By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

Feminists under the auspices of The Feminist Womanifesto Group, have condemned the continued harassment of appointed public servants, especially women that have chosen to serve their country and have also shown commitment to public accountability.

The group said the last few years have shown a pattern of harassment in the experiences of several women that have honoured the call to serve.

In a statement signed by the conveners, Biola Akiode Afolabi and Yemi Adamolekun, the group reeled out names of notable women that have experienced such harassment to include Arunna Oteh, Marylin Amobi, Hadiza Baba Usman, and Yewande Sadiku.

The 225-member women group maintained that if the attacks which follow a pattern is not curbed, the fallout will be competent women refusing to take high office.

While noting that examples also abound of men that have been harassed, it noted that such harassment is also a firm of gender based violence.

It added: “While there’s no physical violence and less visible marks, workplace abuse has the same root cause and the impact is just as devastating.

“We therefore call on the government and persons of goodwill to stand with Ms Sadiku and end this campaign of calumny against her by some unscrupulous members of staff of NIPC and board members fueled by misogyny and an evident capacity deficit.

“Her demands for efficiency and transparency are an affront on their collective ineptitude and they are bent on damaging her reputation beyond NIPC.

“Speaking out clearly in Ms Sadiku’s support will send a strong message that this type of behaviour will not be accepted by citizens, especially Nigerian women, who want those committed to our collective good to hold public office in Nigeria.”

Sadiku, who is the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) is being questioned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in response to a petition on the alleged abuse of power.

This follows similar questioning by the Code of Conduct Bureau and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC).

Both agencies have however not taken action to show that Sadiku, whose tenure will end in September, has a case to answer.

The Feminist Womanifesto Group expressed suspicions that the ongoing campaign of calumny against her person is an attempt to taint her record of public accountability.

Members of the group include YIAGA Africa, Bring Back Our Girls, Center for Alternative Development and Self Enhancement, Center for Health and Development in Africa (CHEDA), Centre for Nonviolence and Gender Advocacy in Nigeria (CENGAIN), among others.

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