Call her the strongest female politician in Kogi State, then you are certainly stating the obvious. She is an exceptional female politician in Kogi who is so loved by her people.
She is the complete definition of beauty and brains.
Besides being a politician, she is also a philanthropist who has touched the lives of so many people, most especially women and children positively. The Ebira people refer to her “as the pride of Ebira” people, despite not holding any political position yet.
Natasha Akpothi has put smiles on the faces of so many Ebira people through her foundation that gives women and children a priority. Providing them with social amenities, sponsoring many to school, providing cash gifts and food stuffs to the needy within and outside her community.
Life of an Ebira person, most especially during this regime has been a very difficult one, as many can not even afford one square meal due to lack of payments of salaries for the civil servants in a state where many parents are civil servants. Natasha Akpothi has tried in her own little way to ease their pains they bear by providing, food, borehole water amongst so many other things for her people.
Many say, she is indeed the true daughter of the soil, baving seen the pitiable plight of her people and has taken pity on them by providing their needs.
Another attribute of the Ebira people is the fact that they don’t joke with their king, they him in high esteem. Natasha Akpothi maintains a very close and cordial relationship with the Ohinoyin of Ebira land (Ado Ibrahim). They maintain a father to daughter relationship.
Recall that at her wedding, despite the Olunoyin’s very tight schedule, he fulfilled his obligations as the father of the bride. The Ohinoyin also has always supported her political ambition and always backs her ambition in life against all odds.
The king always tells whoever cares to listen, that she is his daughter.
Many only know Natasha, as the strong female politician in Kogi State who has been making headlines in the last few years tackling the opposition party.
But, who trully is Natasha Akpothi?
Natasha Akpothi was born in December 9th, 1979. She is the second of 4 children and only daughter of a Nigerian father and a Ukrainian mother.
Her father Dr. Jimoh Abdul Akpoti was from Ihima Kogi State.
Her most fascinating moments were lessons of philanthrophy and empathy for humanity that her late father taught by pratically treating the poor for free, paying tuition for thousands of school children, supporting hundreds of local farmers and traders with their business and so much more. All these and more legacies are what she has continued doing for her people in Kogi State.
She has reached out more to many families in her community than any other politician in the state, paying tuition fees for thousands of students, empowering thousands of women and widows, placing lots of children on scholarship, providing them with good borehole water in different areas of the state and touching so many lives positively, and also providing jobs for the youths and abled bodies in Kogi, all these and more are reasons why the Ebiras don’t joke with Natasha Akpothi.
Many say she is blessed with good heart, fearless and has continued to thrive where many failed. And no matter the obstacle, she always stands strong and faces her battle squarely, and the people have been so supportive of her ambition, and they strongly believe no matter what it takes, she would still represent her people in the senate, it’s just a matter of time.
She is well read, and her decision to become a social entrepreneur and reformer in 2015 was born out of innate passion to position Nigeria on the fore of industrialisation and judiciously harness the vast natural and human resources all in a bid to create employment and eradicate poverty in Nigeria.
Besides being a philanthropist and a highly respected politician in the state, she holds the culture and tradition of her people so high.
Despite many years of learning abroad, she still holds the custom of her people in high esteem. She equally respects traditional leaders and always accords the elders with the necessary respect, an attribute that stands her out amongst so many other politician.
She is very much grounded in the culture and tradition of her people. According to her, recalling her early childhood, she loved cheering the colourful masquerades a.k.a. Eku in Ebira dialect.
She detested being called “Oyinbo Pepper” by people of her community “I knew my mother had a complexion different from everyone around us”.
However, I didn’t think I was any different from the children I played with barefoot in my village, but I sincerely hated being followed and teased “Oyinbo” by the children whenever I expressed a different point of view”.
She has always loved and is proud of her people. She is always happy to be associated with them, and this is also one thing that breaks her heart often when she sees their pitiable plight and desperately wants to free them from their sufferings by being their voice, when it is necessary.
The love they have for her is second to none, and this, they also exhibited, at the just concluded election on Kogi, the people came out in thousands to celebrate their victory when they were sure she won the election despite all the obstacles, but eventually the opposition party was declared winner. The women protested, some elderly ones went naked to express their anger with over result of the election, which according to them was rigged, and the only person they wanted to represent them at the senate is Natasha Akpothi. The case is still in court, and thousands of Ebira people will be hoping she wins the battle.
Send Us News, Gist, more... to citypeopleng@gmail.com | Twitter: @CitypeopleMagz
