The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) berated the Senate for not giving Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan ample time to present her sexual harassment complaint against Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
The Senate imposed a six-month suspension on the lawmaker without pay over what it called the breach of its Standing Orders following her claim of sexual harassment, an allegation that Akpabio denied.
Speaking on the suspension, the Chairperson of the NBA Women Forum, Huwaila Muhammad, queried the manner in which the matter was handled.
She stated that Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension, which is a build up on the dispute between her and Akpabio, might not have been the right decision to take in the interest of justice.
Emphasizing that in the interest of justice, she deserved fair hearing before such decision should have been taken.
She said, “To start with I will say on the suspension, we are all lawyers and would like to see fairness across board. We know the allegation is very big and he who asserts must prove so we will want her to prove the allegations and we expect fairness in it.
“I see her suspension as a kind of intimidation; you cannot be a judge in your own court. If something affects you, slide by the side and let justice take its course because we need to see fairness.
“We as citizens we would like to see a fair level ground for everybody. She is alleging and proving and peradventure she is unable to prove what she has alleged, she knows what would come to her. We are in a democracy, suspension is not the answer.’’
Speaking further, Muhammad mentioned, “The question here is: Did the committee call her before suspending her? Did she refuse to come? Did she send a representation? If she was not called then what was the yard stick used in suspending her and if she was called and she refused to go that will be very wrong of her because she was called to prove her innocence and her refusing to honour the invite will be wrong.
“Those who suspended her should know there are people out there watching and we all want justice because as far as we are concerned, the Senate is a sacred place and what is happening right now should not be happening.’’
On his part, Professor Itsey Sagay (SAN) stated that since the matter was already before a court of law, it should have been left for the courts to decide.
“The matter is in court as I know and I’m surprised they didn’t leave it at that stage. I feel very sympathetic towards her because in an assembly full of men there’s a tendency towards self-defence but the men rather than looking at the matter objectively, they didn’t.
“I think very seriously she is at a disadvantage in that type of circle. It can never be right because everybody is saying I could be the one. My advice to her is to put the matter behind her and carry on with her life, totally ignoring all those things, and do her job for her people of Kogi, knowing that they elected her,’’ he counseled.
In the same vein, Chief Awa Kalu, SAN, believed the Senate was too hasty in their decision, saying, “My comment on the decision of the Senate is that it is hasty.”
Sharing similar sentiments with the NBA, Wale Balogun (SAN) argued that there are procedural steps that should be followed before the lawmaker was suspended.
“Legally, it is an internal affair of the legislators, and they have their rules of engagement provided, exercising their right and rules of engagement, which they comply with as their own internal rules and regulations, and then in addition to that, exercising such actions in compliance with the Constitution.
‘’For instance, was she heard? This is a fundamental constitutional provision. The Constitution requires that your internal procedure, notwithstanding, should ensure that the person is invited. She should have been heard.’’
Another legal luminary, Lekan Ojo (SAN), also questioned the suspension, stating that she has a right to cry out to the public.
“They suspended her for what? For crying out loud to the public. But again, there are certain things in life when you get to a particular stage or you attain a particular status in life; there are ways and manners in which you must go about particular things,” he noted.
