In a video posted on Symfoni TV from 10:25, a senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan recounted an experience where a minister refused to hire her for a position due to her perceived attractiveness, which he claimed would be distracting to him.
She shared her surprise at the minister’s blunt honesty regarding his inability to maintain a professional working relationship with her.
Akpoti expressed her discomfort with the minister’s objectifying comments but acknowledged his candid explanation for not offering her a job in his office.
Ultimately, her account exposes the unfortunate reality of gender bias and sexualization in professional environments, highlighting the need for change in societal attitudes toward women.
According to Senator Natasha Akpoti, “I remember many years ago, I was just out of Brass LNG, where I worked for 5 years, and I was trying to get into an office. I sent my CVs to a number of highly placed persons, and there was a particular minister who told me, ‘Natasha, I know you’re very intelligent and you’d be quite resourceful, but unfortunately, I cannot have you in my office because you would be a distraction to me.’ And I was like, ‘How do you mean, sir?’ He said, ‘I will not be able to close my eyes a day without thinking of having you to myself.’ I appreciated his honesty, even though I found that very odd for him to have even thought of that, but that was it.”