SENATE SLAMS SIX MONTHS SUSPENSION ON SENATOR NATASHA AKPOTI-UDUAGHAN
The Senate has suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti- Uduaghan, PDP representing Kogi Central for a period of six months.
Senate reached the decision to slammed her with the suspension after an exhaustive deliberation on the report of its Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions on the alleged gross misconduct of Akpoti-Uduaghan at the plenary of Thursday February 20th.
The matter was subsequently referred to the Committee on Ethics, chaired by Senator Neda Imasuen.
On Thursday , Senate disciplinary Committee submitted its report, indicting senator Akpoti-Uduaghan and recommended that she should be suspended for six months.
The recommendation of the senate probe panel was sustained , effectively having her evicted out of the senate and escorted straight to her waiting vehicle by sergeants-at-arms already stationed closed to her to effect the suspension order.
The senate also ordered that her office should be locked for the period with her salaries and allowances withdrawn.
It took the intervention of Senator Orji Uzor Kalu to save the salaries and allowances of her legislative aides from also being withdrawn.
As part of her punishment, the senator’s security details were also withdrawn from her for the period she will be on suspension.
Akpoti -Uduaghan however has the chance to return to the Senate early if she tenders a written letter of apology to the leadership and shows sufficient remorse for her action, although many senators -including those from Kogi State were opposed to the window to return much earlier given to her.
