A media aide of Deputy Senate President Ovie Omo-Agege, Mr. Jide Babalola, has said he is the victim in the alleged harassment of a House of Representatives member, Mrs. Tolulope Akande-Sadipe.
The lawmaker representing Oluyole Constituency of Oyo State had accused the journalist of harassment during their encounter at a lift in the National Assembly.
Explaining what transpired between him and Akande-Sadipe in a statement on the incident, Babalola said: “…For the sake of peace, I have continuously urged several friends and colleagues to shelve further publicity on the matter but when the Body of States’ Diaspora Focal Point Officers without being a witness issued an official statement attributing ‘unfortunate male chauvinistic behavior’, it becomes necessary to state a few facts.
“…I am the victim – I am the one whose fundamental human rights were trampled upon. I am the victim of arbitrary power as exercised with an arbitrary order for police to hold me indefinitely. Arbitrary orders precede great hurt and disappearances for many. I am a victim of impunity!
“My alleged two ‘offences’ were being almost about to bump into someone and, two, making a response considered to be ‘gender harassment’ and, therefore, summarily worth a spell in police detention!
“Note that I have been coming to the National Assembly as a journalist and later, as a legislative aide since year 2000: in 21 years, I had joined senators, Honourable members, colleagues, National Assembly senior and junior workers as members of the public in lifts countless times without incident until that afternoon on November 4, 2021…”
“Anyone who has some idea about the number of security agents all over the National Assembly easily knows that no one can harass or intimidate others all over the place for one month or a year…
“Then too, there is the matter of a very libellous statement issued by the Honourable member’s media aide, alleging, among others, that I am fond of harassing or intimidating people all over the National Assembly. Far be it from me!
“With all modesty, I come with very rich credentials in journalism, media publicity and propaganda: as Chief Correspondent of Concord Newspapers in Kaduna during the heady days of the Sani Abacha regime in the 1990s, I contributed gallantly from my own little corner.
“Ever since, I have been part of various developmental advocacy efforts in an active but self-effacing manner.
“Today, I work in the National Assembly while being on leave of absence as Assistant Editor at one of Nigeria’s greatest national newspapers.
“As I try to correct the very wrong impression, I feel not anger but amazement that of all the issues bothering millions of Nigerians across various continents, including the recent unjustifiable death of Itunu Olajumoke Babalola (no relation of mine) in an Ivoirian prison after more than one year of undeserved imprisonment; this Body of States’ Diaspora Focal Point Officers suddenly found Jide Babalola as a priority of sorts.
“I am neither bitter nor angered; just amazed! My professional calling forcefully asserts the right of others and it is a big lie from the pit of hell to accuse me of subverting others’ rights or gender harassment. Or, is the flagrant breach of my fundamental human rights now of such inferior significance?”