Kogi Central Group Calls On Tinubu, Stakeholders To Intervene In Senate Crisis, Moves To Recall Natasha
Club President, Abdullahi Kayode MammanDe Noble Club 10 Kogi Central has called for urgent intervention of President Bola Tinubu and stakeholders in the ongoing crisis in the Senate and the process of recall against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Udusghan, who represents Kogi Central Senatorial District. Senator Natasha is currently serving a six-month suspension from the Senate over unruly conduct in the floor of the Senate.
De Noble Club 10, in a three-page appeal, drew the attention of President Tinubu to the danger in allowing the procedural and personal crisis to linger, adding that his intervention would save Nigeria from further embarrassment at the international level.
The appeal was signed by the President of the Club, Alhaji Abdullahi Kayode Mamman, Secretary General, Isa Sule Dania and the Club’s Director of Service, Prince Emman Omadivi.
The Club asked President Tinubu not to pretend as if he doesn’t know the implications of the unnecessary bad blood that is being generated from the Senate, especially on the nation’s psyche.
It described the President as father of the Nation and an astute politician, saying: “he should be seen to be in the know of the damage such incidents can cause even his government. As they say a stitch in time saves nine.”
It acknowledged that those who are making moves to recall Senator Natasha have their reasons, but that it is not the right time to do it.
In the appeal titled: “the lingering Natasha-Akpabio- Senate feud – Call for truce”, the Club 10 drew attention to many African cultures which says that if one deliberately sets fire on the bush, one cannot know how far it would go and when it would end, neither can one know or determine the consequences and effects of such fire.
“What started like a joke between Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio on one hand, and between Natasha and the Senate as a body, has degenerated into putting Nigeria on the defensive and extended to be part of a global discourse, dragging Nigeria into international shame.
“The hallowed chamber of the National Assembly where the number three citizen presides ought to have nibbed the ugly situation in the bud before it developed ordious wings, but the leadership decided to reduce it to a kind of drama.
“Though we believe in the separation of powers,we believe also that the three arms of government must take note of the fact that in their conducts, there’s a supreme document, a kind of holy book, which contents supercede any other rules, regulations and laws whenever they are being applied.
“While we do not subscribe to rules being flouted, we are not comfortable with the way the Senate treated Natasha by suspending her; we consider it to be too harsh. In other words, we don’t expect that the hallowed chamber should have:
1. Handed down six months suspension which obviously has denied Natasha’s constituency the desired representation.
2. Deprived her of her salary and security.
3. Locked her office thereby depriving her access not only to her office but the entire National Assembly complex.
4. To crown it all, that she should not be addressed as Senator, which looks very strange because it is not the Senate that elected her. We believe that not even INEC that announced her electoral victory has the power to strip her of the title. We should not, through acts that betray clear vindictiveness, make ourselves a laughing stock in the comity of Nations. Let it be stressed again that while De Noble Club 10 Kogi Central is against misconduct of any kind by anybody in any organisation if such is proved, stringent measures such as have been taken against a fellow Senator should be properly weighed before being implemented. Setting such dangerous precedent does not portend healthy political democracy we have set ourselves to practise.
“We are all aware that this is a matter that borders on constitutional provisions which can be applied with clear unambiguous intent; without ulterior motives or acrimony. However, with some politicians behind the move ascribing it to pure politics; saying that whoever can’t do it should not be in it smells odious.
“We have no doubt, anyway, that those in the forefront for the recall have their reasons but we are aware that people are asking questions as to whether this is the right time for it and whether they actually have the requirements as well as whether or not the Senator being targeted is actually guilty of the offence(s).
“All said and done, the overriding question has become inevitable: how do we, from Kogi Central Senatorial District, see ourselves in politics; is it as enemies or for the sake of interest?
We are using this medium to appeal to our leaders to come out and intervene in the ongoing needless recall process and the underlying issues that roused it. We have to do something positive to stave the generation of bad blood amongst the constituents of the Senatorial District for the comfort and benefit of our children, including those unborn.
“We reiterate our clarion call on our leaders, players behind the scene and the actors to sheathe their swords and work for the rapid development of our dear land.
“They should understand that in politics there are constant movements: today, some people who are in party A who see others in part B as enemies may find themselves together in party C tomorrow.
De Noble Club 10 Kogi Central is in solidarity with Coalition of Civil Society groups and other groups who preach and share our aspirations.”
The Club advised Senator Natasha to consider adopting the give-and-take mantra in matters affecting her constituency, saying that it is making moves to have audience with the Senator for one-on-one mutual discussion.
The Club reiterated its call on all parties involved to give peace a chance for the sake of our birthplace in particular and the country in general,
De Noble Club 10 Kogi Central is said to have existed for 48 years during which time a few individuals have assisted it to some extent.
“We have carried the burden of the land on our head for such a long time. We have held self-financed, cost-effective annual Summer School and radio program for over 10 years as parts of our voluntary contributions to the growth and development of the land into which we were born.
“This is being done notwithstanding the fact that 85 percent of the members are retirees. In the absence of financial support for our programs, God Almighty has been our source of strength.”
Shaka Ssali: The Voice That Bridged Continent – Tribute, By Emman Shehu Usman
About two years ago, a former student of mine at the International Institute of Journalism, Abuja, reached out to me to link her up with Shaka Ssali, whose voice through the years, had become emblematic of the African Service of the Voice of America (VOA).
Apparently, she had seen my social media post in late 2019, when I met the baritone-gifted Ssali during a visit to the Washington Studios of VOA. It was a memory laden moment as both Ssali and I shared what we knew of each other from afar as journalists and broadcasters.
That post about my meeting with Ssali, had mentioned his deep respect for Nigeria and my former student wanted to contact him for her proposed documentary on the late Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe.
She eventually got him to be on the documentary which was concluded recently, but he passed away this week and will not get to see the final product, including his input.
In the annals of African journalism, few names resonate with the gravitas and warmth of Shaka Ssali, the Ugandan-born broadcaster who, for over two decades, turned a microphone and a camera into a lifeline for a continent.
Ssali, who passed away on 27 March, 2025, at the age of 71 in Virginia, USA, was more than a journalist—he was a storyteller, a truth-seeker, and a bridge between Africa and the world. His death, just weeks shy of his 72nd birthday, marks the end of an era, but his legacy, forged through the airwaves of Voice of America’s (VOA) Straight Talk Africa, will echo for generations.
Born in the rolling hills of Kabale, Uganda, Ssali’s journey was anything but conventional. He was a child of modest beginnings, the son of John Mushakamba, a respected businessman, and Joyce, who instilled in him a curiosity that would shape his life. As a boy, he sat by the fireplace with his father, listening to the crackle of a Pie radio, captivated by the voices that floated through the ether.
Those evenings planted a seed—one that would sprout years later into a career that redefined African media. But the path was winding. Dropping out of school in 1968, Ssali joined the Ugandan Army at 16, rising to the rank of lieutenant by his early 20s. It was a detour shaped by the cinematic allure of cowboys—John Wayne and Clint Eastwood loomed large in his youthful imagination—but also by the stark realities of a nation under Idi Amin’s shadow. In 1974, after his name surfaced in a failed coup attempt, Ssali fled to Kenya, then to the United States, carrying little more than resilience and a hunger for knowledge.
What followed was a transformation as remarkable as it was improbable. In America, Ssali rebuilt himself, brick by intellectual brick. He earned a bachelor’s degree, two master’s degrees, and a doctorate in cross-cultural communication and history from UCLA—a testament to the “transformational power of knowledge” that one interviewer aptly ascribed to him.
A former Ford Foundation Fellow, he collected accolades like milestones: a United Nations Peacekeeping Special Achievement Award in International Journalism, VOA’s Best Journalist Award, and, just last year, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Ugandan North American Association (UNAA). Yet, for all his academic and professional triumphs, Ssali remained the “Kabale Kid”—a nickname he wore with pride, a nod to the roots that grounded him.
In 1994, Ssali joined VOA, and in August 2000, he launched Straight Talk Africa, a program that would become his megaphone and his monument. For 21 years, until his retirement in May 2021, he hosted the weekly show with a signature blend of calm authority and incisive curiosity. From Washington, D.C., his voice reached millions across Africa via radio, television, and the internet, dissecting the continent’s triumphs and tribulations with equal measure.
Presidents and prime ministers—Uganda’s Yoweri Museveni, Rwanda’s Paul Kagame, Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe—sat across from him, fielding questions that cut through platitudes. Intellectuals like Nobel laureate Wangari Maathai and artists like Hugh Masekela shared his stage, their voices amplified by his platform. Ssali didn’t just interview; he convened a continental conversation, one that spanned democracy, governance, and the dreams of Africa’s youth.
What set Ssali apart was his humanity. He once said, “Information is the oxygen of democracy,” a credo he lived by with every broadcast. His guttural voice, tinged with the cadence of Kabale, carried a sincerity that disarmed guests and listeners alike. He was fearless but fair, a journalist who challenged power without losing sight of the powerless. “Get better, not bitter,” he often urged, a mantra that reflected his own journey from exile to eminence. His other signature phrase, “Keep the African hope alive,” became a rallying cry for a continent too often defined by its struggles rather than its potential.
Ssali’s impact transcended the studio. In Kampala, Dar es Salaam, and Abuja, his name opened doors—literally. Friends recount tales of leveraging his fame for hotel discounts or market cred, a testament to his reach. In Uganda, where he returned periodically, he inspired a generation of journalists. Andrew Agaba, station manager of Voice of Kigezi radio, credits Ssali with forging a partnership that brought Straight Talk Africa to local airwaves.
“He showed us what was possible,” Agaba says. Across the diaspora, from the UNAA convention to the streets of Kabale, he was a symbol of what discipline and determination could achieve.
His retirement in 2021 was not an end but a pivot. Replaced by South African journalist Haydé Adams, Ssali planned to mentor youth and share his vast reservoir of wisdom. Even as health challenges mounted in his final years—details of which remain private—he remained a beacon. In April 2024, he debunked death rumors with a chuckle, declaring, “I am alive and kicking,” a moment that captured his enduring spirit.
Tributes have poured in since his passing. VOA called him “a revered broadcaster” whose “indelible legacy” shaped African journalism. Former Ugandan Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda, a childhood friend, recalled their days debating politics in Kabale’s gardens. Bobi Wine, Uganda’s opposition leader, mourned “a giant” whose voice championed human rights. Across X (formerly known as Twitter), admirers hailed his passion for truth, his wit, and his unflagging hope.
Shaka Ssali’s death leaves a void, but his life leaves a blueprint. From a school dropout to a Ph.D., from a soldier to a storyteller, he embodied resilience. His Straight Talk Africa was more than a show—it was a mirror held up to a continent, reflecting its complexities and its promise. As Africa navigates an uncertain future, Ssali’s voice, now silent, still whispers through the static: Keep the hope alive. For that, we owe him not just our gratitude, but our action.
*Dr Shehu is the Director, International Institute of Journalism, Abuja