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Enioluwa Adeniyi
Guest
President Bola Tinubu, on Wednesday, in his first cabinet reshuffle, removed Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye as the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development.
According to Daily Trust, Kennedy-Ohanenye, a Nigerian lawyer, entrepreneur, politician, and film producer, had faced various controversies since her appointment on August 21, 2023, which made her position increasingly tenuous.
Kennedy-Ohanenye’s tenure in the Federal Executive Council was marked by numerous challenges, making her perhaps the most controversial minister in the short time since the council’s formation under President Tinubu.
Her involvement in several contentious issues had drawn significant attention and criticism, impacting her standing within the administration.
Previously, Kennedy-Ohanenye made headlines as the first female presidential candidate under the All-Progressives Congress (APC) during the 2023 general elections, where she later stepped down to support President Tinubu.
Her subsequent appointment as minister was widely regarded as a compensatory gesture by Tinubu for her loyalty and support during the elections.
Here are some of the major controversies of Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye during her 14-month stay in office:
THREAT TO SUE UN OVER DONOR FUNDS
Barely two months after she assumed office, Kennedy-Ohanenye in October, 2023, threatened to sue the United Nations (UN) for allegedly mismanaging funds meant for Nigeria.
Addressing a press conference on October 16, 2023, Kennedy-Ohanenye accused the UN of obtaining funds on behalf of the country without remitting them.
She did not state the specific amount the UN allegedly accessed on Nigeria’s behalf, or what the funds were meant for, but threatened to take legal action if the organization failed to provide an account of the funds or issue a public apology to Nigerians.
“If you don’t give us this account, at least let Nigerians see what is going on, then you [UN] apologise to them.
“From 16th of October to November 15, if we don’t get those reports for Nigerians to see, we are heading to court. [They have] from 16th October to November 8.
“They will get our pre-action letter that is to prepare that by 15th we are heading to court and I am promising Nigerians that by 15th you will hear the lawsuit number,” she said.
Commentators, however, knocked the former Minister, saying the threat exposed her misunderstanding of international law, as the UN enjoys immunity from lawsuits.
DISRUPTED ABUJA EVENTS
In August, she disrupted two separate events organised “without her permission” in Abuja. During the first event tagged “Unveiling the Power of Women and Food Security,” held without the ministry’s approval, the former minister said the organiser had been taken into custody by the Department of State Services (DSS) for alleged impersonation of the ministry.
“There is an impersonating thing going on here. The Federal Ministry of Women Affairs did not plan this. The lady, I have arrested her. Right now, she is with the DSS.
“After we wrote that we were cancelling, the president approved that we should cancel until further notice; she still went ahead to print this thing”, she said in a video posted on her X page.
However, about 22 days after, another video went viral on social media where the former Minister was heard expressing opposition to workshops and seminars.
She said organizers of such programmes must ensure they infuse empowerment of women in their activities.
According to her, organizing workshops and seminars would not directly impact the people.
“Let this be the last time Women Affairs will organise anything that I am not aware of. You try next time, I will come here and get you people disgraced.
“I know what I am going through in this country. For a while, this is what we keep on organising. Few weeks ago, there was a hunger protest and they talked about peace and security. Women are not empowered. Children are suffering. Nigerians are suffering but we waste money all the time on frivolous things.
“I am sorry. Many people may misunderstand me but I am ready to be misunderstood. I am ready to be tortured. I am ready. I have changed the narrative, I said no programme without empowerment”, she added.
SUED NIGER STATE SPEAKER OVER MARRIAGE SAGA
In May, Kennedy -Ohanenye filed a suit against the Speaker of the Niger State House of Assembly, Abdulmalik Sarkindaji, following his decision to marry off 100 orphans from his constituency.
The speaker had announced plans to marry off 100 orphans in his constituency as part of measures to alleviate their sufferings.
While the development had sparked national outrage, the Muslim Rights Concern, MURIC, urged the minister to withdraw the litigation and petition she wrote to the Inspector General of Police.
The Chairman, Kano State Chapter of MURIC, Malam Hassan Indabawa, in a statement, urged Nigerians to learn to respect other people’s culture and traditions.
“We found the harsh and hasty decision taken by the Honourable Minister for Women Affairs over a matter that is entirely beyond the scope of her Ministry.
“The minister’s attempt at media demonisation of marrying off of 100 poor and orphaned girls, who were largely traumatized for losing both parents to brutal and bloody banditry and insurgency, exposed her ignorance to the culture and traditions of the Muslim North.
“This elaborate media blitz, over the matter, MURIC observed, was deliberately done to sway public opinion against the marriage institution, and an attempt to vilify Sarkin-Daji, after demonstrating his genuine concern for the needs of members of his constituency,” Indabawa said.
She later withdrew the suit, saying the Ministry in collaboration with the Speaker and traditional rulers from the state, were already investigating the ages of the girls to ascertain if they are within the stipulated age for marriage.
UNICAL SEXUAL HARASSMENT CASE
In September, 2023, Kennedy-Ohanenye, after a backlash, tendered an apology over comments credited to her in a viral video concerning the sexual harassment scandal at the University of Calabar (UNICAL).
This was about 24 hours after a coalition of over 500 gender rights activists under the aegis of Womanifesto convened by the Executive Director of Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre (WARDC), Dr. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, had demanded a retraction and public apology.
The women activists had said they were gravely concerned about the minister’s utterances on the UNICAL sexual harassment case and the implications for the interest and protection of vulnerable women and children in Nigeria.
The former minister, in the video, also purportedly insinuated that the students were being used and manipulated by some people to get suspended Dean of the Faculty of Law, Prof. Cyril Ndifon out of office, so they themselves could take his place.
She was reportedly heard in the trended video threatening the students of UNICAL with dire consequences including imprisonment if they continued to pursue the case of sexual harassment against Ndifon.
In the video, the then minister had said since the female students had admitted that they were not raped, it meant they were not sexually harassed.
But the Minister in a statement personally signed by her , in Abuja, emphasised her, “unwavering dedication to upholding due diligence and the rule of law, recognising that justice and fairness are the fundamental principles upon which equitable societies are built.”
ADVOCATING CHILD LABOUR
The female politician had also faced severe backlash for her comments at the Anambra Investment Summit 2023, where she advocated for the use of school children as workers to manufacture essentials such as toothpicks, sanitary pads, cotton buds, and matchboxes.
At the event which took place on 7th September, 2023, she had been accused of promoting child labour and violating the rights of children, when she said, “I am pleading for us to look into more production of some of these things in our society. Especially, the necessities like the matchbox, the toothpick, the cotton buds, the sanitary pads and stuff like that. Let us introduce urban development in the schools. If we can think about using Fridays as free, for our children to start producing things just like they do in China. In China, even young kids get involved in production.”
Women and child rights activist, Betty Appiah, condemned the statement by the minister, saying it implies less value on children or the various child’s rights laws that Nigeria is signatory to.
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