Akwa Ibom’s protest of shame

Aside from being the poverty capital, Nigeria can be remarked as the unofficial theatre headquarters of the world. Nothing could be more heart-wrenching than the sight of women protesting the sexual harassment claims of the female senator, Natasha Akpoti, with the sole purpose of absorbing their beloved son, the Senate President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Godswill Akpabio, from the allegations made by the former against the latter.

Without prejudice, a sexual harassment claim can either be true or false. Records have proven that either party can be the victim in such a case, either as a victim of sexual harassment or a victim of a wrong accusation. On a bigger scale of logic, three sides can exist in a story like this: his side, her side, and the truth. For this reason, it is expected that whoever is interested in the sanctity of the hallowed chamber should be on the side where truth prevails, which also means refraining from taking sides.

Truthfully, there’s a reason Nigerian thieving politicians have kept our people impoverished and uneducated and unliberated; it’s not far-fetched. The thieving class wants to continue mobilising unsuspecting members of the public to keep making a case for them as is being witnessed in Akwa Ibom.

The protest, which was staged by these women in Akwa Ibom to drum support for Akpabio and also send a warning to Natasha, points to how Nigerian society has been living in denial of this pervasive issue of sexual abuse against women. What we were talking about earlier was sex-for-grades. Now, there is another dimension to the sexual exploitation of women by men.

Though, I am not by any means accusing Akpabio of being guilty of the allegation. But it is very important for us to demand a thorough investigation to be conducted into the allegation of sexual exploitation made against him by Natasha. The two parties involved must be given a fair hearing.

The narrative given by Natasha against Akpabio captures a primordial sexual approach. However, it must be re-echoed that victim-blaming discourages survivors from reporting abuse. In short, it makes cases such as these underreported, thereby perpetuating that cycle of control and abuse.

Read also: Akpabio punishing me for rejecting his sexual advances – Natasha Akpoti alleges

I have read so-called educated people, for reasons best known to them, discard Natasha’s narrative, to the extent of even sharing pictures she, alongside her colleagues, had with Akpabio. Some were even of the opinion that if the narrative were to be true, she would have exposed him long ago. That sounds rather amusing.

It is important to let our people understand that unwelcomed sexual advances are not excusable. Rather than engage in the shameful act of organising a protest against the ‘abused,’ thereby promoting and reinforcing the victim-blaming and silence culture, we must all demand an investigation into the allegations.

The fact that the allegation is even against the country’s Senate President is disturbing. Meanwhile, such a damning accusation is not an isolated incident. He had once been accused of similar conduct by the former MD of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) when he was holding the fort for the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs. However, for the sake of promoting and protecting the sanctity of the National Assembly, an investigation must be conducted into the allegations. And those shaming her must also stop, going forward.

Kazeem Olalekan Israel writes from Ibadan, Nigeria.