By Olawale Olaleye
From the very first day she resisted a re-allocation of her seat in the senate and how the male-dominated chamber pushed back with evident lack of emotional intelligence and maturity, it became obvious that, beyond Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, Nigeria might have entrusted her life to the most impossible Senate in her political sojourn.
Women and drama are 5 and 6, and it’s been so since the creation of man. An intervention of sensible men at that point in time, perhaps, dissolving into an executive session, and trashing it all out at once, could have quelled the now unceasing show of shame, which has further attracted global audience. But they lacked the foresight to see what was ahead.
Ego, power, money, and possibly, little or no respect for women by some of these men were evidently at the heart of the mismanagement of an otherwise simple in-house disagreement. Their comments and clearly contrived moves to denigrate Natasha by painting her in different images while sidestepping the real issues, said it all.
Interestingly, there was a noteworthy parallel, which has confirmed that the rather avoidable drama with unending series is a problem of leadership – from the Senate to Kogi State. The whole mess escalated quickly because they were not quick on their feet.
They only love to grandstand and pontificate. For them, that gender is subservient because it is an African thing, and many of the females couldn’t even see the masked masculinity in their approach. Instead, their typical jealousy crept in.
Just a few years ago, the current Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, was in a similar fit against the Dr. Bukola Saraki leadership of the Senate. His seat was re-allocated, and he couldn’t take it either. In fact, his own outburst was as bad, if not worse. A video evidence is still in circulation on how Dr. Saraki shut down the drama, and the Senate moved on like nothing ever happened. Leadership!!!
The day Akpabio shouted down Natasha during plenary and told her the Senate was not a night club, was the day he gave himself away as not only unfit for that office, but that this day might come, when the female Senator would snap. He was infantile, uncouth, and disrespectful to her.
Although he later apologised, none of the female senators protested the use of such an indecent line for a colleague. Rather than fight obvious demystification of the hallowed chamber, what followed was an embarrassing defence of the Senate President’s bad behaviours as a man, who jokes a lot and says what he does not mean. Even on the floor of the Senate? What a people!
Now, from a mere re-allocation of seat to alleged sexual harassment, which had birthed “illegal” suspension (being the stock in trade of the Akpabio leadership), alleged assassination plot and more attempts to hound Natasha, Akpabio’s senate and his gang of “awa lo kan” had better be ready for a long night. Gbogbo yin ti fa were l’oyan.
For instance, had the Kogi State Government ignored Natasha and not placed any thoughtless ban on protests and rallies, obviously targeted at her, that gathering in her compound could have gone unnoticed. But, again, because they could not rise above self, the governor and his remote control benefactor inadvertently gave themselves away as the likely instigators of the charade called recall.
Also, the police, who should have provided security for Natasha and her event, riding on her fundamental human rights, would rather look away from the imminent danger in Bayelsa, where a certain minister from a state, is proposing a rally via his support group in another state other than his, and focus on the Kogi senator.
Here is a minister – an appointee of the president – who had publicly boasted that he’d “put fire” in some PDP state, with a naked threat to elected governors. He would later add: “I have the capacity.” Gracious God!
So, which is more concerning? Or is it true that there is a plan to also set Bayelsa up for a fall to necessitate another proclamation of a state of emergency? Maybe, just maybe, there is a grand plan to conquer the Niger Delta.
Honestly, nothing is making sense anymore, and it’s all about poor leadership. A bunch of jobless lot, who do not have second addresses, leading a nation of diverse tendenies, in the region of over 200 million in population, with so much money to play around with amid screaming poverty, is a time-bomb. Se a ti r’ogo ba yi?
However, from the point of view of strategy and critical thinking, it does appear that some of the options for peace and reconciliation are still open, only if someone can see them. Unfortunately, they do not have the luxury of letting this tarry any further. The image of the Senate and her leadership is in the mud already, but not beyond repairs.
Therefore, making peace and reconciling the differing camps at this stage is not weakness. It is strength, gifted only the strong. But, to allow for more damage before embracing peace and reconciliation would have clearly exposed the insensitivity and the lack of capacity of the current Senate and her leadership.
Until reason and common sense prevail, the free show might as well continue with Natasha daily putting up great shows. It’s been some high blood pressure medication for many. Walahi! She kuku no get work at the moment and has plenty of time on her hand, with some war chest to leverage.
Six months suspension is a long time to think she’d just sit back at home, eating and sleeping. Na devil’s workshop be that, and she’s taken up the apprenticeship with serious devotion. In the end, problem gbogbo yin ni yen. I’m out of here, jare.
Good morning to all the suffering Nigerians like me. God will surely see us through. Allahumo Ameen.
Eid Mubarak!
