was conscious of.
Adaramodu said the Senate had for the first time dedicated a whole legislative day to paying tribute to the late Ubah.
According to him: “His seat was adorned with the national flag, which was a huge honour and recognition of his contributions to the Senate and the good people he represented. The Nigerian Senate did not abandon the late Senator and his family right from the moment the news of his death became public knowledge news.”
He said the Senate commiserated with the people of Anambra and the late politician’s family, recalling that the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio immediately led a high-powered delegation of some principal officers and members of the Senate to the Lagos residence of the late Senator.
He said 100 senators out of 109 attended the valedictory session, including Vice President Kashim Shettima, who paid tribute to his accomplishments as a philanthropist, businessman and politician.
He said: “It is preposterous that anyone under any guise would suggest that the Senate failed in its role to honour the memory of Senator Ifeanyi Ubah.
“These actions, the Senate said, were a demonstration of the Senate’s respect and appreciation for Senator Ubah’s contributions. Substantial members of the Senate were in Nnewi on behalf of the Senate, which had earlier reached out to the family before his burial.
“Having done all that in his honour and some sections of the media saw that as an abandonment, it shows that the minds behind the ill-informed story were expecting distinguished senators to storm Nnewi in a show-off while mourning the untimely demise of their colleague.”
Senate denies abandoning late Ubah
