Personality in Focus
Justice Kanyip Appoints Ubani Public Trustee for Nigeria Civil Service Union
The President of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, Hon Justice B.B. Kanyip PHD has appointed a Public Trustee in the person of the former Vice President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Mr Monday O. Ubani to run the affairs of Nigeria’s oldest industrial Union, Nigeria Civil Service Union following the nullification of the union’s January 2018 National Delegates Conference in which Comrade Lawrence Amaechi-led executive was purportedly elected in a brazen violation of a valid court order that status quo be maintained pending the determination of the substantive suit”.
The Public Trustee’s initial attempt to resume duty this January having accepted the appointment was frustrated by the said Comrade Amaechi’s led Executive until the 29th of January, 2021 when the appointment was enforced by the Public Trustee with the support of the Court and the Nigerian Police.
The appointment letter from the Industrial Court, dated 29th of December, 2020 stated that Mr Ubani’s appointment is sequel to the Order contained in the judgement delivered on the 25th October, 2019 by His Lordship, the Honourable Justice Sanusi Kado of the Abuja Judicial Division of the National Industrial Court in the suit between Comrade Benson Ekasa and 1 other v. Comrade Kiri Mohammed (the then National President of the Union). The letter reads “pursuant to Section 19(c) of the National Industrial Court Act, 2006; Order 59 of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria(Civil Procedure) Rule, 2017 and the Order contained in the judgement delivered on the 25th October, 2019 by His Lordship Hon Justice Sanusi Kado, in the above subject matter suit, I hereby appoint you, Monday O. Ubani Esq, as the Public Trustee for the Nigeria Civil Service Union(herein after referred to as the “Union” for an initial period of three(3) months, effective from the date of your acceptance of the appointment, on the following terms:
1. To oversee and superitend the running of the administration and finances of the Union.
2. To convene National Delegates Conference of the National Civil Service Union and organise election to elect new executive members in line with the constitution of the Union.
3. To render account of your activities within the above specified period in a report to be forwarded to the Court immediately after the expiration of the tenure.
4. To forward a copy of the report to the Honourable Minister of Labour.
5. In the event that you are not able to conclude your assignment within the three months period stated above, you may apply for re-appointment for another three months. In this event, you shall be requested to provide satisfactory reasons why you may be so re-appointed.”
Mr Ubani who enforced his resumption on the 29th of January after the initial resistance by the illegal exco of Mr Amaechi has received the commitment of the various Heads of the staff who are running the administration before this appointment. They all promised to support the Public Trustee to succeed in the onerous task that is placed before him.
Nature abhors a vacuum hence the appointment of a Public Trustee by the Industrial Court to help conduct free, fair election and enthrone leadership acceptable to all and sundry including restoring sanity and stability to the operations of the union. It is hoped that all the warring factions will sheath their sword and give Mr Ubani who was the chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association, Ikeja Branch and the former 2nd Vice President of Nigerian Bar Association and a Senior Member of the Bar the needed support to actualize the objectives as set out in his letter of appointment.
Mr Ubani has since paid a visit to the Ministry of Labour and Employment where he saw the Junior Minister of the Ministry Mr Festus Keyamo SAN and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry in the person of Dr Yerima Tarfa PHD to intimate them of his appointment by the Court. He has also submitted his letter of notification and acceptance to the Senior Minister of the Ministry in the person of Distinguished Senator Chris Ngige.
The Minister of Police Affairs, Senator Ibrahim, has commiserated with the family of late Navy Captain Caleb Olubolade (retd) on the death of the former military administrator.
In a condolence statement signed by the Minister himself, and made available to the National Association of Online Security News Publishers (NAOSNP), Senator Gaidam lauded the fallen soldier, saying that his contributions to nation building will not be forgotten.
Olubolade died in the early hours of Monday, May 12, 2025.
Below is the detailed message:
LETTER OF CONDOLENCE TO THE FAMILY OF THE LATE NAVY CAPTAIN CALEB OLUBOLADE (RTD)
I, the Honourable Minister of Police Affairs, Senator Ibrahim Gaidami, offer condolences to the people and government of Nigeria, especially the Olubolade family, on the death of former Minister of Police Affairs, Navy Captain Caleb Olubolade (Rtd), who died today.
The Ministry and Police community share this moment of grief and sorrow with the family, the people of the state, and the entire country. When offering condolences to a statesman, it is important to acknowledge the significance of his contributions and the impact of his passing on the nation.
We are deeply saddened by the loss of a true leader and dedicated servant to our nation. His legacy will live on through his tireless efforts and commitment to the people. This is a profound loss for our country. Captain Olubolade’s dedication to public service and his unwavering commitment to the security sector will be remembered.
Our hearts are heavy as we mourn the passing of a statesman who served with honor and integrity. May his spirit of leadership inspire generations to come.
In this time of grief, we offer our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Olukayode. His contributions to our nation will not be forgotten.
A Board Member of Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF), Dr. Ayo Ogunsan, has been honoured with membership status of the Centre for African Social and Economic Transformation (CASET), University of the West of England, United Kingdom.
The recognition is coming on the heels of Ogunsan’s indefatigable commitment and unrelenting advocacy and support for quality education across all levels.
Dr. Ogunsan’s unflinching interest in education glaringly shows in his active participation as Board Member of Center for Digital Humanities (CEDHUL) in Nigeria’s frontline university, University of Lagos; as Chairman of AKEM Foundation, a nonprofit which has provided millions of naira within two (2) years to support schools and NGOs who provide education access for free to children in underserved communities in Nigeria; and in several individual sponsorships to ensure that the future is brighter for children. His personal story of prominence polished out of adversity continues to propel him forward.
This commitment is well-captured in the letter of Jo Midgley, the Deputy Vice Chancellor and the Registrar of the University of the West of England, UK who communicated the news of the appointment to the advisory board.
The academic, Jo Midgley highlighted about Dr. Ogunsan, ‘Your extensive experience and contributions to Africa’s higher education sector through training university leaders and teaching personnel, as well as your Board Membership of the Centre for Digital Humanities at the University of Lagos, Nigeria will make you an invaluable member of our CASET’s Advisory Board.’
‘As a Board member, you will play a crucial role in shaping CASET’s strategic direction, providing high-level support and guidance on stakeholder engagement strategies and knowledge dissemination efforts, helping to foster impactful collaborations and partnerships, and ensuring that the Centre’s initiatives align with the evolving needs of Africa’s social and economic landscape’, the letter stated about the expectations for the technocrat Ogunsan.
The higher institution, University of the West of England, United Kingdom also added the reason for appointing Dr. Ayo Ogunsan as Member of the Advisory Board of our Centre for African Social and Economic Transformation (CASET). They noted that they are guided by the University’s ethos of enterprise and collaboration, thus ‘the Centre is dedicated to empowering individuals and communities in Africa through strategic partnerships and transformative education and training programmes, research, evidence-based policymaking, social and cultural engagement geared towards finding practical solutions to regional social and economic challenges.’
‘We will be honoured to have you as part of our highly respected and esteemed group of experts and thought leaders.’
Midgley added that the Advisory Board convenes annually, with meetings held virtually and occasionally in person at the University of the West of England UK or in Africa where feasible.
He noted that Ogunsan’s insights and participation would be instrumental in helping CASET to achieve its mission of fostering transformative social and economic change through capacity building, research priorities, evidence-based policy and innovation.
The Registral said that Advisory Board Members were not employees of the University including CASET adding that his term as a board member would commence in June 2025 and run for a renewable period of three years on a non-remuneration basis.
“Renewal of board membership is subject to members’ continuing support, integrity and commitment to always being a good ambassador in advancing CASET’s mission.
“We will be honoured to have you as part of our highly respected and esteemed group of experts and thought leaders.
“We also appreciate your willingness to contribute to our mission and look forward to your valuable contribution to advancing CASET’s vision for transformative change in Africa,” he said in the letter.
It was gathered that Ogunasn is a prominent figure in the education sector, his expertise spans entrepreneurs hip, security management, and education, and he is widely acknowledged for his visionary leadership and unwavering commitment to excellence.
Source: Trek Africa
Robert Francis Prevost, the first pope from the United States, has a history of missionary work in Peru but also a keen grasp of the inner workings of the Church.
The new Leo XIV, a Chicago native, was entrusted by his predecessor Francis, to head the powerful Dicastery for Bishops, charged with advising the pontiff on new bishop appointments.
The sign of confidence from Francis speaks to Prevost’s commitment as a missionary in Peru to the “peripheries” – overlooked areas far from Rome prioritised by Francis – and his reputation as a bridge-builder and moderate within the Curia.
The 69-year-old Archbishop-Bishop emeritus of Chiclayo, Peru, was made a cardinal by Francis in 2023 after being named Prefect of the Dicastery, one of the Vatican’s most important departments — and a post that introduced him to all key players in the Church.
Vatican watchers had given Prevost the highest chances among the group of US cardinals of being pope, given his pastoral bent, global view and ability to navigate the central bureaucracy.
Italian newspaper, La Repubblica, called him “the least American of the Americans” for his soft-spoken touch.
His strong grounding in canon law has also been seen as reassuring to more conservative cardinals seeking a greater focus on Theology.
Following Francis’s death, Prevost said there was “still so much to do” in the work of the Church.
“We can’t stop, we can’t turn back. We have to see how the Holy Spirit wants the Church to be today and tomorrow, because today’s world, in which the Church lives, is not the same as the world of ten or 20 years ago,” he told Vatican News last month.
“The message is always the same: proclaim Jesus Christ, proclaim the Gospel, but the way to reach today’s people, young people, the poor, politicians, is different,” he said.
Born on September 14, 1955, in Chicago, Prevost attended a Minor Seminary of the Order of St Augustine in St Louis as a novice before graduating from Philadelphia’s Villanova University, an Augustinian institution, with a degree in Mathematics.
After receiving a masters degree in divinity from Chicago’s Catholic Theological Union in 1982, and a doctorate decree in canon law in Rome, the polyglot joined the Augustinians in Peru in 1985 for the first of his decade-long missions in that country.
Returning to Chicago in 1999, he was made provincial prior of the Augustinians in the US Midwest and later the prior general of the order throughout the world.
But he returned to Peru in 2014 when Francis appointed him as apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Chiclayo in the country’s north.
Nearly a decade later, Prevost’s appointment in 2023 as head of the Dicastery came after Canadian Cardinal Marc Ouellet was accused of sexually assaulting a woman and resigned for age reasons.
The Vatican later dropped the case against Ouellet for insufficient evidence.
Prevost also serves as president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America.
