My Invitation To Akpabio, Fellow Senators Procedural, Not Personal — Natasha

Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (PDP, Kogi Central) has explained that contrary to speculations in some quarters, her letter inviting Senate President Godswill Akpabio and other Senators to the inauguration of projects in her constituency to mark her second anniversary in the Senate, was a matter of courtesy.

She further explained that the invitation was not just customary but also procedural, describing her letter as standard practice for such occasions in both chambers of the National Assembly.

During Thursday’s plenary, Senate President Akpabio read Akpoti-Uduaghan’s letter, which invited Senators to Kogi Central for the inauguration of several constituency projects executed by the female lawmaker.

The letter read in part: “In marking my second anniversary as a serving senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I wish to invite fellow distinguished senators to join me for the project inauguration in Kogi State.”

However, reacting to insinuations in some quarters that the invitation was a political olive branch to the Senate President Akpabio, Natasha expressed displeasure over what she described as unnecessary interpretations of a simple courtesy.

Taking to her social media handles, she shared a cryptic message: “Announcement by protocol don turn to ‘Olive Branch, Reconciliation’. If I didn’t invite you all to ‘see what the Lord has done in my life’, you’d say I’m ignoring the institution. Make una no kuku come.”

“As is customary for announcements of such nature, I wrote to the Senate through the presiding officer for the Senate President to read on the floor. I didn’t want it to seem like I was celebrating in isolation. I’m a progressive person.

“Even with ongoing court cases, I continue to perform my duties diligently and follow proper procedures. That notification was part of the process.”

The Senator used the occasion to recount her experiences over the last two years. She specifically noted her six-month suspension from legislative functions for breaching Senate rules, saying six months of her tenure were lost to an “illegal suspension”.

She also said, “Some months ago, there was a plan to declare my seat vacant, but God saved me. Today, we are celebrating our second year in office with the inauguration of multiple projects.”

Akpoti-Uduaghan listed the projects to be inaugurated, which include boreholes, streetlights, transformers, police quarters, new primary and secondary schools, as well as two new markets across the Kogi Central Senatorial District.

According to her, the series of project inaugurations would culminate in a mega empowerment programme on November 2, where about 2,000 beneficiaries would receive items such as electric vehicles, deep freezers, gas cookers, sewing machines, shoemaking kits, fishery ponds, and farming tools.

“We are starting the inaugurations today in Ganaja, Lokoja, with a water project, and will proceed to Adogo and Jakuta for streetlight projects before returning to Ihima,” she added.

Akpoti-Uduaghan expressed gratitude to God and her constituents for their support, saying she remained committed to delivering quality representation.

She further announced that, “Though I lost six months, I ensured my people didn’t feel deprived of the benefits of representation. I worked extra hard to bring the dividends of democracy to them. I’m grateful to God for the courage to continue serving.”