Omar Abubakar Hambagda (28 July 1949 - 30 May 2016) was a Nigerian politician who was a member of the

Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

for the Borno South constituency.

Background

Omar Abubakar Hambagda was born on 28 July 1949. He obtained an MA from the

University of Lancaster , mottoeng = Truth lies open to all , established = , endowment = £13.9 million , budget = £317.9 million , type = Public , city = Bailrigg, City of Lancaster , country = England , coor = , campus = Bailrigg , faculty = 1 ...

. He became commissioner for Health (1993) and Education (1999) in

Borno State Borno State is a state in the North-East geopolitical zone of Nigeria, bordered by Yobe to the west, Gombe to the southwest, and Adamawa to the south while its eastern border forms part of the national border with Cameroon, its northern border ...

, and was an associate professor and head of business management at the

University of Maiduguri The University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) is a Federal higher institution located in Maiduguri, the capital city of Borno State in northeast Nigeria. The university was created by the federal government of Nigeria in 1975, with the intention of its b ...

. In 1996, he published a book: ''Accountability in government: the role of the civil service''.

First Senate term 2003-2007

In April 2003, Hambagda ran for the Senate on the

All Nigeria Peoples Party The All Nigeria Peoples Party (abbr. ANPP) was a political party in Nigeria. Under the leadership of Late Chief Edwin Ume-Ezeoke who was its vice presidential candidate to General Muhammadu Buhari in the 2007 presidential elections. The party ...

(ANPP) ticket and was elected for the Borno South constituency. He was reelected in 2007. He was a strong contender for the position of Senate Minority leader, but lost to Senator

Maina Maaji Lawan Maina Maaji Lawan (born 12 July 1954) a former governor and former senator for Borno State and a businessman-farmer, the CEO of Dansarki Farms. Background Maina Ma’aji Lawan, CON, was born 12 July 1954 at Kauwa in Kukawa Local Government Are ...

of Borno North. In January 2004, Hambagda announced that the Federal Government would start construction of a 62 kilometre road to link Nigeria with

Cameroon Cameroon (; french: Cameroun, ff, Kamerun), officially the Republic of Cameroon (french: République du Cameroun, links=no), is a country in west-central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west and north; Chad to the northeast; the C ...

and

Chad Chad (; ar, تشاد , ; french: Tchad, ), officially the Republic of Chad, '; ) is a landlocked country at the crossroads of North and Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic ...

, costing about N800 million. The road, which had been started and abandoned before, would give farmers in Borno State access to the international market. Senator Hambagda chaired the Executive sub-Committee of the National Assembly on the Review of the Constitution, which recommended approving third term for President

Olusegun Obasanjo Chief Olusegun Matthew Okikiola Ogunboye Aremu Obasanjo, , ( ; yo, Olúṣẹ́gun Ọbásanjọ́ ; born 5 March 1937) is a Nigerian political and military leader who served as Nigeria's head of state from 1976 to 1979 and later as its pres ...

. In November 2005, he stated that he personally disagreed with this idea. However, in April 2006, he was stoned and almost lynched by angry youths in the Biu Local Government Area of Borno State who were against a third term for Obasanjo.

Second Senate term 2007-2011

In November 2007, some members of Senator Hambagda's Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions alleged that Senate President

David Mark David Alechenu Bonaventure Mark , is a retired Nigerian Army Brigadier General and politician. He was President of the Senate of Nigeria from 2007 to 2015 and was the Senator for Benue South Senatorial District Benue State. He is a member of the ...

was involved in fraud and impropriety. Allegations included a N400m renovation contract of the official residence of the President of the Senate and N2.5billion that was smuggled into the 2007 supplementary budget. In January 2008, Senator

Nuhu Aliyu Nuhu Aliyu Labbo (born 1941) is a Nigerian politician elected to the Senate for the Niger North constituency of Niger State in 1999 and was re-elected in 2003 and 2007. Background Nuhu Aliyu was born in June 1941. He studied Advance Police Manag ...

said he had a list of alleged fraudsters in the National Assembly that included at least two committee chairmen in the Senate. Hambagda, as chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics and Public Petition, said his committee was ready to inquire into the subject without fear or favour. In February, Senator Aliyu said that after talking to his lawyers he was withdrawing the charge and apologized to the Senate. In September 2008, the Pan-African Transparent Leadership Centre awarded him the ''Nelson Mandela Gold Award'' for his excellent leadership and contributions to society. In an interview in April 2009, he expressed support for creating a new Savannah State comprising the southern portion of

. As chairman of the house committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, he was responsible for a probe of ten senators who went to Ghana in April 2009 on an all-expenses-paid trip for a seminar on the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), where they may have been influenced by oil companies. The senate decided to refer the matter to Senator Hambagda's committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct and Privileges, with a directive to beam its hearing live so Nigerians could monitor the hearing.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hambagda, Omar 1949 births Living people Nigerian Muslims People from Borno State Members of the Senate (Nigeria) All Nigeria Peoples Party politicians 21st-century Nigerian politicians