The Chief Whip of the Nigerian Senate, Senator Onyekachi Nwaebonyi appears not prepared to surrender in the face-off between him and former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili.
Barely 24 hours after Nwaebonyi, representing Ebonyi state in the National Assembly clashed with the former minister during the Senate Committee on Ethics hearing of the Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uguaghan sexual harassment petition , he said Ezekwesili became a minister by ‘accident’, and should respect others if she wants to be respected.
The Senator spoke on Arise TV on Wednesday just hours after a brawl between him and Ezekwesili which has now drawn the reactions of many Nigerians who have trenchantly criticised the senator for acting in a manner that did not befit him as a Nigerian Senator.
The magazine reports that the senator made some very uncomplimentary remarks about Ezekwesili during the Senate committee hearing, including that the former Vice President of the World Bank was a ‘disgrace to womanhood’, accusing her of being disrespectful to a ‘sitting senator’, saying he’s higher than her as a senator.
Not a few Nigerians insist that the senator must apologise for being so unruly and being a disgrace to the country and National assembly in the manner he did.
Speaking earlier today, Senator Nwaebonyi said he regretted the manner he spoke to the former Minister who he said is old to be his ‘mother,” adding however that Ezekwesili made him to speak in such manner to her.
He said he had to react after Ezekwesili called him a ‘hooligan’ and told him to ‘shut up’, noting that “her actions brought up my reaction,” adding that he’s a champion of women inclusiveness in politics contrary to public criticisma against him and other senators that they are trying to stiffen the voice of women in government.
“I’m one of those senators that has been supporting women’s emancipation and participation in politics,” he said.
“Respect is earned, not commanded. If you respect me, I respect you. If you yab me, I yab you.
“I am a senator of the Federal Republic by social stratification, I am higher than her in this country.
“She is supposed to respect me. She was a minister, but a senator is more senior than a minister.
“Respect is earned. She had no right to speak to me in that manner, telling me to shut up. That was immature.
“She got to her level by accident. But since she has now admitted publicly that she told me to shut up, I commend her for that.”
The magazine reported that Senator Akpoti- Uduaghan had submitted a petition to the senate Committee accusing the Senate President Godswill Akpabio of sexual harassment.
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