Nigerians must rally around Natasha Akpoti until the truth is unearthed. Already political moves are being made to rubbish the allegation.
We are going to be concerned with the issue of protocol in casting our headline for this piece. We want to give respect to whom respect is due. First, Senator Godswill Akpabio who though is no more a senator than Senator Natasha Akpoti Uduaghan, doubles as the presiding officer of Nigeria's 10th senate. Apart from that, in the order of the nation's protocol, Senator Godswill Akpabio ranks only behind President Bola Tinubu and his deputy, Kashim Shettima.
For now until the four year tenure elapse Akpabio has major influence over laws that guide affairs in Nigeria. Neither is lady Senator Natasha Akpoti Uduaghan a small fry, she was elected by a third of voters in Kogi State. In a nation that is male dominated, especially in Kogi where violence is so prevalent as to scare even a man away from politics, Senator Natasha Akpoti Uduaghan has withstood the strangest and most violent of all men to emerge a senator. But she still comes far behind Senator Akpabio because majority of her colleagues, maybe including herself, voted to make Akpabio the king of the 10th senate. But what has protocol to do when men and women that cannot tame their libido are found in leadership positions. Protocol and respect have to be shed to freely discuss the issue and be confronted to save the nation.
But how has Akpabio conducted his kingship in this chamber and how has Natasha Akpoti Uduaghan behaved in this institution that is crying out for respect and recognition among Nigerian masses is the major question now? It will not be new to any Nigerian now to hear that there is a problem in the senate. One of the senators they have elected, Natasha Akpoti Uduaghan is complaining of a very bizarre episode. The man that was elected into the senate and elected by majority senators to lead the 10th senate has been preventing her from tabling a motion on Ajaokuta Steel Complex for discussion because she has turned down, as she alleged, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio’s sexual advances. That baffles many Nigerians. The beauty of Natasha adds to the possibility of that allegation. It won't baffle Nigerians that their senate is riddled with corruption. They have heard that many times. They know of absenteeism in the senate. They are aware of the low level of debates at the senate. But they are alarmed that the issue of sexual harassment can affect discussion of national issues as Senator Natasha Akpoti Uduaghan is bringing to their attention. So the old men and women at the senate can descend so low as to subject the deep interest of Nigerians to such basic instinct as sex? When Nigerians hear of sexual harassment of secondary pupils and university students, though uncomfortable, they have learned to cope with that. But what do they do with old and seemingly accomplished men and women at the senate who take the randy attitude to the floor of the legislative assembly, especially on issues that affect the lives of Nigerians? After the refineries which the grace of Dangote Refinery has helped solve, the Ajaokuta Steel Complex is the next in national priority. Aliko Dangote, Africa's foremost industrialist and the richest black man in the world said he had thought to move into the highly needed steel industry after he conquered petroleum refinery but when he saw the problems he faced while he was getting his grip on the refinery, he got so scared to venture into steel. He had planned to buy-up the Ajaokuta Steel Complex which had been plundered from the time of its establishment in 1979 during the tail end of Obasanjo's military regime, but which succeeding former president Shehu Shagari brought to ruin by corruption which festered under Shagari’s watch.
Ajaokuta Steel Complex is located within the constituency of Senator Natasha Akpoti Uduaghan. It is a strategic asset for the poor Kogi people who appear to have the bad luck of electing very corrupt men as their governors, especially between 2015 and 2023. Maybe the people of Kogi don't know that their state sits literally on wealth because they have been celebrating those they should curse. But Natasha is enlightened and bold. She is also rich. She has a lot of information about corruption that is going on in Ajaokuta Steel Complex and killing that dream with so great a potential for technological breakthrough for Nigeria and the upliftment of economically disadvantaged Kogi State is worrisome for her and should be for Nigerians. Mere mention of the Ajaokuta Complex should attract the excitement of any Nigerian leader. Our oil resources are dwindling and anything that will give the much needed foreign exchange and launch us into the technological age must be given top priority. Ajaokuta offers both. We will produce locally the much needed steel rods and flat sheets and our capacity to build, not assemble our cars and other vehicles will be made possible. Yet Senator Godswill Akpabio heard this and was not excited, Senator Natasha Akpoti Uduaghan told a bewildered nation. But why did Akpabio not show interest in the Ajaokuta Steel Complex. Natasha alleged that it was because she will not succumb to Akpabio’s sexual advances.
And that is why Nigerians should continue to suffer and be in poverty as they do now. While Nigerians are bewildered, it seems at the same time majority of Nigerians do not know the full implication of what has befallen them. Usually the issue of morality and immorality does not engage the attention of most Nigerians. Most men engage in adultery and many young boys and girls engage in fornication. If you don't know the difference in the two, here is it: adultery is sexual immorality between two married people or between a married adult and unmarried youth, male or female while fornication is sexual immorality between two unmarried persons. Who in Nigeria is not involved in adultery and fornication? That's the reason why when it's brought up in public discourse it is quickly dismissed. But now the allegation is in the upper chamber of the legislative house of our nation. If the issue of sexual gratification will destroy our economy, then we have to stand up to demand it be not treated with levity. We will continue to suffer until our leaders learn to stand up to issues that concern our welfare. If they are so negligent about an important issue as Ajaokuta Steel Complex, then they don't have to be making laws for us. If they are not able to tame their libido then they have no qualification to be our leaders. It is not that such practice has not been rampant but this is the first time it is being brought out in a powerful way. For Senator Godswill Akpabio, this is the second time such an allegation is made about him which means there is the likelihood of its occurrence and the issue must be subjected to a public probe to which Akpabio must submit himself. Nigerians must press for this until there's a positive response. Nothing must henceforth be done in the senate until the issue is cleared. Godswill Akpabio is very strategic to the Bola Tinubu administration. President Tinubu's bills are quickly passed as the president desires and not as Nigerians need. They are hardly exhaustively discussed. But the interest of Tinubu must not be considered except it intersects with the interest of Nigerians. Nigeria's interest must not be traded for the narrow interest of Tinubu. We are seeing too many of that in the 10th senate. Nigerians must rise to demand a probe. This issue must not be allowed to be swept under the carpet.
Natasha Akpoti Uduaghan is not the ordinary woman on the street. She is rich and very educated. She was elected on the platform of the opposition party, PDP even when the ruling governor in Kogi State was elected on the platform of APC. Her husband is High Chief Emmanuel Oritsejolomi Uduaghan, Alema of Warri Kingdom. That gives Natasha a further muscle to fight this crucial war, crucial for her and crucial for Nigeria. Despite that she must not be left alone in the battle. Providence has allowed this happen so that Nigeria can begin to advance morality in her politics. As for now, politics is considered a field for illiterates and for the immoral. We have seen how immorality can affect our welfare. Nigerians must rally around Akpoti until the truth is unearthed. Already political moves are being made to rubbish the allegation. President Tinubu will obviously rally behind the goose that lays the golden egg but Nigerians must resist any cover-up. If Godswill Akpabio is found guilty, he must abide by the will of God and the will of Nigerians to step down as the president of our senate. Nigeria does not need such personalities to pilot her affairs. If Natasha Akpoti Uduaghan is found to have misbehaved, she also must be appropriately disciplined. All Nigerians must say no to immorality in our public life. It is only then that we can enforce morality in our universities and schools and our offices where women are daily forced to submit to illicit sex. Feminists must speak up.
First Published in METRO
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Tunde Akande is both a journalist and pastor. He earned a Master's degree in Mass Communication from the University of Lagos.
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