Natasha At 43: Barr. Natasha H Akpoti-Uduaghan, A Great Beacon Of Hope

In every generation, there are always special people designed to be the voice of others, carry the burden of others, and fight for the rights of their fellow compatriots to right the wrongs and set the country to attain the true meaning of its creed.

Kogi Central had gotten to a point where many people gave up on the possibility of having an altruistic leader who will not think of himself/herself and what he/she stands to gain before fighting for the common good of the masses.

In the depth of the darkness when all hope of having an oasis to brighten the habitation was lost, Barr. Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan emerged as an answer to the jigsaw puzzle.

Like Malcolm X posits in one of his submissions, "...I’m for justice, no matter who it is for or against. I’m a human being, first and foremost, and as such I’m for whoever and whatever benefits humanity as a whole."

Barr. Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan stepped into the big shoes of Onono Idogido of the blessed memory, a great social crusader who defied all odds and led other Ebira women to revolt against the odious taxation of the colonial masters in 1951.

Barr. Natasha's genuine intention led her to hold the National Assembly to a standstill in 2018 during the National Assembly sectoral debate where she revealed the conspiracy behind the resuscitation of Ajaokuta steel company and suggested numerous pathways toward the awakening of the steel company. 

Natasha, the new Onono of Kogi Central did not just champion the advocacy for the revitalization of Ajaokuta steel company. 

As a woman who had experienced the pain of an orphan child, she made it a point of duty for every orphan and less privileged child in her hometown to get an education.

Natasha believes everybody in society counts, she has on different fora reached out to the physically challenged persons, giving them start-up funds to start businesses of their own and become employers of labor instead of receivers of alms.

As a private citizen, Natasha constructed roads to end the plight of motorists on Obehira-Ibilo road which became a nightmare for commuters who ply the road daily. 

She provided boreholes to ameliorate the suffering of her people in different parts of Ebiraland. 

Barr. Natasha whose emergence is described as a great beacon of hope to the people of Kogi Central has no doubt given hope to the people of the district, the women folk, and attestation of the fact that God never forsakes his creatures in a time of despair where everybody fronts for personal aggrandizement.

In Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, you see the description of an ideal Ebira person; courageous, blunt when it comes to truth, and fights for others with uncommon valour.

Natasha has indeed broken the stereotypical jinx, she has broken the old order and steadfastly refused to be cowed and “erased” from public memory in a society deeply rooted in patriarchal belief.

Despite the plethora of attempts, odium, media loathe, and threats to ignominiously consign her into the dustbin of history, she has refused to be intimidated and fights for the masses with spirited gusto.

This lofty height she has attained through service to humanity has endeared many people to believe there's still hope for a new Nigeria, earning her laurels within and outside the shores of Nigeria.

After adopting 600 children in 2015, she became known as the mother of 600, and a patriotic, nationalistic rebel nicknamed the “Queen of Steel” due to the feisty with which she led Ajaokuta advocacy to the hallowed chamber.

She is a philanthropist, social reformer, entrepreneur, a torch bearer of the revolutionary change the masses need, all rolled in one.

Natasha, however, eschewed personal interest in her journey to change the narrative, “All I did was out of share patriotism and love for my country Nigeria".

Dear Amazon, we wish you more strength, more sound health, and more years to fight for the good of Kogi Central, Kogi State, and Nigeria at large.

Thank you for making yourself available, history will surely be kind to you while posterity will always pinpoint and eulogize your giant strides.

Happy Birthday Ma'am. 

#NatashaAt43

 Isah Bala. 

Isah Bala

Head of Press Media

Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan Campaign Organization. 

NAUCO.