A former NNPC staff, and volunteer with the International Human Rights Commission (IHRC), Comrade Patience Otuedon Nunu has shared her painful experience of how she was forcefully retired from the oil company in 2003 for rejecting the sexual advances of her superior.
She noted that Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s story is hers too having suffered the same fate as a woman and was silenced.
“I see the case of Natasha Akpoti and I feel a deep connection. Her bravery, her voice, her struggle, they reflect my own painful experience”, she said.
In her words, “In 2003, I was unjustly retired from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) before I even clocked 40 years of age.
“My only “offense” was standing my ground as a woman with dignity, refusing to give in to the sexual advances of my superior. What followed was a cruel and calculated setup involving an I.T. student, a scheme that led to my premature retirement.
“There was no one to cry to. The system not only failed me but seemed to support the injustice. I was left to bear the pain and consequences of speaking out silently, while my offender continued unbothered, empowered by a structure that protects oppressors.
“Today, as a volunteer with the International Human Rights Commission (IHRC), I cannot remain silent any longer. I see the case of Natasha Akpoti and I feel a deep connection. Her bravery, her voice, her struggle, they reflect my own painful experience.
“I am calling on all well-meaning Nigerians and human rights defenders to critically examine Natasha’s case. Many women like me have suffered in silence, pushed out of systems that should have protected us. It is time to say enough is enough.
“Let us stand together against all forms of abuse, harassment, and systemic injustice. Let us make sure no woman ever has to go through what I did, alone and unheard”, she said.
Comrade Patience’s story echoes the painful reality of women’s experiences in Nigeria, highlighting Senator Natasha’s courage in speaking out against her own ordeal with Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
