By Ogungbayi Adeyemi S. | adeyemi@ddnewsonline.com
Editor, DDNews |
Scores of demonstrators on Tuesday stormed the National Assembly complex in Abuja, urging the Senate to suspend the confirmation of Professor Abayomi Fasina as a non-career ambassadorial nominee over allegations of sexual harassment, human rights violations, and victimisation currently before the courts.
The protesters, under the banner of the Coalition of Civil Society Organisations, chanted solidarity songs and displayed placards with inscriptions such as “Suspend the Ambassadorial Appointment of Prof Fasina Now” and “Nigerian Senate, Don’t Confirm Prof Abayomi Fasina’s Ambassadorial Appointment.”
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President Bola Tinubu recently transmitted a list of ambassadorial nominees to the Senate for screening and confirmation to fill vacancies in Nigeria’s diplomatic missions abroad.
However, Fasina’s nomination has continued to attract controversy, with several civil society groups insisting that the Senate should defer any confirmation until pending court cases against him are concluded.
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Addressing journalists at the National Assembly, Adeyemo Amira, a legal practitioner who spoke on behalf of the coalition, said Fasina has pending cases before the National Industrial Court in Lagos and Abuja.
While insisting that the protest was not driven by personal animosity, Amira urged the Senate to allow the judicial process to run its course before considering the nominee’s confirmation.
“Our call to the Senate is clear. Where there are grave allegations such as sexual misconduct pending before a court, this is not the time to confirm such a person to represent Nigeria internationally. The Senate is not a court. Let the court do its job,” she said.
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Amira stressed that the protesters were not asking the Senate to convict or prosecute Fasina, noting that only the courts have the constitutional responsibility to determine guilt or innocence.
She recalled a previous diplomatic nomination that reportedly attracted international scrutiny because of allegations linked to the nominee’s family, warning that Nigeria should avoid situations capable of damaging its reputation abroad.
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The coalition also warned that if the Senate proceeds with the confirmation despite the pending court cases, they would continue their advocacy and consider notifying the country where the nominee may be posted as ambassador about the unresolved allegations.
Also speaking, co-convener Dr. Ernest Ogaze argued that the Senate should reject the nomination outright rather than merely suspend it, citing potential damage to Nigeria’s international image.
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The Feminist Manifesto Conference equally called on the Senate to halt Fasina’s confirmation, citing pending criminal and civil cases involving allegations of sexual misconduct.
A representative of the group, Emmanuella Azu, disclosed that they had submitted petitions to Senate President Godswill Akpabio and the relevant Senate committee.
The Senate is yet to issue an official response to the protest and the demands of the coalition.
The confirmation process for ambassadorial nominees is ongoing.
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This development adds to the growing scrutiny of some of President Tinubu’s ambassadorial nominations.
DDNewsOnline – Lagos
By Ogungbayi Adeyemi S. (Beedee)
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