(Picture:Aganga :Trade and Investment Minister)
The Public Interest Lawyers’ League, PILL has petitioned the Minister of Trade and Investment ,Dr Segun Aganga drawing “the attention of the Honourable Minister to the official handedness, intimidation and sexual harassment of a hapless civil servant, Mrs Abimbola Patricia Yakubu by the Executive Secretary, Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria, Mr Jim Osayande Obazee; and urged the Honourable Minister to institute a ‘formal but thorough ministerial investigation of our complaint of official high-handedness, intimidation and sexual harassment’. And whilst we urged that disciplinary measures be exercised where appropriate, we also requested that the rights of Mrs Abimbola Patricia Yakubu be protected.”
According to a press statement by PILL, “Since the release of our petition to the media, Mr Jim Osayande Obazee has conveyed two Management Committee Meetings of the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria. And at the Management Committee meeting held today 31st July, 2013, Mr Obazee directed that a formal disciplinary hearing be instituted by Senior Managers to try Mrs Yakubu on .. yet-to-be ascertained charges, offences or misdemeanours.”
Abdul Mahmud,President of PILL said in the statement on Wednesday, “Once again, we condemn the arrant display of power by a public servant who has turned an institution of state into pleasure-seeking outlet, who believes he is untouchable, a demi-god. State institutions are governed by laws and rules. Mr Obazee shouldn’t be allowed to get away with his whims and caprices. The allegations of official high-handedness, intimidation and sexual harassment made by Mrs Yakubu are grave and serious; and we call on Mr Obazee to either own up or deny them. Needless of Mr Obazee to victimise a woman who( has) found the courage to expose his dilettante excesses. But, we have a word for Mr Obazee: we shall expose him for who he is: a pleasure-seeking public servant.
