National News
Enough of the Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan Distraction, Nigeria is More
Enough of the Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan Distraction, Nigeria is More
By Abdul Isa Jaji
Integrity is central not just in public conduct but in private endeavours. To lack integrity, especially in public affairs, is an anathema that erodes trust and respect. It is for this reason that it is canvassed that those elected or appointed into public institutions should be individuals who have values of integrity, character, and honour.
However, events as orchestrated by the now suspended Kogi Central Senator Natasaha Akpoti-Uduaghan stand in antithesis to the very core of the integrity and decorum expected of a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Without a doubt of a comely personage, Senator Natasha has convinced herself to exploit her charm to undo not just Senate President Godswill Akpabio but the entire legislative arm in the country. The Kogi senator has succeeded in bringing to opprobrium the institution of the National Assembly by her foxy and preposterous claim of sexual abuse and harassment by Senate President Akpabio.
While Senator Natasha is beautiful, she isn’t the most charming female senator or lawmaker who has graced the hallowed grounds of the National Assembly to warrant such heady attention. Since 1999 when democratic rule staged a comeback, they have been female lawmakers with poise, charm and class that have walked the sacred halls of both chambers and not one has laid such a weighty charge until now.
It is in the light of this that the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, should be commended for laying the gauntlet with clarity over the raging controversy. A senator who was there for 12 solid years and should know better could not have put it any less better when she said, “I know with what is going on in the Senate, you may say, why am I not taking a position? I believe that the Senate is doing what is needful because that’s what it is. It is an inside place, and it’s a matured chamber. It’s a mature chamber, and it should be treated with respect. It’s an honour for you to be in that place alone.
“I was there for 12 years, even in my younger days, and I’m still trying to look young, but people compliment you all the time, only that, women raise yourself, don’t be in a position that men will be talking to you anyhow.”
Yes, being a lawmaker, for that matter, confers on you certain privileges and an expected temperament and decorum. But Senator Natasha like Cersei of the House of Lannister in the fictional fantasy of Game of Thrones typifies the superficial, the paranoid, and laced with delusions of achieving the impossible; destroy a democracy that was hard fought for when she was still a student in the University of Abuja as at 2000.
It remains inconceivable that Senator Natasha was being sexually harassed by Senate President Akpabio but never uttered the unsolicited advances to any soul, not even her husband. It is further irksome to note that the Akpoti-Uduaghans and Akpabios have come a very long way with the Senate President playing a prominent role in her marriage to Alema Emmanuel Uduaghan and this did not matter to the accuser of the grave damage she was doing to such a rich history.
There must be something more. And that something more may not be far from Natasha’s insatiable quest to dominate, to be the centre of all things grand and rewarding. To imagine that she was often in the entourage of the Senate President to Parliamentary meetings outside the country and suddenly the favour was withdrawn to accommodate other senators has become a cardinal sin that must be met with the gravest of allegations; sexual harassment.
Psychoanalysts will recommend that she gets a diagnosis of narcissistic personality disorder to unravel the black box that she appears to be.
A critical element that has been ignored in all of this charade is Natasha’s rise to public conscience. It is not as if she had any rich inheritance to have rapidly gained public acclaim before now with her activism over the troubled Ajakouta steel complex in Kogi state. Where did she get funding from her several media forays and campaigns that were not by any means cheap? Was she a foreign agent for some foreign interests desperate to have their hands on the prized steel industry? This puzzle has floated around the social sphere for a long time, and it will be fitting for the embattled Kogi senator to provide some answers.
While arguments persist as to the lengthy suspension, sexual allegations are weighty and can not and should not be trivialized. Every institution, the National Assembly inclusive, have their rules and norms, which need to be adhered to. If a lawmaking institution is left to “anyhow behaviour,” then citizens will lack the moral authority to question “anyhow laws” from such an institution. What Senator Natasha did by not following the rule book not just as to the seating arrangement, but breaching the rights and privileges of her colleague senators by going on national television to levy such weighty allegations deserves the severity of sanctions.
For a lawmaker that simply lacks an understanding of the rules that guides and governs the institution that she was elected to simply means it has been about pancakes and photo moments. It has become apparent that she lacks the skills, tools, and intelligence to be an effective representative of her people. If she were otherwise, she would be focused, diligent, strategic, and not be undone by her own paranoia, which has resulted in her own fall from grace and naked walk of shame.
It is time Nigerians move on to more pressing issues like the N54 trillion budget that was recently passed, the attempt to whittle down the supervision of political parties by the INEC and holding government to scrutiny on issues of insecurity. Enough of the Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan distraction!
Isa Jaji writes from Kontagora, Niger State
Enough of the Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan Distraction, Nigeria is More
UN Agency Gives USD 395,000 to 39 Land Restoration Projects Worldwide
By: Michael Mike
In a decisive step to reverse land degradation, 39 land restoration projects led by grassroots organisations have been awarded USD 395,000 through the inaugural Small Grants Programme of the G20 Global Land Initiative (GLI), a flagship initiative of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).
Drawn from 22 countries, the winning projects were selected for their innovation, impact and sustainability. Over 650 organisations from more than 100 countries applied for the award. The winners were selected following three rounds of review by separate UNCCD staff teams, with varied expertise in land management and restoration.
Awardees will receive between US$5,000 and US$15,000 to fund grassroots efforts that boost local economies, improve food and water security and strengthen ecosystem resilience.
The announcement was livestreamed at an event showcasing the grant winners.
The Small Grants Programme is an important tool for achieving the G20 GLI’s mission of reducing degraded land by 50 percent by 2040.
Speaking during the award ceremony, Director of the G20 Global Land Initiative,Dr. Muralee Thummarukudy, said: “We are aware that these big numbers, cannot be achieved by small initiatives alone. Yet, we feel, it is important that tens of thousands of small actors, engaged in land restoration around the world, be supported, promoted and recognized,”
Special priority was given to organisations accredited to UNCCD and to projects empowering Indigenous Peoples, youth, women and the elderly.
The programme was set up in 2024 to support community-level non-profit organisations worldwide. According to a statement, by directly supporting civil society and grassroot actors, these grants will generate measurable progress across global aided restoration priorities, such as soil fertility enhancement, forest regeneration, sustainable agriculture, agroecology and ecosystem-based adaptation.
The statement added that beyond reclaiming land, the projects are enhancing livelihoods, strengthening community climate resilience, and fostering social enterprise and eco-preneurship.
“When we do these small grants program, it is not just about the grant. It’s about the network which we create and the visibility it provides — both for those within it and those outside who can benefit from their knowledge and experience,” Thummarukudy added.
Three of the highest-scoring projects were showcased at the UNCCD Conference of the Parties held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in December 2024, to highlight their potential for scaling and replication across regions.
The statement also revealed that winners will also be showcased at select high-level events in the future, stating that the G20 GLI is committed to inclusive and continuous engagement, and is exploring future
collaboration opportunities for the applicants not selected in this round.
Stressing that “this is just the beginning, this will be an annual process, the next cohort is about to start,” Dr Thummarukudy invited community organisations doing land restoration to apply to join the network because both “big and small” [efforts] are important.
He noted that the second call for applications will open in 2025 with increased funding and expanded
support for grassroots restoration efforts worldwide.
Innovative community-led restoration initiatives are essential for creating green jobs, especially for youth and women..The awards provide support that can transform restoration into a catalyst for economic opportunity and sustainable environmental management.
Examples of selected 2024 grantees include: Legacy of War Foundation (Rwanda), which will restore six hectares of degraded soil while empowering 90 women as landowners of fully organic cooperative farms. By integrating climate-smart and artisanal farming methods, the project aims to improve soil fertility and agricultural resilience in post-conflict rural communities.
Up2Green Foundation (India) is restoring mangroves and riverbanks in Tamil Nadu, India. The project is reforesting 60 hectares and planting 15,000 fruit trees, enhancing biodiversity, strengthening coastal resilience for flood prevention, and training local communities in sustainable agroforestry practices.
Sustainability and Environmental Studies Endeavor (Nepal) is working to restore
ecological balance along the mythological Nagaraj Trail. By revitalizing degraded farms, wetlands and forests using nature-based solutions, the project promotes nature-inclusive agriculture and convivial conservation approaches.
The G20 Global Land Initiative was launched in 2020 under the Saudi G20 Presidency. Hosted by the UNCCD, its ambition is to reduce degraded land by 50 percent by 2040. By showcasing
land restoration, empowering civil society, engaging the private sector and building capacity, G20 GLI is driving restoration to scale and energizing a restoration economy. The Small Grants Programme is a key component of this vision, empowering civil society to restore degraded lands and promote sustainable land management at scale.
UN Agency Gives USD 395,000 to 39 Land Restoration Projects Worldwide
National News
VP Shettima Mourns Late Alhaji Aminu Dantata, Says Nigeria Has Lost An Irreplaceable Institution
VP Shettima Mourns Late Alhaji Aminu Dantata, Says Nigeria Has Lost An Irreplaceable Institution
By: Michael Mike
Vice President Kashim Shettima has expressed deep grief over the passing of prominent Nigerian businessman and philanthropist, Alhaji Aminu Alhassan Dantata, saying the nation has lost an irreplaceable institution.
The late Dantata, an uncle of Africa’s richest man, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, passed away at the age of 94 in Abu Dhabi in the early hours of Saturday in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), according to Mustapha Abdullahi Junaid, his Personal Private Secretary (PPS), who confirmed the death.
In a condolence message, Vice President Shettima praised the late businessman for his lifetime of service, describing him as “a living bridge that connected us to our past.
“We have not just lost a leader; we have lost an irreplaceable institution,” Senator Shettima said, describing Dantata as “one of the greatest titans in Nigeria’s philosophical history” whose departure marks the end of a vital chapter in the country’s economic and democratic evolution.
“In African tradition, when such an elderly person transitions, a vital chapter of our history departs with them. He was indeed among the great titans, a living bridge that connected us to our past,” VP Shettima added.
The Vice President extended heartfelt condolences to the Dantata family, expressing hopes that they would “find the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss,” even as he prayed that Almighty Allah would grant the deceased Jannatul Firdaus.
Born into the legendary Dantata family of Kano, Alhaji Aminu built on his father’s commercial legacy to become one of Nigeria’s most influential business figures. His empire spans construction, manufacturing, banking, agriculture, and the oil and gas sectors.
Beyond business, Dantata was renowned for his extensive philanthropic work, funding schools, mosques, health centres, and supporting widows and the underprivileged across Nigeria.
VP Shettima Mourns Late Alhaji Aminu Dantata, Says Nigeria Has Lost An Irreplaceable Institution
National News
Nigeria-EU Senior Officials Meet in Abuja to Prepare for Upcoming Nigeria – EU Ministerial Meeting
Nigeria-EU Senior Officials Meet in Abuja to Prepare for Upcoming Nigeria – EU Ministerial Meeting
By: Michael Mike
The Senior Officials Meeting between Nigeria and the European Union (EU) will be held on Tuesday 1st and Wednesday 2nd July 2025 in Abuja to prepare for the upcoming Nigeria – EU Ministerial Meeting and to explore areas of cooperation.
A statement on Saturday by the Press Officer, EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Modestus Chukwulaka, read: “The Delegation of European Union to Nigeria and ECOWAS wishes to inform that the Senior Officials Meeting between the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the European Union (EU) will be held on Tuesday 1st and Wednesday 2nd July 2025 in Abuja.
“The agenda of the very important meeting is to prepare for the upcoming Nigeria – EU Ministerial Meeting and to explore areas of cooperation.”
According to the statement, the Senior Officials Meeting will be co-chaired by the Regions, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nigeria, Ambassador Janet Olisa, Director, and the Deputy Managing Director for Africa Department, European External Action Service, European Union, Mr Mathieu Briens.
The statement revealed that the agenda of the meeting is expected to entail wide-ranging discussions that would focus on various aspects of the Nigeria – EU partnership, such as: Cooperation on multilateral and regional issues; Peace, Security and Governance; Humanitarian situation; Trade and Investment; Human Development: Health, Education, Social Protection; Science, technology, innovation and digital transition; Migration; Energy, climate change and green economy transition among others.
Nigeria and the European Union share a deep, long-standing partnership inspired by mutual values and interests as well as support for multilateralism and rule-based international order, the statement said.
Nigeria-EU Senior Officials Meet in Abuja to Prepare for Upcoming Nigeria – EU Ministerial Meeting
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