By Isah Bala
Governance is a serious business, and genuine representatives understand it as an arduous task, a huge responsibility rather than a conduit to siphon public funds at the expense of the masses. This is the philosophy that drives Senator Natasha H Akpoti-Uduaghan.
She understands the huge responsibilities that come with leadership, the need to jealously guard the trust vested in her by the good people of Kogi Central, and the urgent need to right the wrongs of the past.
Senator Natasha is leading the paradigm shift towards ideal representation, one that not only listen to the yearning of the people but using every available means to find solutions to them.
In just eight months since assuming office as Senator representing Kogi Central, she has set the pace, raising the bar and proving critics and doubters wrong.
Within the last few months in the hallowed chamber, Senator Natasha has already made significant strides. She brought to the fore the wanton waste of our common patrimony in the gold sector due to illegal mining, and highlighted the untapped potentials for boosting the economy through job creation, currency strengthening, and economic diversification at this critical time.
She didn’t stop at merely sponsoring a bill; she designed the entire framework for the establishment of the Nigeria Gold Authority (NGA), which will oversee the administration of the Nigerian Mining Act concerning the nation’s gold and create a robust gold reserve industry.
She also sponsored the bill for the creation of a federal medical centre in Kogi Central to relief the overburdened only federal medical centre in the state capital.
She had also sponsored several motions including the motion for the federal government to immortalise late Ohinoyi of Ebiraland by renaming FCE Okene after him.
Pained by the several years of stagnation, Senator Natasha sponsored a motion to investigate alleged corruption that has plagued the Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited and National Iron Ore Mining Company (NIOMCO) in Itakpe for it to work for the benefit of Nigerians and the host community. Her efforts are yielding results, with the Senate committee now actively overseeing the matter. Recently summoned key stakeholders and making swift progress toward realizing the long-held dream of a functional Ajaokuta Steel Company.
Within these few months in office, Senator Natasha has also influenced numerous developmental projects: the ongoing total reconstruction and remodeling of the popular Abdul Azeez Atta Memorial College (AAAMCO) into a smart school, the construction of new primary and secondary schools in Osara, ongoing water projects, street lights project across the five local government areas, renovation of schools amongst several other ongoing projects influenced by the lawmaker.
For the first time, the Senator representing Kogi Central established constituency offices in each local government area, with two in Ajaokuta LGA, bringing governance closer to the people. These offices serve as accessible point where citizens can inquire about ongoing programmes and available opportunities.
Senator Natasha’s efforts to improve the standard of living in her constituency are evident. She has secured several federal government jobs for her constituents, giving opportunities to people whose hopes of working in reputable government agencies had hitherto waned to utilise their potentials.
For the first time, students from Kogi Central can now apply for educational support through the Senator’s foundation. Since the programme’s launch in February 2024, 268 students have benefited, with a total of 12 million naira disbursed so far.
For the first time, Senator Natasha held town hall meeting with the stakeholders of the senatorial district to discuss her journey so far, developmental plans, challenges, and the concerns and expectations of the people.
Within these few months, she had distributed six trucks of grains containing 7,200 bags of rice, beans and millet to cushion the effect of economic hardships. Also distributed 10,000 wrappers to women, 20,000 notebooks, and 5,000 branded bags to school children amongst several others.
To boost economic growth and development in her constituency, the lawmaker partnered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) to register 2,500 Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the district. The on spot registration which will be offered at a rate of N11,000 each will all be paid for at the total cost of N27,500,000 . This initiative will help business owners comply with government requirements and enable them to access funding opportunities such as loans, grants, and other government support.
Within these few months, Senator Natasha has redefined the legislative approach, she has been able to make her mark at the hallowed chamber and stamped her name in the heart of an average Nigerian as an outspoken, eloquent and courageous lawmaker who consistently advocate for the betterment of Nigerians.
She has undoubtedly removed the malignant tumour of misrepresentation from Kogi Central.
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan is already transforming the ills of our polity into a harmonious symphony of ideal representation in the hallowed chamber.
While constructive criticism of her programmes is welcome, it is essential to avoid bias and fairly compare her achievements with those of her predecessors within the same timeframe. This will definitely create an ambiance conducive to appreciate the giant strides of this amazon within just eight months in office.
Isah Bala is the Special Assistant on media to Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan writes from Abuja.