By Abiola Olawale
Several individuals believed to be staff of the Ministry of Women Affairs were sighted in a joyous mood after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu announced the sack of Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye.
In a viral video making rounds on social media, the staff were seen dancing and shouting in the corridors of their offices.
Chants of “finally” could be heard as they celebrated the minister’s exit.
The New Diplomat reports that Kennedy-Ohanenye was the Minister of Women Affairs until Wednesday when she was removed in a cabinet reshuffle.
She was among five ministers who were sacked during the Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting.
Others are Lola Ade-John, Minister of Tourism; Jamila Bio Ibrahim, Minister of Youth Development; Tahir Mamman, Minister of Education; and Abdullahi Muhammad Gwarzo, Minister of State, Housing and Urban Development.
While the reason for the joyous mood could not be ascertained as of press time, the former minister has been involved in several public alterations.
It would be recalled that Kennedy-Ohanenye and members of the House of Representatives Committee on Women Affairs and Social Development chaired by Hon Kafilat Ogbara had in the past engaged in heated arguments over alleged corruption cases in the ministry.
The House Committee on Women Affairs and Social Development had summoned the Minister for questioning over an alleged failure to make the payment of N1.5 billion to contractors after the release of funds for the purpose.
The committee was investigating the alleged diversion of the N1.5bn allegedly meant for the payment of contractors after it received a petition from the contractors over non-payment for contracts they executed for the ministry.
However, the hearing turned rowdy as Kennedy-Ohanenye engaged in a shouting match with the committee members, throwing accusations and counter-accusations.
Also, Kennedy-Ohanenye had once disrupted a workshop organised by the Ministry of Women Affairs in Abuja.
The then Minister stormed the venue of fhe workshop and lambasted staff of the ministry for organising the workshop without her permission.
She said the workshop lacked awareness on empowerment of women, which is the aim of the Ministry. According to her, the workshop has no direct impact on women.
