Senator Seriake Dickson has clarified that he was unaware of the emergency sitting of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct, Privileges, and Public Petitions, as he was attending a three-day workshop on the Tax Reform Bill, which ran from Wednesday, March 5, to Friday, March 7.
Speaking during a visit to Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan at her residence in Abuja on Friday, March 7, Senator Dickson, who led a delegation of opposition lawmakers, stated that he was not notified of the emergency sitting of the committee that deliberated on her suspension.
He further explained that he had been assured by the Committee Chairman that the hearing on the matter would take place on Wednesday, March 11, with notices already issued. However, while working extensively on the Tax Reform Bill, he was unable to attend the plenary session where the ethics committee report was considered, leading to Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension.
During the visit, the opposition lawmakers expressed their solidarity, offering words of encouragement, prayers, and advice on seeking a swift resolution to the issue. After listening to Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan and her husband, they pledged to engage their colleagues and the Senate leadership in discussions aimed at resolving the matter as soon as possible.
It would be recalled that the Senate, on March 6, suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan for six months and withdrew her allowances.
