…Minister officially writes HoS, demands probe
?Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Ibrahim Adamu Lamuwa, has been enmeshed in a sex scandal, following complaint against him by one of his female surbodinates in the ministry, who accused Lamuwa of sexually harassing her serially.
The employee, a married woman, Mrs. Simisola Fajemirokun Ajayi, disclosed the excesses of the Permanent Secretary in a petition to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, through her lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), urging the Minister to investigate the Permanent Secretary. She requested that disciplinary actions should be taken against Lamuwa to serve as a deterrent to others.
According to the petition, dated May 29, 2024, titled: “Request For An Investigation Of Amb. Ibrahim Lamuwa’s Conducts Of Sexual Harassment At The Place Of Work, Abuse Of Office Official Intimidation And Discrimination,” was signed by Adebayo A. Oniyelu LP, for Falana & Falana’s, Lamuwa approached Ajayi on October 7, 2023, during the first policy retreat to review President Bola Tinubu’s 4-D policy, to ask why she did not sleep at the hotel after the event.
The petition added that the Permanent Secretary informed Ajayi that he would want her to come to his room after the event; she however declined, saying she was a nursing mother and needed to go home to care for her baby.
“Is it a big baby or small baby?” the petition quoted Lamuwa as inquiring, adding that he would like to find out so that he can join. He, however, continued this line of inappropriate anecdotes throughout the retreat.
“On November 10, 2023: our client went to Amb. Ibrahim Lamuwa’s conference room where he was working out to discuss the plans to digitize the Ministry.
“Amb. Ibrahim Lamuwa invited her for a meeting later that afternoon with a team from Galaxy Backbone. During the conversation, Amb. Ibrahim Lamuwa requested our client take a voyage with him to Hong Kong. He further assured our client that our client’s life would never remain the same after the trip.
“Our client left the scene in utter shock and disappointment because of the awkwardness of the Permanent Secretary, Amb. Ibrahim Lamuwa’s discussion.
“While our client was about to excuse herself, Amb. Ibrahim Lamuwa thoughtlessly put his arms around our client’s arms and demanded a full frontal hug, which she rejected”.
Citing another instance, Oniyelu said Lamuwa summoned Ajayi and challenged her that she had not been to his office since February because she had grudges against him.
“He then offered our client to drink tea from his cup whilst forcefully putting his arms around our client and referring to her as a ‘stubborn woman”, Oniyelu said.
The petition added that a discreet investigation conducted by Ajayi revealed that other women, particularly female directors, were almost raped in their hotel rooms, adding that female foreign service officers have been harassed, threatened and removed from trips, postings and other privileges because they declined to comply with Lamuwa’s sexual urges.
Acting on the petition, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tuggar has officially written to the Head of Service of the Federation, asking the HoS to act on the complaint accordingly.
Tuggar asked Yemi-Esan to handle the matter accordingly. The minister also said he would provide any assistance required for the Head of Service to discharge her duties.
