Sexual harassment: Reps grill suspended perm sec today

The House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs, will today interrogate the suspended Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ibrahim Lamuwa, who was accused of sexual harassment.

The PUNCH reported that a few weeks ago, one Simisola Ajayi, through her lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), submitted a petition to the Office of the Head of Service to the Federation, accusing the Permanent Secretary of sexual harassment.

Ajayi is an aide to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Yusuf Tuggar.

The HoS, Folasade Yemi-Esan, on receiving the petition against the permanent secretary, set up a probe panel while she suspended Lamuwa pending the outcome of the investigation.

On Wednesday, the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs, Oluwole Oke, said, “He (Lamuwa) will appear before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs on Thursday.”

In the petition, Ajayi said Lamuwa approached her on October 7, 2023, during the first retreat to review President Bola Tinubu’s 4D policy, to ask why she did not spend the night at the hotel after the event.

According to the petition, the permanent secretary informed Ajayi that he would want her to come to his room after the event.

She was said to have turned down the invitation, insisting that she was a nursing mother and needed to go home to care for her baby.

On May 27, 2024, Tuggar informed Yemi-Esan of the allegations against the Permanent Secretary.

In June, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission invited Ajayi for questioning over the allegation.