Drama ensued at the 3rd NAP Review and Validation Workshop, held in Abuja, when the Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, disrupted the proceedings of the workshop over claims that the event lacked empowerment motives for the masses.
The one-day event convened by the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs in collaboration with UN Women sought to present the recently drafted 3rd generation National Action Plan (2024-2029) for the implementation of the UNSCR 1325 for public review and validation.
Kennedy-Ohanenye stormed the event shortly after its commencement, claiming that the organisers failed to include an empowerment plan for women in their agenda despite over 100million naira budgeted for the event.
The Minister while lamenting how huge sums of monies are budgeted by MDAs for frivolous gatherings and meetings, threatened to disrupt any ‘illegal’ gathering under the guise of empowerment.
According to her, “I have changed the narrative. I said no programme should be held without empowerment for the people. We are talking about peace and security, how can you achieve that with poverty? You keep talking and doing workshops; with poverty, where are we heading to, and how do we solve that poverty by directing money to the wrong channels that do not make any impact on the people?
‘I have said don’t hold any programme without empowerment. UNICEF came to me and we changed the workplan to favour the children, so that they will benefit. If the [other] organisers had come to me I would have told them how to organise these things so that it will favour our people.
“They give money in the Ministries, it is used for travels and programmes, but nothing that will impact the nation. If you hear the amount of money government gives to Ministries, you will be shocked. Why should it continue like that? Why should we fold our hands and these things will continue? Let them call me names – troublemaker, madwoman, I am ready to take it; but you see that brick wall, I am going to break it, even if it takes me using my head to break it, I am going to break it. That is one thing I am assuring you, because that is what Mr. President wants. He wants to move the nation forward.
“Let it not happen again….. You can’t use 100 and something million to hold a programme. I am not lying, Over 100million is used for programmes. I have advised to always cut it in two, use half to empower the women, then use half for whatever programmes you want to do, let it not look like I have come here to block everybody.”
