By Henry Umoru

ABUJA- Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriations, Senator Olamilekan Adeola, APC, Ogun West has lampooned the suspended Chairman, Senate Committee on Diaspora and NGOs, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, PDP, Kogi Central, saying that she should reflect on the fact that she is not bigger than the Senate.

Adeola, who noted that Akpoti-Uduaghan remains suspended until she fulfills the conditions offered for her suspension to be reconsidered or a court of competent jurisdiction decides otherwise, said that the institution of the Senate is bigger than all the present members and will outlive all of the members in due course.

In a statement he signed on Wednesday in Abuja, Adeola warned Akpoti-Uduaghan that with her behaviour and attitude, she must note that she cannot position herself as bigger than the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

According to Senator Adeola, even him as a three-time elected Senator with over 22 years as a parliamentarian at state and federal legislature cannot claim that he was bigger than the Senate, not to talk about someone with less than two years of experience in legislative activities.

Adeola explained that Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended for flagrant violation of the Senate Standing Orders and the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Adeola said, “As a member of the 10th Senate with experience as a member of the 8th and 9th Senate, I make bold to say that Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan was in gross violation of the Senate Standing Orders and the Senate did the appropriate thing in her suspension. We are all Senators-Elect until sworn in with the Constitution and the Standing Orders. It is only then that we become Senators under oath to abide by the Constitution and the Standing Orders.”

The lawmaker noted that Akpoti-Uduaghan did not exhaust the internal mechanisms available to her for any grievance, stressing that by filing a lawsuit against the Presiding Officer of the Senate and the Senate, her petition cannot be entertained in the Senate until the court decides on the suit she filed.

He said, “The Senate as an institution derives its power from the Constitution to make rules for its orderly conduct. And the Legislative House( Powers and Privilege) Act 2018 grants the Senate rights to conduct its affairs as an arm of government free from judicial encumbrances. The outcome of its decisions can be challenged but the Senate cannot be stopped from functioning as an arm of government.”

On Akpoti-Uduaghan’s allegation of sexual harassment against Senate President Godswill Akpabio which allegedly occurred over a year ago, Adeola stated that such a claim without concrete evidence amounts to an attack on the institution of Nigeria’s parliament.

According to Adeola, the 10th Senate is gender-friendly through many of its passed bills and motions;

He added that the female senators in the Senate have not been suppressed, silenced or oppressed as all honour and courtesies due any senator are accorded to them within and outside the Red Chamber.

He said, “I want to call on the International Parliamentary Union, IPU, not to be coaxed to do anything that will diminish the status of the parliament as the bastion of democracy. IPU should not succumb to being used as an instrument of blackmail against a national institution of parliament.”

The Senator commended Hon. Khafilat Oghara, the House of Representatives Committee Chairperson on Women Affairs and official Nigeria representative at IPU for putting the issues in proper perspective, adding that he is happy that the IPU President did not take the allegations of Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan hook, line and sinker.

Last Thursday, the Senate suspended Akpoti-Uduaghan for six months, asking her not to participate in all the activities of the 10th assembly, among other terms, over the rowdy session she created when she protested against the reassignment of her seat by Senate President Akpabio.

The Senate also resolved that if Akpoti-Uduaghan writes to apologise during the period, she would be recalled to resume legislative activities.

The report of the Committee in its recommendation six was that the salaries of all her legislative aides be stopped, but at this point, former Chief Whip, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, APÇ, Abia North came up with a motion to amend the recommendation, seconded by Senator Ned Nwoko, APC, Delta North and it was carried that their salaries should be paid since they need not commit any offence.

Resolutions of the Senate were sequel to the presentation and consideration of the report of the Chairman, Senate Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct and Public Petitions, Senator Neda Imasuen, LP, Edo South.

Akpoti-Uduaghan described her suspension as an injustice and reported the matter to the Inter-Parliamentary Union, IPU, of the United Nations on Tuesday.