As Owanari Duke Retires from Group Board

Africa’s Global Bank, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, has announced the appointment of Henrietta Ngozi Ugboh as a Non-Executive Director on the Group’s Board.

The appointment has been duly approved by the relevant regulatory bodies including the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) whose approval was granted last Friday.

UBA’s Group Chairman, Tony Elumelu, who commented on the appointment, said, “Henrietta Ngozi Ugboh exemplifies the qualities of a seasoned banker and professional, with decades in her banking career.”

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Ugboh holds a degree in Economics and Statistics from the University of Benin, an MBA from ESUT Business School, and is an alumnus of the Harvard Business School. She has over 30 years experience in banking and is an Honorary Senior Member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria and a Fellow of the Institute of Credit Administration (FICA).

Elumelu added that with her considerable experience and expertise which spans Commercial Banking, Credit, and Risk Management, amongst others, the Board is excited about the positive accomplishment she will bring to the bank, adding, “We look forward to her invaluable contributions to the Group.”

The Board also announced the retirement of Mrs. Owanari Duke, an Independent Non-Executive Director, who joined the UBA Group Board in October 2012.

During her tenure, Mrs. Owanari Duke provided distinguished leadership, serving on numerous Committees of the Bank such as the Board Governance Committee, Board Audit, Governance, Nomination & Remuneration Committee, Board Credit Committee, Finance & General Purpose Committee and Statutory Audit Committee.

On behalf of the board, Elumelu expressed deep appreciation to Mrs. Duke for her dedication and significant contributions to the Group, wishing her the best in her future endeavour.

United Bank for Africa Plc is a leading Pan-African financial institution, offering banking services to more than forty-five million customers, across 1,000 business offices and customer touch points in 20 African countries. With presence in New York, London, Paris and Dubai, UBA is connecting people and businesses across Africa through retail, commercial and corporate banking, innovative cross-border payments and remittances, trade finance and ancillary banking services

The attention of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has been drawn to a viral video where the nation’s currency, Naira, was freely sprayed at a wedding ceremony in Kano, Kano State on Friday, October 24, 2024.

Allegations of the abuse of the Naira were imputed to Mrs Fauziya Danjuma Goje, daughter of Senator Danjuma Goje, by Nigerians from all walks of life, including an Editorial by a leading and respected National Newspaper.

As a responsible and accountable anti-corruption agency campaigning against currency mutilation and dollarization of the economy, the EFCC swung into action by analysing the video and findings showed that the alleged naira abuse actually happened but not at the wedding of Goje’s daughter but at the wedding dinner of Amina Babagana Zannah held on the afore-mentioned date.

Zannah is the daughter of Hajara Seidu Haruna (a.ka. Hafsat Gold Nigeria) who is the Chief Executive Officer of Hafsat Jewellery Enterprise with offices in Abuja, Kano and Dubai (United Arab Emirate).

Haruna confirmed the viral video. She admitted that the alleged naira abuse took place at the wedding dinner of her daughter on October 24, 2024. The bridegroom, Ibrahim Mohammad hails from Niger Republic and those that allegedly sprayed naira notes and dollar bills were from the groom’s family in Niger Republic.

The Commission has invited the Nigerien groom, Mohammad, to report at its national headquarters in Abuja, with everyone that sprayed naira notes at his wedding with Zannah.

While the EFCC appreciates the consciousness its campaigns against naira abuse is building across the country, it will not move against anyone wrongly accused of an alleged crime. The Commission remains steadfast in this crusade and would spare no offender , no matter how highly placed.

The Transition Committee of the All Progressives Congress has recommended a probe into more than N410 billion in local and foreign debts allegedly owed by the Edo government.

The committee made the recommendation on Monday in its report presented to Monday Okpebholo ahead of his inauguration on Tuesday as Edo’s fifth democratically elected governor.

Presenting the document, Pius Odubu, the chairman of the committee, said the committee was presented with N410 billion in debts as against the N55 billion inherited by the outgoing government in 2016.

“For those of you who have the capability to fact-check, you will find out that the indebtedness today is much more. It is over N500billion,” he said.

Mr Odubu, an erstwhile deputy governor, said the committee also recommended a review of memoranda of understanding on the management of Central and Stella Obasanjo hospitals.

“All employment carried out in the recent past should be cancelled, while the governor should investigate the true ownership of the Ossiomo power plant and Radisson Blu Hotel.

“The same with the Museum of West Africa Arts-MOWAA. We deserve to know the state’s equity in these companies as the outgoing government went blank on these enquiries.

“We also demanded a comprehensive review of the World Bank-funded EdoBest programme, and a probe should be instituted to uncover its rather opaque operations,” Mr Odubu explained.

“Mr Odubu added, “All major contracts issued by the state government under the Ministry of Roads and Bridges should be reviewed as they appear not to have followed due process, including the payment advance awarded to the contractors.

“The procurement agency indicted the government in its own report to the transition committee. Hence, we have advised the incoming governor to take a critical review.”

The committee chairman also called for streamlining the ICT ecosystem in the state, which he said appeared to be a duplication of duties.

“The outgoing government didn’t provide audited financial statements published or unpublished. Hence, the committee is advising the government to institute an inquiry into this.

“The government couldn’t account for the number of teachers in the state. Hence, we demand a proper teacher headcount,” Mr Odubu said.

The committee chairman said the document, comprised of a 24-page report and 800 annexures, was a product of three weeks of rigorous assignments, meetings, interactions, engagements and analyses of the documents presented to the committee.

(NAN)