The ex-minister said she is pleased that the incident is in the public domain and that she won’t accept any insubordination from any patriarchal entity.
Oby Ezekwesisli said the episode exposed what women face in a patriarchal society.
she narrated her side of the drama that unfolded when the panel began sitting over the sexual harassment allegations involving suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of Kogi Central and Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
“In this society, there is a historic attitude to voice; not just the voice of women but those who say that they do not agree with a situation or who like me are persistent in demanding public accountability from those that lead an institution that belongs to the society.
“It is a historic more or less function. And so, that attitude pervades the way our lawmakers are behaving. I was actually very pleased with what happened yesterday because now it is in the public domain what women endure in many instances, and the rest of society may know little about it but has not focused on it.”
On Tuesday, tempers flared at the panel sitting in Abuja when Ezekwesili and counsel for Akpoti-Uduaghan, Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, represented the Kogi lawmaker before the Senate committee.
Just as the sitting began, a verbal clash ensued between the male lawmaker from Ebonyi North Senatorial District and Ezekwesili. The shouting match resorted to unprintable name-calling and gender-shaming.
Giving an account of what transpired at the Senate sitting during the television programme on Wednesday, Ezekwesili said the committee did not allow her to speak,
The rights activist accused Senator Nedamwem Imasuen who leads the committee of prejudice and argued that he should step down and not preside over the matter for the sake of justice and fairness.
Ezekwesili said she demanded public accountability at that historical function and that the society should not allow any group or persons no matter how powerful they are to shut the voices of accountability.
She accused the Senate of running away from the main issue of sexual harassment, an allegation levelled by Akpoti-Uduaghan against Akpabio. Ezekwesili insisted that the suspended Kogi lawmaker must get justice.
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