Stella Omu

Stella Omu (born 22 December 1946) is a Nigerian politician who was elected Senator on the People's Democratic Party (PDP) platform in 1999 for the Delta South Senatorial District of Delta State.[1]

Stella Omu
Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria from Delta South Senatorial District
In office
May 1999 – May 2003
Succeeded byJames Manager
Personal details
Born (1946-12-22) December 22, 1946
NationalityNigerian
Political partyPDP
Spouse(s)Paul Omu

Background

Omu is of Isoko origin.[2] She was born on 22 December 1946.[3] Her husband is retired Major-General Paul Omu, formerly Military Governor of South-Eastern State, Nigeria. She is the mother of three daughters and three sons. She was an assistant Comptroller General of the Nigerian Immigration Service, and retired from the civil service as Controller of the Prisons Service.[1][4] She was a member of the committee on devolution of power constituent assembly (1994–95).[5]

Senate career

Omu was elected Senator on the PDP platform in 1999 for the Delta South constituency. She was appointed chief whip of the Senate and vice-chairman of the Senate committees on National Planning and on Women Affairs & Youth Development.[1][6] In May 2001, Omu denied allegations of financial impropriety against the Senate led by Anyim Pius Anyim, maintaining that they were unfounded and would have been discovered by auditors if real.[7]

In November 2001, she received a letter containing a suspicious powdery substance, with the logo of the Federal Ministry of Communications. Other National Assembly members later received similar letters. This caused alarm as lawmakers suspected the substance to be anthrax, an agent of biological terrorism. Letters tainted with anthrax had recently been reported in United States after the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks.[8] In June 2002, after a supreme court ruled that the National Assembly did not have the power to make laws for the governance of the local governments, Omu started the process of amending the relevant provisions of the 1999 constitution.[9]

In August 2002, she was a target of attack by Senators who distrusted her close relationship with President Obasanjo and her statement that the one-day election clause in the Electoral Bill 2002 might be reversed.[10] She resigned at the end of the month.[11] She ran for the PDP nomination for reelection in 2003, but lost to James Manager, a former Delta State commissioner for Works in the James Ibori cabinet.[12]

Later career

In June 2003, Omu called on the national Assembly to quickly pass the bill for the establishment of National Agency for the Social Welfare of Nigeria Citizens. While in office, she had jointly sponsored the bill with Senators Omololu Meroyi and Lekan Salami.[13] In an August 2003 interview she urged all the warring groups in Warri to lay down their arms, saying that Ijaws and Itsekiris are brothers and should not allow political differences or other socio-economic factors to separate them.[14] In December 2005, she was chair of a Presidential Committee investigating a jail break in Port Harcourt.[15] In September 2008 she was a member of the Niger Delta Technical Committee.[16]

References
  1. Waheed Odusile, Ufot Essien, Kola Ologbondiyan, Oma Djebah and Chris Nwachuku (2001-11-10). "PDP's Men of Power". ThisDay. Archived from the original on 2005-12-02. Retrieved 2010-02-27.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. Eddy Odivwri (2003-01-18). "Delta Senatorial Contest: The Actors, the Props". ThisDay. Archived from the original on 2004-12-27. Retrieved 2010-02-27.
  3. Sherrif Balogun (2006-02-15). "For Omu, How Does Life Feel at 60?". ThisDay. Archived from the original on 30 June 2006. Retrieved 2010-02-27.
  4. Chukwudi Nwabuko (2001-02-23). "Senate: United against the Siren". ThisDay. Retrieved 2010-02-27.
  5. Anne Damisa, Afia Okon, Chris Nwachuku, Yemi Shaba and Abiose Adelaja (2001-11-24). "Amazons on the March". ThisDay. Retrieved 2010-02-27.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  6. "CHAIRMAN AND VICE CHAIRMAN OF SENATE COMMITTEES". Online Nigeria. Retrieved 2010-02-27.
  7. Kingsley Nwezeh (2001-05-15). "No Fraud in the Senate - Omu". ThisDay. Retrieved 2010-02-27.
  8. Bature Umar & Iyefu Adoba (2001-11-30). "Anthrax Scare Rocks National Assembly". ThisDay. Archived from the original on 2013-01-16. Retrieved 2010-02-27.
  9. Shoma Omagbemi (18 June 2002). "Senator Omu Moves to Amend Constitution". Vanguard. Retrieved 2010-02-27.
  10. Bature Umar (2002-09-01). "What Hope As The Senate Battles Obasanjo?". ThisDay. Retrieved 2010-02-27.
  11. Bature Umar (August 30, 2002). "AAGM: I Resigned As Chief Whip to Preserve Democracy, Says Omu". Asia Africa Intelligence Wire. Retrieved 2010-02-27.
  12. "Stella Omu Loses PDP Senatorial Ticket". Vanguard. December 23, 2002. Retrieved 2010-02-27.
  13. Tokunbo Adedoja (9 June 2003). "Omu Tasks Senate On Social Welfare Agency Bill". ThisDay. Retrieved 2010-02-27.
  14. Tokunbo Adedoja (2003-08-25). "Warri Crisis, Threat to National Peace - Omu". ThisDay. Retrieved 2010-02-27.
  15. John Iwori (8 December 2005). "Jail Break: Alamieyeseigha Wants Drastic Overhaul". ThisDay. Retrieved 2010-02-27.
  16. Kalu Idika Kalu (5 September 2008). "Niger Delta Technical Committee Members - Who Are They?". ThisDay. Retrieved 2010-02-27.
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