THE former chairman of the Senate Committee on Local Content, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has denied allegation that she misappropriated the committee’s funds and committed other infractions while she led the committee. 

In a recent petition by the Youths Advocacy for Excellence (NOYAD), addressed to the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, Akpoti-Uduaghan was accused of abusing her office by demanding favours from oil and gas stakeholders, sidelining the committee’s clerk, Edith Ajah, victimising other committee staff, among others.

The petitioners demanded a thorough probe into her tenure and issue sanctions where applicable.

“The Senate Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct and Public Petitions should thoroughly investigate all illegally, subversive and intimidating activities of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan with a view to exerting the necessary legal and disciplinary measures.

“Evidence at our disposal shows that Senator Natasha has corruptly enriched and overreached herself through intimidation tactics, unapproved public outreaches, and by reimbursing endorsements against regulations.

“With the benefit of hindsight, NOYAD is also alleging, with incontrovertible evidence, that Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan had, ab initio, never had any genuine support for the local content mandate but rather was focused on fleecing businesses,” part of the petition reads.

The lawmaker, who represents Kogi Central, took to her social handle after receiving the petition on Thursday, February 27, and promised to appear on Arise Television to shed light on the petition and some of the issues in the Senate.

While agreeing with the planned probe on her, she said the proceedings must be made public.

Speaking in an interview on Arise TV’s “The Morning Show” on Friday, February 28, Akpoti-Uduaghan alleged that she did not meet a dime in the committee’s account but let millions of naira in the account when she was leaving.

She said all attempts by the clerk and committee’s staff to convince her to share the fund she saved in the account fell on deaf ears.

“When I resumed as chair, the account balance of the Senate Committee on Local Content was zero,” she explained.

“By the time I handed over the position, the balance had grown to N13,649,335,” she added.

She said each committee received N950,000 monthly for operational expenses.

“The first month after my resumption, the clerk of the committee, whose name is well listed there, probably the lady who is behind this petition, Mrs. Edith Aja, approached me in January and said, oh, the first month’s payment has gotten in. And I was like, what do you mean by that?

“She told me that every month, every committee in the National Assembly receives N950,000 as running operational costs. And, so, I said, okay, what is the money supposed to be used for? She said, ‘for logistics, mail dispatches, refreshments for meetings that we have, and all that,” the lawmaker said.

 She further alleged that she told the staff and committee members that the money was meant to service the operations of the committee, not to enrich their pockets, and as such, the money must not be shared.

According to her, she directed that the money remains in the account and be used for legitimate expenses, such as purchasing office equipment and printing materials. 

“I said, okay, so if 950,000 Naira has hit the account, we are yet to call for any meetings, so I think leave that money there, or is there a problem? She said, yes. The trend or the norm is that if there is no event or happenstance that utilises the money, we are supposed to share the money.”

While displaying the printed bank statement for the committee, she stated, “Since I left office, the clerk has withdrawn approximately N9.9 million from that account, leaving a balance of just N123,000.”