The Former Senator representing Cross River South at the red chamber of the National Assembly Senator Florence Ita-Giwa on national television posited that she is not in support of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of the allegation of sexual harassment levied against Nigeria Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
Newsconnect reports that Ita-Giwa made this assertion on The Morning Show when Ayo Mario Etse had ask if sexual harassment of female lawmakers is a thing in the National Assembly.
In her reaction, she said;
“If you want to talk about gender in politics, you are talking to a wrong person. Just like i don’t support affirmative actions in appointment, i feel affirmative action is undemocratic.
“In all my 32 years of active politics, from House of representatives to Senate and in all four elections i won, i never presented myself as a woman, i never presented myself as a man. God forbids I don’t want to be a man.
“I presented myself as a person and that was the upbringing i had from my mother who was a very active journalist. She was a good mother and wife and a good writer in and out of jail. That is the upbringing i have.
“Once you go to that arena, you present yourself as a person. I watched that interview, and i felt very bad as a woman and as a female politician which i am till today.
“I am a great fan of Senator Akpoti, i don’t even know when they started calling Senator by first name out of order, it is like talking to one girl somewhere. When the issue of night club comes up, it was an issue out of order for someone .
“When you are handling the issue of a country as number 3 citizen, if at all he said that, it was totally out of order and needed to apologize to women and to that lady which eventually the Senate president did.
“On this matter i am not with Akpoti, number one it is worst side of weakness on the woman’s part. For you to come out and accuse a man for making passes at you at that level.
“There are 109 senators. It is not easy to win elections to the senate. The Senate President is first amongst equals, i had 7 local governments with me and i went there with strength.
“It is undemocratic language to use sir for the Senate President which should not be in Senate chambers. It is Mr Senate President even if you have to call Mr Senate President ten times, you do that.
“Mr Senate President embodies the entire Senate chambers.
“By the time you contest election and get to Senate, you have past that stage of your life of being sexually harassed because you are all equal in that chamber.
“It shows weakness, you don’t allow it. I am not saying the lady is lying, when you get to the Senate, you are there as a person not as man or woman. I like that girl, she is very very intelligent, very very well spoken.
“First of all if you call somebody sir, then you are given the person cain to weep you. I am not doubting what she says, am saying that it doesn’t happen in the Senate.
“In politics, people joke and say things to each other, you touch a lot, you do things a lot. You come on television and say someone is making sexual advances at you. You are not a college girl, by the time you get to Senate, you are qualified to be the President of the country and there are procedures you must abide by.
“I am a great fan of that lady, i am not a fan of any lady at that position to talk about sexual harassment”.
Ayo Mario interjected and said;
” As a lady there is no level we don’t experience sexual harassment. You can choose to keep quiet about it. I think it is respectful to women who come out to speak”. She said.
Senator Ita-Giwa further said i am not saying she is lying. The Senate President has the perogative to allocate seats. If i come there and you say you have changed my seat, i go and take a new seat.
“I am a civilized woman, i won’t even allow it”.
Rufai Oseni in his intervention remark said Senator Akpoti said she was treated that way because of the sexual harassment.
In response, Ita-Giwa opined that in politics people joke a lot, people hold each others hands. People have nicknames that they call each other.
“What am saying here today is that by the time you grow up, and decides to be a senator of Federal republic, you must have built so much confidence.
“Do you know what it means to win election to get to the Senate ? you struggle like a man. That girls wasn’t given the mandate, that girl lost election and went to court and fought and got to senate. By the time you get there, you have much authority like the other mem have”. She said