FROM IKHILI EBALU, BENIN CITY
Labour Party ,LP, Senator representing Edo South Senatorial district at the Senate, Senator Neda Imasuen, on weekend dismissed claims that he failed to properly handle the case between Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and Senator President, Godswill Akpabio before his committee in the Senate saying he has nothing personal against anybody or fellow members.
Senator Neda Imasuen is the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions.
Imasuen spoke to newsmen in Benin following the public outcry that the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions failed to ensure the proper handling of the matter of sexual harassment thereby calling on Senator Imasuen, to step aside to allow for an impartial investigation into allegations against the Senate President.
Senator Imasuen, said that he acted in good faith as the Senate Committee Chairman in the case brought before it regarding Senator Natasha Akpoti- Uduaghan representing Kogi Central Senatorial district and the Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
He said that those seeking his recall were hungry people who were recruited by some politicians in Kogi State and were briefed on what to do, having been handsomely paid and were therefore working for their money.
“But for what is happening in Benin, it’s something that I find very reprehensible. What I understand is that they have been paid, and as a matter of fact that some of them were taken to Kogi State to be briefed on what to do.
“And they were given money for this purpose.So, they are here to work for their money.
“But surprisingly, I don’t understand
how somebody from Kogi State can be coming to Edo State and telling our own people here to start throwing stones on their roofs.That is something that is strange to me.
Adding that, “I guess it’s the hunger that is in the land that has made some people sell their mothers, sell their parents, and sell whatever for a piece of meal. I can understand their plights”, he said.
Imasuen, who appreciated the Senate leadership for appointing him as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions said it was a privilege for him coming from Edo State to occupy such position at the committee level and vowed to put the records straight to clear the Senate of any misconception.
” I want to put it on record that the issue that was before my committee was on a conduct on the floor of the Senate and has absolutely nothing to do with sexual harassment. Sexual harassment came after the first petition that was brought before my committee.
Stating that, “We have standing rules and those rules must be followed. It is not a one-man committee but a committee of about 29 members and I am only the chairman and all manners of petition come to my table and for anyone to suggest that somebody was targeted is misplaced and I just want to say that I was in no way biased in the discharge of the responsibility.
“On the issue of sexual harassment, the first petition that was presented was signed by the petitioner which is against the rules of the Senate but was supposed to be signed by someone else either from her Constituency or by any other person other than the petitioner but we had to reject the petition because it was signed by the petitioner and when the petition came and I said it was dead on arrival because it was not properly brought before the Senate committee, maybe that was what angered them.
“She later presented the petition two days later without an address but with a phone number and when the owner of the phone number was contacted to appear before the committee, he refused to address the committee on the pretext that the committee was biased.
He further stated that, We could not hear the issue of sexual harassment because it was already before a competent court. However, we had wanted to hear the petition but the petitioner bluntly refused to address the committee on the excuse that the committee was biased. So, anyone claiming that I was biased is either not conversant with the rules of the house or is just outrightly being mischievous”.
The Senator who cited an instance of lack of understanding of the Senate rules by those asking for his recall said that he wished them well, adding that they should continue in their bid to recall him.
