Ms. Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, Minister of Women Affairs.
By Abdul Hassan
Staff of the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs in Abuja have staged a protest over alleged neglect of their welfare by the minister, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim.
The protesters accused the ministry of failing to provide welfare packages, training, and reimbursement for official trips.
One worker lamented that allowances for trips made in January and throughout 2023 remained unpaid.
A female staff, Anne Ojubele, who participated in the protest, said:
‘’We don’t have working tools at all. Even a piece of paper to write with, we do not have. And most of the time when we go on an official assignment, we use our personal money’.
“She told us she is not accountable to us, that she is accountable to Mr President and that we should go and meet the Permanent Secretary in anything we need.”
A male staff, Alake Success, who was also part of the protest said:
‘“This woman refused to meet with the staff. We have taken all necessary step; a year endurance. The beauty of Democracy is to have access to your leader.
“This woman thinks that she is more special than us. Every Nigerian on the street is a potential president. She came with legions of SAs. She has more than 25 SAs.
“What we want, if possible, she should be posted to another ministry.”
Sulaiman-Ibrahim was appointed Minister of Women Affairs in October 2024, following the removal of Barrister Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye.
Periscope International was however unable to get the reaction of the ministry’s officials on the controversy prior to filing this report as all efforts to get it proved abortive.
