Senator Gloria Orwoba|| PHOTO COURTESY||
Nominated Senator Gloria Orwoba today surprised the Senate House when she opted to walk out of the chambers after what the Senator stated was a scripted statement with the intent to incriminate her , undermining her rights to fair court process.
While addressing the house, Senate Speaker Amason Kingi highlighted the apology content stating that Senator Orwoba ought to tender the prescribed apology in a manner indicated by the committee on powers of privileges and as adopted by the Senate.
Addressing further the issue, the speaker stated that based on the September 20, 2023 Committee on Powers of Privilege passed certain recommendations.
”Senator Orwoba, you are required to read the written apology verbatim without any addition,omission or amendments,” Kingi read.
To their dismay, Orwoba who has been on a 30-day suspension and was to be readmitted to the chambers after reading the prescribed apology, resorted to reading her own well curated apology that was not the committee’s intended one.
The written apology by the Senate she said, would self-incriminate her as advised by a legal party in relation to her ongoing case that has not undergone investigation.
Orwoba claimed that her sexual harassment allegations she raised has for long remained uninvestigated.
” By forcing me to issue a prescribed apology, the Senate is compelling me to make false statements that can be used against me in the ongoing court and in future,” she said.
While verbally apologizing to her colleagues she stated that the situation shows the length to which perpetrators will go to manipulate power and processes in a bid to silence victims and whistleblowers.
Proceeding with reading the apology would undermine her rights to fair process with her current court case.
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