NGO PETITIONS REPS, ACCUSES MINISTER OF WOMEN AFFAIRS OF $20B ECONOMIC SABOTAGE

A petition has been submitted to the House of Representatives Committee on Women Affairs, accusing the Honourable Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs. Uju Kennedy-Omanenye, of corruption, abuse of office, and economic sabotage. 

The petition was filed by S.T. Giles Solicitors on behalf of Mela Chiyoma Pat Limited, a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) spearheading a rural women empowerment programme.

The petition, dated September 17, 2024, claimed that the minister’s actions have cost Nigeria over $20 billion in potential credit lines and incentives for rural women through the “Women for Food Security” programme. 

According to the petition, the programme, introduced by Mrs. Patricia Sian-Dioka, Managing Director of Mela Chiyoma Pat Limited, aimed to bolster food security by empowering rural women in alignment with President Tinubu’s administration’s agricultural agenda.

The solicitor’s letter details how the Honourable Minister allegedly embraced the programme and appointed the company as “Partners/Agents” for its implementation. 

However, tensions reportedly escalated when the minister allegedly demanded that funds meant for the programme be deposited into her personal or her son’s account, a request the company rejected.

“Our client insisted that the programme’s funds be paid into the Ministry’s account or a nominated joint account. This refusal infuriated the minister, who threatened to retaliate,” the petition reads.

The dispute culminated in the alleged disruption of an event on August 8, 2024, where the minister reportedly accused the company of acting without the Ministry’s consent, leading to the programme’s abrupt shutdown. 

The event, attended by international dignitaries, including the Deputy Prime Minister of Uganda, was said to have been overshadowed by the minister’s actions, causing what the petition described as “unprecedented international shame.”

In addition to reputational damage, the petition argued that the minister’s actions sabotaged Nigeria’s agricultural sector by obstructing an initiative that could have improved agricultural production, created employment opportunities, and spurred industrial development in rural areas.

The petition called for a thorough investigation into the minister’s conduct, emphasizing the economic losses and missed opportunities caused by her alleged actions. 

The House Committee on Women Affairs is expected to commence investigations into the matter.

Efforts to reach the Minister of Women Affairs for comment were unsuccessful at the time of filing this report.