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At International Women’s Day, Natasha urges the womenfolk not to fade off but own their spaces

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***Decries lips service to affirmative action

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senatorial candidate for Kogi Central in the 2023 general election Barr. Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has expressed concern that only two women have so far made it to the senate in the upcoming 10th National Assembly.
As the world celebrates the 2023 International Women’s Day (IWD), she said it is important to take a look at women and their participation in politics, observing that the Nigeria’s 10th Senate will be male dominated.

In her message to Nigerians to mark the International Women’s Day, she urged the Nigerian woman not to fade off but own her space no matter the odds.
According to her, though there is a temporary setback in her victory at the polls, she expressed the confidence that the judiciary will live up to its bidding and deliver justice whereby she will reclaim her mandate
Eight female senators had actually been elected in 2015, but with the loss of Uche Ekwunife to Victor Umeh at the tribunal, the number came down to seven.  
The gender constitution of the previous senate was maitained in the 9th senate that was shaped by Oluremi Tinubu (APC, Lagos), Stella Oduah (PDP, Anambra), and Uche Ekwunife (PDP, Anambra). Others are Betty Apiafi (PDP, Rivers), Eyakenyi Akon (PDP, Akwa Ibom), Aishatu Dahiru (APC, Adamawa) and Abiodun Olujimi (APC, Ekiti).
This time around it dipped as the deputy governor of Rivers State, Ipalibo Banigo, was elected the representative for Rivers West Senatorial District under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Kingibe Ireti was also elected the Senator for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) under the Labour Party
They are the only two female voices out of 109
The unfolding scenario Natasha said is raising concerns about the lip service paid to affirmative action as well as gender and equal opportunity in the West African country.

According to her,
“As we celebrate international women’s Day, it should be noted that only 2 women made it to the 10th senate.
“No doubt, we shall get our mandate back by God’s grace, but only 3 is shameful for our democracy, for our gender equity and representation.”

A statement by the Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan Campaign Organization had since rejected the results and called on INEC to review the results and declare her as the rightful winner of the 2023 Kogi Central Senatorial elections
“This is the only act that will ensure justice is done for the people of Kogi Central senatorial district.

According to her, the process was dogged by manipulations of the doctoring of figures, cancellation of polling units where she won, and invasion of many polling units by armed thugs loyal to APC.
She had also written to the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Mahmoud Yakubu, demanding for a review of the declaration and return of candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abubakar Ohere as winner of the February 25 senatorial election.

Akpoti-Uduaghan, in the letter dated March 1, 2023, said her request is brought pursuant to Section 65 of the Electoral Act, 2022.

She claimed that the Returning Officer for the Senatorial District “wrongly” declared and returned the APC as the winner of the said election.

Akpoti-Uduaghan in the letter written by her lawyer, Mr Johnson Usman, claimed that, “the candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) was wrongly returned with 52,132 votes and declared the winner of the election in the Senatorial District while our client was wrongly credited with 51,763 votes”.

According to the letter, the mistake was following a careful and meticulous review of the election results from the duplicate of the result sheets, which revealed that votes were manipulated and adjusted in favour of the APC’s candidate.

She claimed that the alleged manipulation of results occurred in three polling units in Ganaja Township Ward in Ajaokuta Local Governement Area of Kogi State.

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NationalUpdate Woman

Clark tells Tinubu to set up special Military Task Force to rescue Chibok Girls, others

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***Blames him for failure to rescue tgen after 10years

Elderstatesman and Leader of the Ijaw Nation, Chief Edwin Clark, has urged President Bola Tinubu to set up a special military task force to rescur the remaining Chibok School Girls and others still in the captivity of the Boko Haram insurgents.

The Ijaw national leader gave the indication at a news conference in Abuja to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Chibok Girls abduction by the dreaded Islamic sect.

He said the special military task force should be coordinated by a courageous military

While expressing displeasure over the failure of past administrations to rescue the girls, Clark urged President Bola Tinubu to leave no stone unturned to secure the release of the girls.

“About 90 of them are still missing after 10 years. This should be a source of worry and concern to any government of a nation.

“Tinubu should appoint a special taskforce with brave soldiers, competent, transparent and not nepotic.

According to the elderstatesman “It appears to some of us that the President Tinubu’s Government is not serious in the effort to rescue the remaining Chibok girls.
“About ninety (90) of them are still missing after ten (10) years. This should be a source of worry and concern to any government of a serious nation.

“I recall that in October, 2020, when a United States of America (USA) citizen, Mr. Philip Walton was held hostage between Niger Republic and Nigeria, the government of the United States deployed one of its machineries, the Naval Special Warfare group, popularly known as SEAL Team Six, who rescued Mr. Walton in Nigeria.
” The then President of the US, Mr. Donald Trump, followed the matter to up to conclusion. When the Mr. Philip was rescued,
“President Trump was so excited that a citizen of his country held hostage had been rescued and described the action as “big win for our very elite U. S. Special Forces.” Also, speaking on the incident, the then US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, said “The United States is committed to the safe return of all U. S. citizens taken captive.
“We delivered on that commitment late last night in Nigeria, where some of our bravest and most skilled warriors rescued a U. S. citizen after a group of armed men took him hostage across the border in Niger”.
Clark wandered why the case of Nigeria is different.
According to him,In the case of the U. S., it was just one person, yet the government of the country went all out to ensure his rescue.
“In Nigeria, we are still talking about 90 girls still missing, ten years after.
Explaining further he said the Nigerian government bungled fresh negotiation to free Chibok girls
He said he led a high-level negotiations between the Nigerian government team and Boko Haram insurgents, to secure the release of 220 Chibok girls saying that it crumbled

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NationalUpdate Woman

Kogi Central: Again, Natasha distributes six trucks of grains to constituents

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The lawmaker representing Kogi Central senatorial district, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has distributed another six trucks of grains to her constituents to cushion the effects of the economic hardship ravaging the country.

At the Yuletide, the senator had distributed six trailers of rice, 20,000 notebooks, and 10,000 wrappers to her constituents for Christmas and New Year celebrations Additionally, she provided 5,000 branded bags to school children in the senatorial district’s five local government areas.
In that round of empowerment programme she targeted widows and the underprivileged, with the senator stating that the items were not exclusive to PDP members but for every deserving constituent, irrespective of party affiliation

This time, the six trucks of grains contain 7,200 bags of rice, beans, and millet distributed to the 57 Wards of the five local government areas of the senatorial district.

The beneficiaries included Muslim community, Christian community, Drivers’ union, Okada/Keke union, Mechanics’ union, pensioners, Hausa/Fulani community, Yoruba community, amongst others.

She reiterated the position that the distribution must reach all her constituents irrespective of party affiliations, adding that she will continue to do her best to bring the very best dividends of democracy to them.

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NationalUpdate Woman

Easter: Woman leader tells women traders to involve God in all their businesses

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By Ekuson Nw’Ogbunka

The woman leader, National Association of Nigeria Traders (NANTs) in Abuja the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Chief (Mrs) Rachael Adewumi has advised women traders in the nation’s capital to always involve God in their businesses.

Adewumi gave the admonition to the women traders in her Easter message on Thursday.

Adewumi was last year reelected as the woman leader and inaugurated along with others in ither positions with her in March.

Reiterating the essence of involving God in one’s business and other dealings, the woman leader said with the fear of God and His involvement in their business, sky would be their limit.
She urged them to have faith in God, adding that everyone who put his faith in God will never be disappointed.

The woman leader wished them well in the Easter celebration, as she reminded them that Easter is celebrated to observe the sacrifice of Jesus for mankind, adding that Easter is usually celebrated to promote peace, love and worship God, among other good gestures.

Enjoining them to remain law abiding and be supportive to the government, Amb Adewumi noted that, that will do a lot of good, as no government would plan evil for its citizens.

She further urged the women traders to neither hoard food items and other goods, nor sell at exorbitant profit as it would deny their customers and other Nigerians, the right to enjoy the Easter.

The woman leader also advised the women traders to neither spend above their income, nor make their husbands to do likewise, even as she urged husbands to accept Christ as their boss, for the wife to know that the husband is the head of the family.

She however appealed to the government at all levels to always intervene in the high rates commercial banks charge for loans, saying that the women traders, if encouraged or empowered would contribute immensely to the economy. Adewumi indicated that the markets, plazas, streets, among other areas where buying and selling are done, more than 80% of the traders are women.

“These women, if encouraged in the area of empowerment, among other similar gestures would go a long way to boosting the economy. Most of these women started with little or nothing, but today, they are doing wonderfully well, beyond imagination.
“So let the government find a way of encouraging and empowering the women traders, which if done will go a long way for this country,” she stated.

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