From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
Charles Preye Zuofa, a former classmate of the Senate President, Dr Godswill Akpabio, has dismissed the allegations of sexual harassment against the former Akwa Ibom State governor, saying they are inconsistent with Akpabio’s character.
Zuofa, who hails from Kaiama in Kolokuma-Opokuma Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, said that for over 50 years he had known the Senate President, nothing of such could describe his character.
He said that unless otherwise proven in court, Akpabio had never displayed any attitude suggestive of sexual harassment in the over 50 years he had closely related with him, insisting that Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s allegations and the one made earlier by a former Interim Administrator of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Joy Nunieh, were all strange to him.
Zuofa went down memory lane to recall how his relationship with Akpabio started at the Federal Government College (FGC) in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, saying Akpabio was fondly called ‘Gody A’ because of his sense of humour and intelligence.
He said: “Gody A, as we used to call him back then in FGC, Port Harcourt, was a very intelligent, yet humorous student. Before stand-up comedy became popular in Nigeria, ‘Gody A’ was a stand-up comedian.
He contested, I think in our fourth year, and won the best DJ and stand-up comedian of the school; it was thereafter that we coined and gave him the nickname ‘Gody A’.
“The Senate President was someone who made light of what would ordinarily pass for serious situations. He always cracked jokes to make everyone feel comfortable in his presence. The Senate President, even in his humorous nature, was a serious-minded, studious, and intelligent student who exhibited high-level leadership qualities.
“He was our Senior Prefect and, you know, to be Senior Prefect you must be a well-rounded individual who embodies leadership, responsibility, integrity, and strong interpersonal skills.
“I am not surprised that the high-quality leadership traits he exhibited back then have now catapulted him to the leadership of the legislative arm of the Federal Government of Nigeria.”
Zuofa said that as a close friend, he was present at the guided tour of Akpabio’s house in Uyo, where Natasha claimed that the Senate President made some improper comments about her.
He said: “Specifically, on the allegations of improper comments made during the guided tour of the new residence of the Senate President in Uyo, I want to state that I was at his residence on the eve of the celebrations of his 61st birthday. I met Sen. Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and her husband, High Chief Uduaghan, and I was also part of those that went on the guided tour of the new home, alongside the Uduaghans.
“It is pertinent for me to state that throughout the guided tour, I neither saw nor heard the Senate President say or do anything suggestive of inappropriate advances or comments towards Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, nor did I observe any discomfort on her part or the part of her husband.”
Zuofa added: “The instant allegation made by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan is as strange as the one made by Joy Nunieh, which was never proven. There appears to be a common trend in these allegations to the extent that the allegations were made by the accusers after the occurrence of events that the accusers considered as being averse to their interest.
“This is not to discount the fact that they reserve the right to make their allegations at any time they deem necessary, provided that they can prove such allegations whenever called upon to do so. Let me state again that the Senate President has never, for the 50 years I have been a close friend of his, exhibited any character trait indicative or suggestive of someone that would sexually harass anyone.”