Reckless, lawless impunity of Omo-Agege’s aide against female House of Reps member

The Nigeria National Assembly is rapidly becoming a theatre of reckless use of power, lawless impunity, and neurotic sexual harassment of female legislators by aide of presiding officers of the federal legislature.

The sordid lawless impunity and gender harassment by a special assistant to the Deputy President of the Senate of the Nigeria National Assembly, Jide Babalola, on a female member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Tolu Akande-Sadipe, on Friday at the premises of the National Assembly in Abuja, brought to the fore the seeming new culture of the country’s federal legislature.

It was highlighted that the lawless Jide Babalola had breached conventional protocol, jumping into the elevator for House members, and moving towards the female member of the House of Representatives. He was politely urged to be civil so as “not to bump into her in the legislative house’s elevator.”

The Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to Hon. Tolulope Akande-Sadipe, Olamilekan Olusola, in a statement in Abuja on Friday narrated that Jide Babalola, who has been identified to be notorious in harassing people at the National Assembly premises, using his status as an aide to a presiding officer in the Senate, the President of the Senate, ignored the appeal, jumping into the elevator “while Hon. Tolulope Akande Sadipe was in the Elevator.”

The female lawmaker quietly appealed: “Please don’t step back because you would bump into me.”

The uncultured Babalola descended on her, harassing, and intimidating the female federal lawmaker, citing his age and position in the office of the Deputy President of the Senate.

The Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to Hon. Tolulope Akande-Sadipe, in the statement further narrated an eyewitness account: “Reacting rudely, Mr. Jide who felt he is superior to a woman and could intimidate a woman rather than replying politely or adjusting his pose, responded in a demeaning manner.

“He said demeaning words like “why would you talk to me like that”; “do you know who I am” using provocative insults and laying claims to being 55 years old and as such could do whatever he wishes to her.”

Olamilekan Olusola maintained that, “Reacting, the House of Rep member, who also Chairperson of the House Committee on Diaspora Affairs, described the incident as unfortunate.

“She noted that, as a Representative in Abuja, she had never been this embarrassed before, as Mr. Babalola made a scene from what should have been mutually ironed out by two matured minds.”

She then, requested: “We need to speak up against the discrimination of women and harassment women face in Nigeria.”

Meanwhile, officers of the  Nigeria Police Force were said to have arrested Jide Babalola over the gender harassment of the female federal lawmaker in the elevator.

The senate leadership, including House leadership are yet to make official statement on the gender harassment in the National Assembly by van aide to the Deputy p[resident of the Senate which had soiled the image of the federal legislature in the public.