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Maikyau Emerges NBA New President As Akpata Bows Out
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr Yakubu Chonoko Maikyau, has emerged as the 36th President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA). Maikyau emerged during NBA elections held from 12.00.a.m. on Saturday to 11.59 p.m. of the same day.
He polled a total of 22,342 votes to defeat two other contenders, including Chairman of the NBA Security Agencies’ Relations Committee, Joe-Kyari Gadzama (SAN), and a former General Secretary of the NBA, Jonathan Taidi.
Chairman of the NBA Electoral Committee, Mr Ayodele Akintunde (SAN), announced the results at a hybrid press briefing, yesterday.
He said, “A total of 59,392 records were received as people on final voter register, and we were able to upload 59,388 records with four records being invalid contact information.
“A total of 34, 809 votes were cast representing 58.61per cent of the total number of eligible voters, while 1,314 ballots opened but were not cast,” he said.
He said that Maikyau polled 22,342 votes representing 64.6per cent of votes cast for the office of the president, while Gadzama polled 10,842 votes and Taidi polled 1,380.
Other winners at the elections include, Mrs Linda Bala as NBA First Vice President with a total of 21,717 votes, representing 66.3per cent of votes cast for the office.
Mr Clement Ugo was elected NBA Second Vice President with a total of 11,377 votes, representing 38.6per cent of votes cast for the office.
Mrs Amanda Demechi-Asagba, president of the African Women Lawyers Association, emerged NBA Third Vice President with a total of 19,602 votes, representing 64.6per cent of votes cast for the office.
Mr Adesina Adegbite won the election for the office of NBA General Secretary with a total of 18,536 votes, representing 56.2per cent of votes cast for the office.
Mr Daniel Kip emerged as NBA Assistant General Secretary with a total of 10,071 votes, representing 31.7per cent of votes cast for the office.
Mrs Caroline Anze-Bishop was elected NBA Treasurer with a total of 12,012 votes, representing 37.4per cent of votes cast for the office.
Ms ChinyereObasi emerged as NBA Welfare Secretary with a total of 10,452 votes, representing 32.4per cent of votes cast for the office.
Mr HabeebLawal was elected NBA Publicity Secretary with a total of 17,650 votes, representing 53.5per cent of votes cast for the office.
Mr Charles Ajiboye won election for the office of NBA Assistant Publicity Secretary with a total 17, 811 votes, representing 57.1per cent of votes cast for the office.
The elections were through electronic voting.
Maikyau succeeds Mr Olumide Akpata elected in 2020.
Akpata made history as the only NBA President in the past 10 years who is not a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.
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I’m Committed To Community Dev – Ajinwo
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RSG Tasks Rural Dwellers On RAAMP …As Sensitization Team Visits Akulga, Degema, Three Others

Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their living conditions.
This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.
Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s
She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.
According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.
The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.
Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.
Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.
According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.
He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.
Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.
During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.
The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.
He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.
They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.
At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.
King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.
Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.
Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.
At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.
He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.
Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.
John Bibor
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Senate Replaces Natasha As Committee Chairman

The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.
Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.
In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.
However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.
In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.
Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.
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