The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Kogi Central chapter, has declared its support for the lawmaker representing Kogi Central senatorial district, Senator Natasha Akpoti Uduaghan.
In a press release signed by Kogi Central CAN Coordinator, Job Sanni-Apaana, the association called for the immediate reversal of Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s six-month suspension from the Senate.
As Christian leaders in Kogi Central, CAN felt compelled to speak out on the issue between Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan and Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
The association urged the Senate leadership to exercise caution and reconsider the suspension order, emphasizing that the senatorial district cannot afford to go unrepresented for six months.
CAN also demanded the immediate restoration of Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s entitlements, which were withdrawn following her suspension.
The press release reads:
“It has become imperative for us as the Christian Community Leaders representing the entire Body of Christ (Christians) in Kogi Central Senatorial District which our Daughter and Sister, Distinguished Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan represents, to be heard on the impasse between her and the Senate President, Distinguished Senator Godswill Akpabio. We are not doing this because of any political or religious reason but in the interest of our Senatorial District.
“As much as we have not come to cast aspersions on any of the parties involved, we won’t also hesitate to make it abundantly clear that the entire body of Christ in Kogi Central are solidly behind our hardworking, intelligent, capable and trustworthy Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan who we all wholeheartedly and generously voted to represent us at the Senate.
“Since she became our Senator, she has proven to be a reliable and dependable representative of the good people of Kogi Central through the provision of innumerable solar street lights across the District, monthly disbursement of money to the tune of N2m to indigent students of various higher institutions across the country, training and equipping women and youths for various skill acquisition programs, getting federal employments for our youths, the renovation of AbdulAziz Atta Memorial College, Okene and construction of the one kilometre road round the College and the distribution of mass empowerment equipment that followed in November last year were topnotch.
“All these and others, too numerous to mention earned her the THIS Day Newspaper award of “Senator of the Year 2024” not minding the fact that she was a first timer in the Red Chamber.
May we not be tempted to believe that her rising profile within her first year as a first timer via-a-vis her vocality in the Senate Chamber are her ordeals?
OUR PRAYERS
1. We call on the leadership of the Hallowed Chamber to thread on the path of caution by reverting the suspension order placed on our Senator because we cannot afford not to be represented in the house for 6 months.
2. We demand unequivocally that all her hitherto entitlements as withdrawn be restored to her immediately.
We appeal to the Senate President not to do anything henceforth to silence her as we have not voted her there to play the “I support role”.
We humbly demand that serious national issues such as hunger, insecurity of lives and properties, infrastructural development and unemployment of our teeming youths should be made the major concern for legislation in order to better the lives of the citizens.
On the general note, we call on the Senate President to give quality and unbiased leadership to the Senate irrespective of religious, tribal/regional, political or gender a Chapel in his compound, which is an uncommon feat among wealthy Christians. Prove to us and the entire nation that “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice…” (Prov. 29/2), remembering also that, “The wicked shall be turned into hell…(Ps.9/17).
As we round up, we wish to implore all well meaning people of Kogi Central Senatorial District both at home and in the Diaspora to rise up to this occasion in support of our Senator not minding her political party, religion or gender differences and more especially the womenfolk should voice out in defense of one of their own.
Finally we appeal to our amiable and people’s Governor, His Excellency, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo to do something not because it’s about Senator Natasha but because it’s about his Senatorial District and it is about Kogi State.
