Viral video: Drama as Ministry of Women Affairs staff celebrate dismissal of minister, Uju-Kennedy Ohanenye

Some staff members of Nigeria’s Ministry of Women Affairs were seen celebrating the removal of their former minister, Uju-Kennedy Ohanenye, in a viral video following her dismissal by President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday.

The video, shared on social media platform X by Theo Abu, captured ministry employees singing and dancing in apparent jubilation at Ohanenye’s exit.

Ohanenye, one of the ministers dismissed in President Tinubu’s recent cabinet reshuffle, was replaced by Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, a former Minister of State for Police Affairs.

The celebration came amid allegations that Ohanenye had diverted N1.5 billion earmarked for capital projects during her tenure.

These allegations had led to a confrontation with the House of Representatives’ Committee on Women Affairs and Social Development, further fueling discontent within the ministry.

Ohanenye was among five ministers sacked by the President, a group that also included Lola Ade-John (Tourism), Prof. Tahir Mamman (Education), Abdullahi Muhammad Gwarzo (Housing), and Dr. Jamila Bio Ibrahim (Youth Development).

The viral video highlights the discontent that had reportedly been brewing within the Ministry of Women Affairs over Ohanenye’s leadership, with her dismissal now signaling a new chapter for the department under her successor, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim.