Former women affairs minister Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye has said that women must fight for their rights to be included, instead of waiting to be called upon.
She said this on Monday while speaking in an interview with ARISE NEWS.
“We have been pursuing it. Women have been… we are getting more serious than ever. You know, before now, women were just waiting—how is it going to be? Are they going to call on us? I don’t believe in folding our hands and waiting to be called upon. I believe in working hard to fight for those our rights”, she stated.
Adding, she called for women to be given opportunities to participate in economic development and politics.
“They’ve given us the 35%. But can we get it without jobs? Can we get it without appointments? We need more appointments. I know the President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is trying; his administration is doing well concerning women. But we need more. We’ve not really gotten to the 35% up to date. And if you watch any job given to a woman, you see a huge difference. We are more committed. We have this motherly thing in us—that we want to look out and take care of our own. And Nigeria is like a child to us.
“So, we are truly working. But we can’t get that without having a job, having money. When you can see only 10% of women have properties, you see we are poor. We really need to work on this. Let them give us more opportunity to have a job and then to equally get more exposed in politics”, she said.
Barr. Kennedy-Ohanenye noted that government reshuffles affect both men and women, but attract more attention when they involve women because there are fewer female leaders.
“I don’t think I look at it as a gender issue. I could be removed, and Doris could be reshuffled and be taken to the different ministries. It equally happens to men—just that we are few, so when it happens to a woman, it makes a bigger news than when it happens to men. So, I don’t look at it as a gender issue. And at the same time, we’re not equally folding our hands. Even if you’re removed, you don’t give up”, she said.
Dismissing claims that her tenure was marked by several controversies, Kennedy-Ohanenye argued that her controversial actions came from a strict approach to accountability and protecting women and children, insisting that she stands by those decisions.
“I can’t regret it because I tried the other approach initially—and probably the other Ministers before me have been trying that same approach—and it did not work. I had to confront it. To tell you the truth, I am not regretting it. We must have to be reasonable. We don’t sit down and keep blaming; it’s not government, it’s us”, she said.
Addressing Senator Natasha’s episode last year at the National Assembly, the Ex Minister described the issue as an “internal matter”, not one that bordered on the problem of women inclusion.
“I don’t think so it is a reflection of the way women are placed in society. Because Senator Natasha’s case, as you can see, was somehow an internal thing and it has been handled the way it was handled”, she stated.
She further declared her support for the campaign for special seats for women in the National Assembly, however noting that economic empowerment of women is still necessary.
“I support it fully. But when you give the special seats and only 10% of women are rich, who are the ones to occupy the special seats? That’s another problem. That’s why I keep saying we need to get jobs, we need to come out there and believe in ourselves—that we could equally do it, we could equally work hard. So even after giving us seats—of which we are praying and following and fighting for—we still need to work harder”, she said.
She dismissed claims that female lawmakers use their gender as leverage, said these claims are unfounded.
“I don’t think so. How can they even play the gender card? In the Senate, I believe they usually have a particular thing they address and the laws they follow to either approve or disapprove, to say ‘yea’ or ‘nay.’ How can they play the gender card in such a situation? I don’t think so”, she insisted.
Addressing the case of sexual harassment in the University of Calabar, Barr. Kennedy-Ohanenye explained that her actions were meant to protect the victims, uncover the truth, and ensure justice, not to undermine or intimidate anyone.
“When I had that issue, I personally called these girls. I got their number from their VC and I called them to give them assurance that as far as this matter is concerned, I was going to fight for them. There’s no way I can support such a thing. That was an opportunity for me to fight these men and bring them down.
“But unfortunately, the same girl started crying to me that nothing was done to her. I have evidence of this. She told me nothing was done to her; she’s being pressured by the VC and co to say these things. I’m telling you, I had to record it for a reason—to be on a safe side.
“Then after that, the next thing I heard, I heard that she was now going to talk. I called her and I said, ‘Stand by the truth. If you know the truth, stand by the truth. I want justice to be done.’ And after I spoke to her on that, I equally gathered the university students and we wrote to the DSS to carry out a thorough investigation on this. I was only looking for the truth to be out. I don’t want nobody to be maltreated—not the male and not the female. So it was based on what she and the other girl told me that made me talk to her like that”, she explained.
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