The Senate has suspended Sen. Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (Kogi Central) for six months without salaries or allowances following the ordeal of alleged sexual harassment and the controversies surrounding the reallocation of her seat, REPUBLICAN NIGERIA reports.
She was also barred from presenting herself as a member of the Senate throughout the period of her suspension, both locally and internationally, while relevant security agencies were notified to withdraw her security details.
However, following an amendment by Sen. Orji Uzor Kalu (Abia South), her aides were exempted from the suspension of salaries and other entitlements. The sergeant-at-arms was accordingly directed to seal off her office within the National Assembly for the duration of the suspension. Offering an olive branch, the lawmakers added that the decisions would be reversed if she tenders a written apology to the Senate.
Chairman of the Ethics, Code of Conduct and Public Petitions Committee, Sen. Neda Imasuen (Edo South), while presenting the report, explained that the committee relied on witness accounts to verify claims made by Senate Spokesman, Adaramodu. He noted that the respondent, Sen. Akpoti-Uduaghan, did not respond to the committee’s invitation to appear before it to defend herself, despite the notice placed on the Order Paper and another announcement made during plenary earlier in the day.
On the same Thursday, the Senate had cautioned Sen. Akpoti-Uduaghan against consistent violations of Senate Standing Orders by refusing to stand up and remain silent when the Senate President walked into the chamber. Senate Chief Whip, Sen. Tahir Mongunu (Borno North), raising a point of order under Order 55 (1), said, “With the indulgence of the Senate President and my colleagues, I will proceed to read Order 55, Rule 1. ‘At the entry of the presiding officer, all senators, officials, members of the press, and those in the gallery shall stand still until the presiding officer has taken his seat.’
“Mr. President, distinguished senators, I want to report that Senator Natasha has been consistently and persistently in breach of this rule because as the Senate President and the leadership are entering, she doesn’t observe that rule by standing up until the President of the Senate is seated after all the prayers and it was in the media. All the media yesterday reported that when the Senate President is entering, she didn’t observe that rule and today also, she didn’t observe that rule. I have to send one of the sergeant-at-arms to her, that her conduct is in breach of this rule. The sergeant-at-arms is here.
“She came and reported back to me that she’s not going to stand still in breach of this rule. Mr. President, distinguished senators, as I said earlier on, he who comes to equity must come with clean hands. If you are seeking refuge in one arm, under Order 10 always, seeking refuge under Order 10 of this rule, then you must, for all intent and purposes, observe these rules, you cannot be approbating and reprobating at the same time. So I’m craving the indulgence of Senator Natasha to please observe our rules strictly in compliance, but not in breach. I’m doing that in order to discharge the functions of my office to ensure that our rules are strictly complied with.
“I also crave the indulgence of Senator Natasha to, at her leisure time, study these rules very well so that she will be conversant with the rules of the Senate. If she stands up for the President of the Senate, she is not standing up for the President of the Senate personally, but it is the institution that she is respecting, and the office of the Senate President.”
