Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan slammed for disrespecting senate rules, Akpabio
Tamarauemi Ebimini
The South-South Women Congress has condemned in strong terms what it termed the ‘unruly and disrespectful behavior of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan towards the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, during plenary on Thursday in Abuja, urging her to apologise or face sanctions by the Senate rules.
In a statement issued and signed by the leader of the group, Mrs. Roli Akpomedaye in Warri on Friday, stated that the action of the senator who disregarded the sitting arrangements put in place at the Red Chambers was disappointing and not representative of the ideals of Nigerian women.
The statement reads in part: “We the members of the South-South Women Congress (SSWC) are not comfortable with the rude and unethical behavior of Senator Natasha Akpoti Uduaghan against our revered Senate President.
“Rules are meant to be obeyed. She cannot be above the law by flouting laid down rules of the Senate.
” In every parliament, there is always a sitting arrangement which members are expected to comply with. Why will a lawmaker be a lawbreaker to the extent that Sen. Natasha Akpoti Uduaghan was raising her voice even after she was ruled out of order by the Senate President.”
Akpomedaye further berated Natasha for not being conversant with legislative rules despite being in the Senate for over a year now.
She stated further: “She ought to know that unless the Senate President recognizes her, she cannot speak. We are not in a lawless country or a Portuguese parliament where everyone is talking. She stood up to speak even when the Senate President had hit the gavel overruling her out of order. That is most uncivilised.
“Despite being ordered to leave the red chambers when it became obvious that she was not ready to act as a civilised and respected senator, she continued without decorum.
“You cannot be talking back to the Senate President as if he is your contemporary. The Senate President is first amongst equals and as such has enormous powers in law. In fact, disobedience of the orders of the Senate President is contemptuous and punishable with imprisonment.”
The group extolled the leadership quality of Akpabio who they said has empowered more women within the short period of his presidency.
They therefore, called on the Senate to sanction Sen. Akpoti Uduaghan for breaching the privileges of the entire Senate by suspending her until she apologizes to Sen Akpabio, the Senate, and the entire people of South-South.
The group threatened to treat her as an enemy of the South-South women if she failed to apologise to Akpabio and humble herself.
“We will not allow that young woman to insult our pride, the number three citizen of Nigeria and the leader of the South-South and Niger Delta,” the statement read.
