9th Senate: Ubah advocates merit in appointment of National Assembly leadership, committees

Chief Ifeanyi Ubah, Senator-elect for Anambra South Senatorial District says experience and knowledge of members should be considered in appointment of senate leadership and committees.
Ubah, who was elected on the platform of Young Progressives Party, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Nnewi, Anambra on Tuesday.
According to him, appointing members based on merit above party affiliation is one of the ways the 9th Senate can perform better than the previous ones.
The senator-elect said he was bringing in so much value to the senate because of his rich background of practical knowledge of major sectors of the nation’s economy.
He said his lone-senator and minority status would not be a disadvantage to him as he would work with members of the parties in caucus to see how the entire senate could serve Nigeria better.
He said: “Members of the senate should be given opportunity to serve in committees that are related to their areas of specialty.
“For me, I fit into Oil and Gas, having the biggest platform in the downstream sector; I can serve in Sports with highest private investment in sports facility in the country.
“I also qualify for media committee I have knowledge of how the industry works with my investments in Authority Newspaper, Authority Radio and Authority Television.
“I am about the only senator that has built capacity in almost all sectors of the economy real estate, maritime.
“I may also be one of the highest employers of labour. These are backgrounds I am bringing so much value.”
Ubah promised to use his closeness with the grassroots to influence legislation that would address the needs of the larger majority of the Nigerian masses especially the people of Anambra South.
He said he would use the opportunity given to him by his constituents to serve him them.
He said: “I have been close to the Nigerian project, I understand how it works, more importantly, I am a grassroots politician and I will not sit and watch the needs of my people go unattended to.
“I will not rest on my oars, they have given me great opportunity, I shall use it to work for them.”