Politics

Tinubu’s Minister Claims Victimization by Govt Cabals Over Refusal to Sign Dubious $500M Loan

Published by Tope Fakinlede on July 22nd, 2024.

Tinubu’s Minister Claims Victimization by Govt Cabals Over Refusal to Sign Dubious $500M Loan

Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, the embattled Minister of Women Affairs, has alleged victimization by government cabals for her refusal to sign a $500 million World Bank loan request.

On July 10, 2024, a near altercation was averted between Kennedy-Ohanenye and the House of Representatives Committee on Women Affairs and Social Development at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja. The minister had appeared to address allegations of diverting N1.5 billion meant for contractor payments within the ministry.

In a phone interview with THISDAY, Kennedy-Ohanenye stated, “There is a $500 million loan that was meant to be signed by me, but I refused to sign. There was also a case of $100 million earlier. Find out what it was meant for. All the loans they collect, including World Bank loans, are you aware that the same World Bank staff in Nigeria take back 40 per cent and call it consultation fees? These are things you should look into. You should focus on where the problem is and let them leave me alone.”

She further expressed concerns for her safety, saying, “My life is at stake because I refused to sign the $500 million loan. If I sign that loan today, I am entitled to five per cent of the money, but I refused. This is part of why the National Assembly and others are after me. And that 40 per cent they take is a secret I discovered. Why should anybody give us a loan, dictate how we use it, take 40 per cent, and provide a consultant to take it?”

Kennedy-Ohanenye also criticized the allocation of $100 million for training women, stating, “I told them $100 million is too much to teach our women how to save money. We can teach them without such a huge amount. Let them bring the $100 million and give it to those women to use for improving their lives.”