Global Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), Amnesty International, has called on the Nigerian government to investigate the sexual harassment allegations leveled by Kogi Central Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, against Senate President Godswill Akpabio, so as to avoid instances of such occurrences being seen as normal in the future.
The human rights group in a statement on Sunday, said sweeping away such weighty allegations would put the country and its institutions in a bad light both at home and on the international level.
In a statement signed by the Nigerian Director of Amnesty International,
Isa Sanusi, the organization said the National Assembly must not continue to look away while the allegations remain and are being trivialized, unaddressed and ignored.
“Amnesty International calls on the Nigerian authorities to immediately institute an independent and impartial investigation into the allegations of sexual harassment by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan against the President of the Senate Godswill Akpabio,” the statement reads.
Continuing, it said:
“The weight and scale of the allegations of the sexual harassment are one more pressing reason for establishing an independent, resourceful and impartial investigation.
“The National Assembly must not continue to look away while the allegations remain and are being trivialized, unaddressed and ignored.
“Blatant failure of the authorities to investigate the allegations raised by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan will have devastating consequences, that include perpetuating a system that makes it increasingly difficult for survivors of sexual harassment to get justice, while allowing perpetrators to get away with gross human rights violations.
“This is one case that the authorities can use to show that there is zero tolerance for sexual harassment – no matter who is involved.
“The fear of not being believed, or even being blamed, is already creating a dangerous culture of silence that prevents women who faced sexual harassment from seeking justice. The tide of sexual impunity against women and girls must be turned now.”
