By Eric Elezuo
As the imbroglio between the senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and the Nigerian Senate on one hand, and the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, on another hand, continues to heighten, celebrated journalist, who is also the Chairman, Ovation Media Group, Chief Dele Momodu, has dismissed confrontations as unnecessary distractions to a Nation already in too much crises.
Chief Momodu made the remarks via his verified Instagram handle, where he detailed his ‘kobo observations’ to the crises that have threatened to tear the nation apart, and in particular, the National Assembly, which Akpabio presides over as the chairman.
Without holding briefs for any of the contending parties, Momodu observed that the challenge could have been privately sorted out without it hitting the public space, especially as the senate president and Natasha’s husband, the former Governor of Delta State, Emmanuel Uduaghan, are very close friends. He also lambasted those he described as ‘meddlesome interlopers’, whose unsolicited activities, snowballed the challenges into a confrontation.
He frowned at the way every party mismanaged the affair, which has now blown into full scale crises, resulting in the suspension of Natasha from performing her legitimate legislative duties for six months, and keeping her Constituency in legislative limbo for half of the year.
In one swift reaction, Momodu carpeted Natasha for attempting to kill a fly with a sledgehammer by her live television interview where she accused Akpabio of sexual harassment; Akpabio and his senate sympathizers for their hasty and defensive reaction, which only pumped petrol into the ready raging inferno; Akpabio’s wife, and even the President’s wife, Remi Tinubu for being apparently dismissive of the matter instead of showing more empathy and the Senate Committee that found Natasha guilty, and prescribed the punishments that the senate immediately implemented.
Momodu concluded with a categorical statement that Natasha is obviously being bullied by her colleagues in the senate.
He wrote: “Now that everyone is putting their hands and mouth into the AKPABIO/NATASHA imbroglio, let me donate my kobo observations…
“The matter was mismanaged from the beginning by the two Principal actors in the melodrama plus their meddlesome interlopers, the SENATORs and others who are working feverishly at defending their boss and protecting obvious interests… They are outsiders weeping louder than the bereaved…
“Since Natasha’s husband and Akpabio were supposed to be friends, they should have been manly enough to call themselves into a room and reconcile the warriors amicably…
“What led to the open fracas was too inconsequential to suddenly metamorphose into sexual allegations. I was dazed and nearly fainted when Natasha dropped the atomic bomb on ARISE NEWS Television during a live interview that reverberated beyond the seas… It was like killing a fly with a sledgehammer…
“The reaction of the Senate itself was hastily defensive and immediately pumped petrol into the raging inferno… Madam Akpabio’s intervention to protect her husband changed nothing. What did the hapless spectators expect? Mrs Tinubu’s interlocution should have been more reconciliatory than condemnatory. As a very experienced FEMALE legislator and now our Mother of the nation, her words should have carried more empathy than the apparent dismissiveness.
“The Senate committee, or whatever, that probed the ugly saga acted more like a Judge in its own CAUSE, while studiously ignoring the jurisprudential injunction of “Nemo judex in causa sua…” (a man shall not be a Judge in its own cause…)
“After all the hocus pocus, I can say categorically that Natasha is being vehemently bullied. This has drawn more sympathy to her even from those who doubted her weighty allegation.
“Nevertheless, it is not too late to toe the path of peace instead of digging deeper into the abyss.
“SUCH AN UNNECESSARY DISTRACTION TO A NATION ALREADY IN TOO MUCH CRISES…”
It would be recalled that following a change of sitting arrangement in the upper chamber as a result of the need to accommodate decampees, including Senator Ned Nwoko, into the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Natasha vehemently refused to move, causing drama in the senate. She attributed her removal to hatred, intimidation and her refusal to give in to sexual by the senate president.
The tension generated during the period made Natasha to raise her voice, telling Akpabio that she was not afraid of him. The Senate was not comfortable with the affront, and consequently seconded the matter to Ethics and Privileges Committee, which found her on all fronts, and recommended Sanctions, one of which was six months suspension and withdrawal of salaries, allowances and.security details.
But the last is yet to be heard as Natasha described the decisions as injustice that cannot stand.
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