Inter-Parliamentary Union to address sexual harassment allegations against Akpabio

The body representing parliaments globally, Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) hhas declared it would take necessary steps on the suspension of Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and the sexual harassment allegations she made against the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.

Penpushing reports that the President of the world body , Tulia Ackson, made this known after the Kogi Central Senator reported the cases during the Tuesday of the Inter-Parliamentary Union(IPU) held at the United Nations(UN) headquarters in New York, where she sought international intervention.

The suspended female lawmaker during the meeting directly linked her suspension to her petition against the SenatePresident, in which she accused him of sexual harassment, describing her six-month suspension from the Senate as unlawful and that it was a deliberate attempt to silence her for speaking out against alleged misconduct in the Senate

Penpushing further reports that Akpoti-Uduaghan urged the Inter-Parliamentary Union(IPU) to intervene, emphasizing that her fight was also for other Nigerian women who are facing similar challenges.

The President of the world body in response acknowledged the concerns raised by Akpoti-Uduaghan and assured delegates that the matter would be given due attention that the global parliamentary organisation has taken note of all the concerns raised by the senator but it would also provide an opportunity for the Nigerian Senate to present its side of the story before taking any action.

“All of us heard what she said and it only serves us better if I put a word in what she has said. I would like to say we have heard you, we have heard her concerns and having heard her, it would have been an opportunity for all of us to understand more about what she has said but because we listened to only her side’, Ackson said.

“As an institution, as IPU, we would be taking the concerns that have been raised, not only taking her side but also giving a chance to the other side as it is a custom for IPU and after having listened to the other side we would take steps as necessary. So I thought it was necessary for us to say a word about it and then be able to take it further”, she added

Penpushing also reports that Ackson assured the assembly that the organisation would follow its established procedures in handling the issues as presented by the suspended Nigerian federal lawmaker

“We have taken the concerns that she raised and we will be working on them, of course having listened to the other side and we will be able to take steps after that. We have heard the concerns that have been raised by Senator Natasha but at the same time, we have taken cognisance of the fact that you would have wished to address us but time wasn’t enough to give you a chance to do that and that would have said that IPU will take up this matter as we usually do when such concerns are raised in a meeting like this”.

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