By Godwin Chukwumaechi
Human Rights advocacy group the Niger Delta Rights Advocates (NDRA) has accused the Minister of State for Labour, Nkiruka Onyeojocha, of plotting to destablise the government of President Bola Tinubu.
The group alleged that instead of the minister to concentrate on her job, “she was busy with her efforts at destabilization of the leadership of the House of Representatives and by extension becoming a cog in the wheel of progress of the Tinubu administration.”
In a press release issued on Monday in Port Harcourt, the Women Wing of the NDRA called on the leadership of the All Progressives Congress, APC, to call the minister to order “to cease from sponsoring court cases that are injurious to the party and capable of dragging the name of Mr President in the mud, with her personal ambition to become Speaker of parliament.”
The release, signed by Clara Nkwocha, national women leader and Gloria Kagbara
welfare officer of NDRA the women also accused Onyeojocha of being more interested in her private affairs than in the good of her constituents.
The women said; “One of the reasons for the agitations by civil society organisations in this country for the implementation of the 35% affirmative action for women, is simply to ensure greater visibility for the women folk and not to diminish it.
“Now, our calculation is that a paltry 19.5% of Mr President’s cabinet ministers are women, what then is the logic behind one of the women sponsoring court cases from behind in order to destabilize her own party the APC and lose that Ministerial slot with the dream of returning to the House of Representatives to become Speaker of parliament?
“The Women Wing of the NDRA are disappointed in this self-serving agenda aimed only at destabilizing the House leadership and throwing a spanner in the works given the partnership and mutual respect existing between the Speaker Tajudeen Abbas-led House of Representatives and the executive arm of government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR.
“Our call is on the national leadership of the APC to call the minister of State for Labour to order to cease from sponsoring court cases that are injurious to the party and capable of dragging the name of Mr President through the mud.
‘Hon Onyejeocha’s actions by our calculations is aimed at creating unnecessary tension between the people of the South-East and the Northwest who were rightfully (based on number of votes delivered to the party, ceded the Speakership position), thus, dreaming to alter the existing political algorithm between the North and South based on the fact that the South already has the Presidency and the Senate Presidency. Furthermore, we view the desperation of Hon Onyejeocha to return to the House of Representatives as gamble taken too far since we all believe that she should have been content with a ministerial position magnanimously given to her by Mr President.
“Our concern as women is the fact that this might cast a shadow of doubt on the loyalty, integrity and consistency of women from our region as greedy fellows and we are not, thus, the need for this public statement.
“We rather do believe that Mr President and indeed the party should look into allowing space for more women to contribute to national development as we reason that as good home managers, we can help cut down the cost of governance and offer greater accountability in public service.
“We appeal for more women to be considered for appointments into Boards, Agencies and Parastals of Government despite this disingenuous and harmful crab mentality of Hon Onyejeocha.
“Finally, women constitute a critical percentage of the voting dynamics in the last general elections in Nigeria and capturing as many numbers as possible can only help deepen our democracy”,
