Former Minister of Women Affairs, Uju-Ken Ohanenye, stated on Wednesday that she has no regrets regarding the controversial actions she took during her time in office, emphasizing that she did her best to fulfill her duties.
Ohanenye, who served from August 2023 until her dismissal by President Bola Tinubu on October 23, shared her thoughts on her tenure during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
Throughout her time as minister, Ohanenye took several bold actions, including threatening legal action against the United Nations for allegedly mismanaging funds intended for Nigeria.
She also filed a lawsuit in May against Abdulmalik Sarkindaji, the Speaker of the Niger State House of Assembly, over his decision to marry off 100 orphans from his constituency.
Despite the controversies, Ohanenye defended her actions, saying that she gave her all in the role.
“I have a responsibility given to me to man that place and make sure things go right. I wouldn’t have tolerated anybody trying to rubbish deceit given to me,” she remarked.
“There must be an impact on people. I’m glad that I didn’t give such chance, and I have no regret in the way I did my job. That was the highest way I would have done that.”
She also discussed the October 15 donations, where many Nigerians contributed to support some of the country’s most vulnerable citizens.
Ohanenye reflected on her efforts to assist vulnerable groups, including the initiative for mobile courts to protect children working as street hawkers.
Noting that these initiatives were not included in her ministry’s budget, she mentioned her appeal for financial support from Nigerians.
“When I called on Nigerians, I was so surprised a lot of them gathered at the villa and donated money to this effect. They were very happy to support it,” she said.
Ohanenye also revealed that she was dismissed as minister shortly after the donations, less than two weeks after raising over N200 million for her projects.
“Unfortunately, not up to two weeks after the donations, I was sacked. When that happened, there was no way I could use that money. I asked the secretary in charge to write to the bank to do a reversal of the funds,” she added.
In October, Ohanenye was among five ministers dismissed by President Tinubu, alongside Lola Ade-John (Tourism), Jamila Bio Ibrahim (Youth Development), Tahir Mamman (Education), and Abdullahi Muhammad Gwarzo (Housing and Urban Development).
