South Africa: Nigerian insurance director’s death cause unnatural

Indications have emerged that the Nigerian insurance director
and mother, Mrs Uju Ndubuisi Chukwu, who died during a Pan African
conference in South Africa was killed in her hotel room at Emperor
Palace Hotel, Johannesburg.

This is coming following the autopsy report released by the
Director-General of the Department of Health, Republic of South
Africa, which stated that Mrs Chukwu, a Deputy Director-General of
the Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (CIIN) died of
”Unnatural Cause Consistent with Strangulation”. This lays to rest
the initial believe that she died in her sleep overnight.

Unnatural death is a category used by coroners or medical
examiners and vital statistics specialists for classifying all
human deaths not properly describable as death by natural causes.
Hence it would include events such as accident, drug overdose,
attack by an animal, mob killing, execution, homicide, medical
error, misadventure, State-sponsored mass murder, suicide and
war.

Meanwhile, the report from South African authorities has thrown
the insurance industry in the country and across the continent into
confusion as the abridged death certificate provided by the South
African authorities was silent on the type of unnatural cause that
killed Mrs Chukwu.

Most alarming to the insurance fraternity is the fact that the
South African authorities have also said that CCTV footage provided
by the hotel management to the police showed no one entered the
deceased’s room despite the autopsy report that her death was
unnatural.

In a chat, the Executive Chairman, Nigerians in Diaspora
Commission (NIDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, said the Consular General
in South Africa, Mr Godwin Adama is working with police authorities
to unravel the cause of death.

She disclosed that an officer from the mission has been detailed
to handle the case, along with South Africa Police, and the
deceased’s brother is also with the team in South Africa.

She said Adama has assured that everything will be done to get
to the root of the mysterious death.

She said: “We condole with the family of the deceased and assure
that everything practically possible will be done to unravel what
led to the tragic incident.

“We are trying to reach out to the family members so that we can
pay a condolence visit to her them”.

The CIIN President, Mr. Eddie Efekoha also in an interview with
the newspaper said he cannot say it is true or not that Mrs Chukwu
was killed because he has not seen any document to support it,
other than the report by the South African authorities that simply
states unnatural cause.

He said Mrs Chukwu was full of life at the conference and they
need the authorities to explain to them what killed the woman.

He said the institute has written to the African Insurance
Organisation (AIO), the Institute of Insurance of South Africa
(IISA) and the Nigeria Consular, South Africa that we have an
abridged report which states unnatural death but we need more
answers. IISA have written back to us to say they are unable to
make any headway.

“The family also have a major role to play because they are they
are to get information from the authorities. We wanted to leave her
course in South Africa to enable us get to the root of the matter
but the family said they want to bury her. As an institute, we are
interested in unravelling the cause of her death and we will pursue
to a logical conclusion”, he added.

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Senate Will Break PIB Jinx – Lawan
Senate President Ahmad Lawan has expressed confidence that the
National Assembly will ensure the quick passage of Petroleum
Industry Bill (PIB) as part of total reform of the Nigerian oil and
gas industry.

Lawan made this known when he received the Chief Executive
Officer of the Exxon- Mobil Group of Companies, Mr. Pul McGrath and
management team of the company, who paid him a courtesy visit in
Abuja.

A statement by his Special Assistant on Media and Publicity,
Mohammed Isa quoted the Senate President saying, “several attempts
have been made by previous Assemblies, but the PIB was not
passed.

“We came closer in the 8th Assembly, we split the Bill, we did
better than previous Assemblies unfortunately we ran out of time. I
promise Nigerians that as soon as we inaugurate our relevant
committees they will start the work on the PIB.

“This time around, we will work with every stakeholder in the
industry. Whatsoever it will take to make this Bill a reality and
beneficial to Nigerians and the players, we will not hesitate.

“We demand your collaboration, we will work together in the
interest of the country and everyone.”

Lawan charged multinational oil companies operating in the Niger
Delta region to as a matter of priority intensify efforts on their
corporate social responsibility.

According to him, “corporate social responsibility is one area
that require our attention. The host community that produce this
oil must be taken care of. The goose that lay golden eggs must be
protected.”

Earlier, Mr. McGrath assured the Senate President of the
readiness of his company to support and collaborate a with the
parliament in reforming the oil sector.

“We look forward to closer working relationship with the 9th
National Assembly and in particular the Senate. We will support the
reform in the industry and our commitment is intact”, he
assured.

Mohammed Isa
Special Assistant to the Senate President on Media and
Publicity
……..

Lawan Congratulates Kyari, SGF
Senate President, Ahmad Lawan has congratulated Mallam Abba Kyari,
the Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari and the Secretary
to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha over their
re-appointments by the President.

Lawan, in a statement by his Special Assistant on Media and
Publicity, Mohammed Isa said the re-appointments was a confirmation
of the confidence and trust the President reposed in them.

He said, “the re-appointments of Mallam Kyari and the SGF by the
President is an appreciation of their commitments and contributions
to the President’s successes in the last four years.

“As key figures of this administration, the roles played by the
Chief of Staff and the SGF in achieving the successes recorded so
far by President Buhari cannot be over emphasized”.

The Senate President urged the Chief of Staff and the SGF to use
their renewed mandate to redouble their commitment, and deploy
their wealth of experiences to assist the President in achieving
his next level agenda.

Mohammed Isa
Special Assistant to the Senate President on Media and
Publicity
………………………….