- Safiu Kehinde
Former Nigerian Senator, Florence Ita-Giwa, has expressed disappointment over the ongoing sexual harassment scandal involving Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
The ex-lawmaker who represented Cross River South Senatorial District, Cross Rivers state, talked down the harassment claim while speaking on Arise TV’s Good Morning show on Tuesday.
NPO reported that, Natasha had last week sparked public attention as she disclosed how Akpabio alleged made sexual advances towards her with her rejection marking the beginning of her troubles in the Senate.
Reacting to the scandal, Ita-Giwa argued that making such allegations openly in the Senate portrays weakness.
She faulted Natasha for making herself reproachable.
“At that stage in the Senate, if you come and say that somebody is sexually harassing you, it’s a weakness.
“You make yourself unapproachable. You don’t let anybody take you around and show you things… You don’t allow it.”
“It is the worst sign of weakness on a woman’s part. You understand? For you to come out and accuse a man or accuse a man of making passes at that level,” she said.
The former aide to Ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo held that any female lawmaker privileged to get into the Senate has passed the stage of being sexually harassed.
“By the time you contest election and get to Senate, you have passed that stage of your life of being sexually harassed.
“We are all equal in that Senate. I’m not saying that the lady is lying.
“But when you get to the Senate, you are there as a person. You are not there as a man of woman. It doesn’t matter what you are carrying or whatever.” she added.