One
week after Senator Dino Melaye, from Kogi State, hurled abuses and
threatened Senator Oluremi Tinubu, from Lagos State during the Senate’s
July 12 Executive Session, the victim has queried the Senate's silence on the
matter.
In separate
petitions on Tuesday, July 19, to Bukola Saraki, the Senate
President, and John Oyegun, the All Progressives Congress (APC)
National Chairman, Tinubu said Melaye bragged that he would “face no
consequence even if he fulfilled these criminal threats”.
She warned
that Melaye remains a threat to her and the Senate.
“The
totality of that misconduct amounted to an assault against my person, as a
Senator, as a female and a law-abiding citizen of Nigeria," she said.
“I take
the cautionary step of submitting this letter in order to seek proper recourse
that will protect me against criminal assault on the floor of the Senate (or
elsewhere), that I and other lawmakers may exercise our rights as Senators to
represent our constituencies in the manner and with the decorum befitting this
hallowed chamber.
“I
write that such misconduct as that exhibited by Senator Melaye shall never be
repeated against me or any other Senator and so that reputation and the vital
functions of the Senate as a respectful deliberative body shall not be
undermined."
Tinubu
expressed concern that the it has been one week since the incident and the
Senate leadership remains silent on the matter, adding that, “so that
this serious transgression is not allowed to pass, I formally submit for the
record that I object to the reckless misconduct of Senator Melaye.
“What
he did was completely unjustifiable and contrary to the established customs and
norms that govern the behaviour of members of this body.“
“For
merely voicing my opinion on the floor of the Senate, which is the fundamental
right and duty of every lawmaker, I was verbally abused and threatened by
Senator Dino Melaye.”
She said
Melaye “used blatantly sexist and misogynistic language offensive to
every woman in Nigeria and offensive to every person who truly believes that
gender discrimination has no place in the Nigeria we are trying to build for
ourselves and all future generations.”
Insisting on a
disciplinary action against the Kogi senator, Tinubu said: “Unless Sen. Melaye
is appropriately disciplined, he remains a danger to me and to the Senate at
large. He has promised twice within one week to attack me.”
She said
despite the fact that she did not make a public comment on the issue, Melaye
“paraded his misconduct in public as if to threaten a female Senator is a badge
of pride”.
She urged the
Senate leadership to “recognise the gravity of the situation and take
appropriate action”.
In the letter
to Oyegun, Senator Tinubu said "‘What took place at that session
was nothing short of a threat of physical assault and abuse against me by
Senator Melaye.
“I
would like to place on record for the party this formal complaint in the hope
that the party will act to appropriately sanction Senator Melaye for his malign
behaviour.
“In
this way, the party will affirm its policy of zero tolerance for gender
discrimination and restore its reputation as a vehicle for positive change and
not an arm of regression and intolerance towards women.”
Narrating how
the incident happened, Tinubu said: “I was duly recognised by the
Senate President after Senator Melaye had spoken and berated some Senate colleagues
over their perceived roles in the judicial case involving the Senate
leadership.
“Although
I remained silent and attempted no interjection during his statement, Senator
Melaye tried to abridge my rights as a Senator by hectoring at me and interrupting
my contribution.”
She said had,
at a point, cautioned Melaye that other Senators there had the same right as he
and represented their constituents.
Continuing,
she said: “In a burst of apparent rage, Senator Melaye charged at me in
what can only be seen as an effort to physically attack me. The attack was only
prevented by some respectful Senators who moved to impede his path or otherwise
block him from approaching closer to me. I thank those Senators for their
personal courage and sense of decorum.
“Senator
Melaye hurled foul and vulgar language at me. What he said should never be
heard in any public institution let alone the floor of the Senate. Denigrating
me as a woman, Senator Melaye threatened to beat me on the floor of the Senate
simply because I dared to express an opinion different from his.”
She added: “I
am both a ranking Senator and a woman. But Senator Melaye took neither into
consideration as he issued threats of rape and assault, while boasting that he
would face no consequence even if he fulfilled these criminal threats.
“Compounding
the damage inflicted by Sen. Melaye is the fact that we are both of the
APC. Thus, I am compelled to report this incident. It also gives me great
concern that the Senate leadership has heretofore been silent on this matter as
if condoning the errant behaviour of the Senator.
She urged the
party to “investigate this matter in order to restore the public image
and moral standing of the party and of APC members in the Senate.
“In
this manner, we show that we reject the misconduct that has wronged our nation
and people for so long. Only if we act against such excesses will the people
truly believe we are committed to the reforms we have promised them. We must
start by ensuring that our own members know how to behave, according to the
decorum befitting their elect."
However,
Melaye has insisted he will not apologise to Senator Tinubu,
saying he has moved on.
Source: pulse news
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