The Tell-it-All Drama That Is Unfolding In The Nigerian Senate

The Drama Unfolding in the Nigerian Senate 

ICMS, Inc. Reports

Commentary: 

by Tom Okure, Ph.D

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A tell-it-all drama is slowly unfolding in the Nigerian Senate between the Senate President Godswill Akpabio and the Senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.

In an ongoing feud and drama in the Nigerian Senate, a female senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has filed a lawsuit against Nigerian Senate President Godswill Obot Akpabio alleging defamation by Akpabio and his senior aide Mfon Patrick.

In the lawsuit, filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja on 25 February through her attorney, Victor

Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio, President of the Senate

Giwa, Senator Natasha is demanding N100 billion in general damages and N300 million to cover her litigation costs. According to allegations in the lawsuit, Mr. Mfon Patrick published a defamatory post on Facebook after a heated argument that occurred last Thursday between Senate President Akpabio and Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan over a change in her seat in the Senate chamber. Apparently, this is not the first incident between Akpabio and Nathasha, consequently, one can suppose that the two are not good friends. 

Senator Natasha in the Senate Chamber

Senator Natasha in a recent social media interview raised some concerning points in her address at the

BEREKETE program that perhaps the Nigerian Senate Media office should pay attention to and correct. In the interview, Natasha complains that she is constantly being harassed and has been quiet for a long time because she didn't want to be misinterpreted wrongly. She just wants to be left alone to do the job which she was elected to do for her constituency. 

Nathasha alleges that she is deliberately sidelined in the Senate and that many of her Senate privileges have been denied her unjustly. She gives many examples of being discriminated against, including being removed from many international travel events that she was supposed to be part of. 

The Lawsuit against Godswill Akpabio
by Senator Natasha Apoti

She mentions a United Nations activity she was not allowed to attend. By limiting her ability to attend many international functions, she alleges that the Senate leadership is "limiting her ability to attract democratic dividends to her constituency." She further complains about being removed from the Senate Committee on Local Content over alledged claims that she was using her office to divert resources intended for the Niger Delta to her region. Under these circumstances, Natasha states that she has been forced to use her own personal resources to fund her official trips abroad to deliver the dividends of democracy to Nigerians and her constituency. 

Regarding her recent Senate floor outburst where she directly challenged the Senate President over a new seat assignment which she objected to vehemently, Senator Natasha states that the seat assigned to her "is a far corner seat where no one will notice if I raise my hand." In that far corner, seat according to Senator Natasha "It will be difficult for the camera to capture me" among the 109 Senators in the Senate red chamber. The key takeaway point that Natasha makes in her complaint is the fact 

that the seat allocation assigned to her will not give her adequate exposure.

Natasha at her Senate Office.
Source: her Facebook page.

The particular incident that appears to trigger her lawsuit against the Senate President Godswill Akpabio stems from a recent Facebook post, titled “Is the Local Content Committee of the Senate Natasha’s Birthright.” 

In the article, Akpabio's senior aide Mr. Mfon Patrick states that "It is bottled up anger by the Kogi lawmaker, who knows nothing about Legislative rules. Mr. Mfon Patrick further states in his Facebook article that "she thinks that being a lawmaker is all about pancaking her face and wearing transparent outfits to the Chambers.” 

Public sentiments over the lawsuit and remarks are varied in the social media, with some commentators on the matter supporting the Senate President, while many other commentators oppose the remarks of his senior aide as uncalled for and very disrespectful to the female Senator. Indeed, if this incident occurred in the western world, women advocacy groups would be very outraged, and would protest against such remarks as chauvinistic and intolerable in any governmental setting, not to talk of in the legislature.

One can suppose that after such a display and outburst as Natasha displayed recently on the Senate Chamber, Senator Godwill Akpabio as the Senate President has taken notice of her complaint, and would instruct his media office to look into the matter urgently to ensure that the senate cameras provide adequate coverage to all members in the senate chamber, even if the member is isolated in a far corner, as Nathasa complained about. Proper camera positioning, view and exposure of each senator is necessary to enable each senator to air their views adequately during floor debates without hindrance. Senator Natasha's outspokenness in her media interview further suggested that an internal power struggle may be brewing within the Senate Chamber.  

Senator Natasha does not appear to be finished with her agitation and complaints over the harassment and injustice that she claims she has endured for a long time in the male-dominated Nigerian Senate. She vows to reveal and expose Senator Godswill Akpabio over the next coming weeks, and in a planned national television interview, she is going to make. Her brawl with the Senate President over seating re-arrangement seems to have awoken her silence and latent anger over a past incident where she accused Senator Akpabio of undermining her efforts and contributions within the red chamber. Because of the public outcry over the previous matter at the time, Senator Akpabio had publicly apologized to her over the unguarded "Nightclub" remark he made.  

We await more follow-up drama regarding this unsatisfactory seat allocation and defamatory issue matters, especially because the Nigerian Senate leadership has referred Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan to the senate’s disciplinary committee over her alleged procedural infraction on the chamber floor.

 

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All rights reserved by Tom Okure, Ph.D. CEO of Inter-Continental Mgt. Systems, Inc. (or ICMS Inc.). ICMS, Inc., is a multifaceted business and management consulting firm with its head office in Albany, New York      

The Recycling of Nigerian Political heavy weights between the two major political parties PDP and APC: The Case of Akwa Ibom State

The Recycling of Nigerian Political heavy weights between the two major political parties PDP and APC: The Case of Akwa Ibom State.

Commentary
ICMS,Inc Reports 
By Tom Okure, PhD

The Recycling of Nigerian Political heavy weights between the two major political parties PDP and APC is very puzzling and a unique Nigerian Phenomenon. The switching of major politicians between the two major parties has made news headlines over the past several weeks. The trend has finally spread to a very strong PDP dominated state in Akwa Ibom.

Senator Godswill Akpabio of PDP meeting with President Buhari of APC

Lately there has been an ongoing rumor that Godswill Akpabio, a former governor of Akwa Ibom state, is concluding arrangements to dump the PDP and consequently diminish the euphoric celebrations that recently took place at the PDP headquarters, over the defection of some heavy weight senators and three governors from the APC.

This morning, Propeller Newspapers states affirmatively that Senator Godswill Akpabio and former Governor of Akwa Ibom State is defecting to the current ruling party APC and has been issued his membership card. The newspaper also indicates that some other Ikot Ekpene politicians are joining Senator Akpabio to the APC.  A list of who is who among the alleged defectors are highlighted to include:

“former works commissioner in the state, Mr Don Etim, former senator Effiong Bob, Leader of the House, Mr Udo Kieran Akpan, former Speaker and House of Reps member for Etinan Federal Constituency, Mr Sam Ikon, respective House of Reps members from Abak and Essien Edim/Etim Ekpo/Ika, Mr Emmanuel Akpan and Mr Emmanuel Ekon, former Information Commissioner, Mr Aniekan Umanah, state House of Assembly members, Nse Ntuen, Usoro Akpanusoh, Aniekan Uko, Aniekan Bassey, Idongesit Ntekpere, Uduak Ududoh, Mark Esset, among others. At least 10 house members are said to be ready to defect to the APC with Akpabio”

Akpabio meets with Buhari in London

If the news of Akpabio’s defecting with a number of major political heavyweights to APC is true, what does this mean to the current governance structure in Akwa Ibom State? What is the impact of this change on the APC party in Akwa Ibom and even more important on the competitiveness of PDP against the APC in the upcoming 2019 elections? 

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Read more here:

BREAKING: Sen. Ita Enang confirms Akpabio’s exit from PDP
Breaking: Akpabio meets Buhari in London

Who is to be blamed for the abandoned status of Four Point by Sheraton hotel at Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State

Update on the status of Four Point by Sheraton at Ikot Ekpene

ICMS, Inc Commentary
by Tom Okure, Ph.D
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Governor Emmanuel Udom of Akwa Ibom state is facing an economic development dilemma. He needs to establish his own foot print and legacy in the state by initiating and building significant development projects like roads and bridges, magnificent buildings, factories etc., while at the same time completing many famous and uncompleted projects that he inherited from his predecessor former governor Godswill Akpabio. Accusations have been mounting for some time now that Udom is deliberately abandoning many planned projects that the administration of Akpabio undertook like the Tropicana Plaza in Uyo, the dualiization of Uyo/Ikot-Ekpene Federal road, the multi-million dollar Ibom Specialist Hospital in Uyo etc.

In responds to the mounting accusations from critics of his development approach, governor Udom has begun a campaign to set the record straight. Recently, governor Udom during a recent briefing of attendees at the monthly state house prayer session emphasized to his audience that, what the former governor commissioned as a completed Four Point Sheraton was just the building, which does not amount to a hotel. But is this really the case? Many in attendance during the spectacular ceremony of the commissioning say they beg to differ with the governors assertion and statement to the extent that they witnessed what appeared to be a fully functioning hotel or were we deceived?  

Four Point by Sheraton hotel Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State

In his defense regarding the controversy and status of the hotel, governor Udom blamed those who are accusing him of abandoning projects started by Akpabio of not understanding the differences between a building and a hotel. He indicated that his administration needs an additional $7.2 dollars or about N2, 577, 600, 000 Naira at the current exchange rate, to transform the commissioned the Four Point by Sheraton building at Ikot Ekpene into a hotel.

For background, the Four Point by Sheraton building is located at the old site of the former federal prison, Ikot Ekpene which was situated in the heart of the city. The federal prison was demolished and relocated out of town to make room for the Four Point hotel which the city planners believe was essential to accord the ancient town of Ikot Ekpene a befitting image, facelift and boost it as a tourist destination enhancement within Nigeria deserving of its status as the first experimental local government area created by the British colonial government in Nigeria and West Africa.

On Tuesday May 26, 2015, the 4 Points by Sheraton Ikot Ekpene, was commissioned by the outgoing governor Godswill Akpabio. During the commissioning event, Akpabio showed off the spectacular building and its amenities to the invited guests which included the current Governor Emmanuel Udom who at the time was the governor elect and was awaiting to be sworn in as Akwa Ibom State governor. In his usual boastful way and while showing off existing facilities around the hotel, former governor Akpabio, who is now Akwa Ibom State senator had praised the contractors for delivering the project on time. 

Swimming pool area at Four Point by Sheraton at Ikot Ekpene,

The hotel is a 14-Story Oval shaped building, consisting of 146 rooms, 14 suites, a 600-seater banquet hall, six meeting rooms, swimming pool, terrace, fountain, a presidential wing, etc.

One may recall that in 2016, the Akwa Ibom State government had indicated that it had designated Starwood Hotels as the manager to be of this hotel. Government statements also indicated that the hotel would be fully open and operational by April of 2017. Starwood Hotels, we were told was the manager designate because of its experience managing hotels in Akwa Ibom State as exemplified by  the well renowned Le Méridien Ibom Hotel and Golf Resort in Uyo.

Former governor Akpabio (left) and current governor Udom (right) relaxing during
the commissioning of the hotel in Ikot Ekpene on Tuesday May 26, 2015. 

While responding to his critics who have accused him of abandoning the Four Point by Sheraton building in Ikot Ekpene, governor Udom said that he needs “7.2 million US dollars to turn that building into a hotel. And as at today, I have deposited the sum of 4 million US dollars, leaving a balance of 3.2 million US dollars and I am still looking for the 3.2 million dollars to pay so I can turn that building you see into a hotel. It is not yet a hotel."

Recommendation and Concluding Remarks

Part of the problem of abandonment and incompletion of projects in the state and many parts of the country stems from the existing approach used to fund large capital projects. The state government lacks proper long term capital planning foresight which should be incorporated into the capital budget of the state government.  The state government fails to build into the government capital budget for projects a contingency budget to accommodate unforeseen circumstances (like the fall in oil revenues) as has been experienced throughout the country. In industrial countries in Europe and the United States infrastructure projects are funded from dedicated funding revenue streams (mainly through the issue of dedicated bonds issued for a specific project). In New York State budgeting many specific programs and projects are funded through what is referred to as Special Revenue Funds (SRF). Initial funding for specific infrastructural projects can begin by issuing specific capital bonds guaranteed by the Federal government as a debt to the state. When the specific bond funded project is completed, it could be utilized to generate specific revenues to repay the long term bonds associated with the project.  

Read more about Four Point by Sheraton at Ikot Ekpene:

4 Points Sheraton Ikot Ekpene: Akpabio- Commissioned Building Not Hotel
Four Points by Sheraton Hotel, Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State Nigeria

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