I Have No Regrets About My Tenure As Minister – Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye

Story/Photo credit: arise.tv

The former minister emphasised her continued commitment to defending vulnerable individuals in society. Addressing criticisms of her approach while in office, Kennedy-Ohanenye argued that she prioritised action over protocol.

“Being a minister of women affairs at that time, I was handling sensitive cases,” she explained. “You can be in the office, and they will show you a girl who was raped. You will see the substance from the man in her. I wonder what you expect me to do.

“Some of them said, ‘she does not carry herself as a minister. She goes to the police station herself. Why can’t she be in her office and call the IGP?’ I’m sorry for some people, the way they think. As a minister, you are supposed to be a servant; you listen to the people and respond quickly before things go wrong.”

Rejecting claims that she lacked diplomacy, Kennedy-Ohanenye said, “I don’t know what people think about being diplomatic when things are damaging. I have no regrets in the way I did my job. I don’t have regrets. I don’t think I could have done it better. That issue of being diplomatic is what I don’t understand.”