Eme Ufot Ekaette

Who is Eme Ufot Ekaette?

Eme Ufot Ekaette was elected Senator for the Akwa Ibom South constituency of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria, taking office on 29 May 2007. She is a member of the People's Democratic Party.

Ekaette obtained B.Pharm at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ife in 1970. She became a Manager Pharmacy at NNPC, Chief Pharmacy at Military Hospital, Managing Director at Safi Pharm, Board Member of UBEC and a Director of Union Bank. Her husband, Ufot Ekaette, was a senior civil servant who was appointed Secretary to the Government of the Federation on 29 May 1999 by President Olusegun Obasanjo, and later served as Federal Minister of Niger Delta in the cabinet of President Umaru Yar'Adua.

After taking her seat in the Senate in June 2007, Ekaette was appointed to committees on Women and Youth, Local and Foreign Debts, Health and Environment. In a mid-term evaluation of Senators in May 2009, ThisDay noted that she had not sponsored any bills but had shown committed leadership to her Women Affairs Development Committee. Later she sponsored a bill on Indecent Dressing, which became known as the nudity bill. The proposed legislation would prescribe three months imprisonment for women who display their belly buttons, breasts or wear mini skirts in public places. The bill was presented by a Nigerian delegation to the United Nations General Assembly, where it drew some criticism, and was a subject of considerable controversy in Nigeria.