Senate Suspends Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan for six months
***Banned from the premises of the National Assembly.
*** Her office to be locked for the entire period of her suspension, all her salaries and allowances be suspended
The Senate has suspended the Chairman, Senate Committee on Diaspora and NGOs, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, PDP, Kogi Central for six months, asking her not to participate in all the activities of the 10th over the rowdy session she created when she protested against the reassignment of her seat by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
The Senate also resolved that if Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan writes to apologise during the period, he shall be recalled to resume his legislative activities.
She was also banned from the premises of the National Assembly.
It was also resolved that her office be locked up for the entire period of her suspension and all her salaries and allowances be suspended.
The report of the Committee in its recommendation six was that the salaries of all her legislative aides be stopped, but at this point, former Chief Whip, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, APÇ, Abia North came up with a motion to amend the recommendation, seconded by Senator Ned Nwoko, APC, Delta North and it was carried that their salaries should be paid since they need not commit any offence.
It was resolved that all her Security Personnel be removed from her.m
The resolution of the Senate on Thursday was sequel to the presentation and consideeation of the report of the Chairman, Senate Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct and Public Petitionsm Senator Neda Imasuen, LP, Edo South.
The Ethics Committee recommended for a suspension of six months, but reduced to three months after the
Senate took the plea of the Senate Minority Leader, Senator Abba Moro, PDP, Benue South who had asked that the punishment be reduced to three months.
Recall that a heated confrontation unfolded during Senate plenary session last penultimate Thursday when Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan protested the reassignment of her seat by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, leading to tense moments in the chamber as the session took an unexpected turn when she arrived to find her seat reassigned, with her name plate removed.
Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan who raised her voice in protest, however demanded an explanation for what she perceived as an unjustified move.
Recall that the matter was referred to the Ethics penultimate Thursday over her action during plenary session.
Consequently, the Senate pushed the matter to the Senator Imasuen led Senate Committee on Ethics, Codenof Conduct and Public Petitions as the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio had mandated the Committee to carry out a holistic investigation into the matter and report back in two weeks.
Resolutions of the Senate were sequel to its consideration and adoption of a report presented by the Chairman, Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Adeyemi Adaramodu, APC, Ekiti South on news publications and reports on the incident.
In his presentation, Adaramadu, informed the Senate that the uproar during plenary on Thursday last week where Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, openly challenged the Senate President over allocation of new seat to her had done grave damage to the image of the Senate.
Relying on Order 1(b), Adaramodu cited an interview which she had with the host of Brekete Family on Human Rights Radio and TV, Ordinary Ahmad Isah, wherein she further levelled allegations against the Senate President.
He decried the distorted reportage of what transpired and urged the Senate to act on it.
The matter was then fixed for yesterday, Wednesday and the Committee invited both Adaramodu and Natasha, bur the latter shunned the summon.
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan however shunned the probe committee, just as at the time the Committee rounded off its meeting at 4.06pm and asked Journalists to leave the venue, room 120 for members to resolve into a closed door session,Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan failed to appear for the probe.
The meeting which was fixed for 2pm, did not start until the Chairman of the Committee, Senator Neda Imasuen, LP, Edo South at 2.58pm having waited for the arrival of Senators Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and Yemi Adaramodu, APC, Ekiti South . Adaramodu arrived the Committee room at 2.50pm.
Senator Imasuen and other members had waited for them and when Akpoti-Uduaghan did not appear, the session was called to order, just as at 3.08 when Adaramodu was addressing the Committee members, Akpoti-Uduaghan was not yet at the venue.
Only Senator Adaramodu, Chairman, Senate Committee on Rules and Business, Senator Titus Zam and the Deputy Director, Sergeant-at-Arms General, Mukhtar Usman Dawodawa appeared before the Committee to speak on the matter.
