NCDC panel chairman faults Senator Natasha over committee membership dispute

Chairman of the Senate Committee on the North Central Development Commission (NCDC), Senator Titus Zam, has criticised Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (PDP, Kogi Central), describing her reaction to the committee’s composition as a display of ignorance following a disagreement over membership.

Zam stated that Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan is not a member of the committee and, therefore, could not have been invited to its recent budget defence session.

He offered the clarification while responding to enquiries about an altercation said to have involved aides of the Kogi Central senator and staff in his office.

Addressing the issue, Zam said, “She’s not a member of the committee and was not invited to the budget defence meeting. Two senators from Kogi are members indeed, Senator Sani Jubrin is my vice chairman of NCDC while Sen Sunny Karimi is a member.

“After the budget defence meeting, Sen Natasha came several hours later to complain against her not being invited. I told her she’s not a member, so she couldn’t have been invited.

“Many other north central senators are not members because senators from other zones in Nigeria are mixed up in all the development commission committees for the purpose of national character.

“For example, Senator Pam from Plateau State too is not a member of NCDC, because Senators Plang and Lalong are members.

“She, as usual, ignorantly claimed that being from north central Nigeria, she ought to have been a member.

“A brief argument ensued, and I told her to approach the Senate committee on selection and lodge her complaint. After a back-and-forth movement, she left my office.”

It would be recalled that Senator Natasha earlier led a protest to the office of the NCDC Committee Chairman, alleging a deliberate attempt to deny her rights and privileges as the senator representing Kogi Central.