’They wanted me dead’

The immediate past Director General of the National Centre for Women Development, Abuja, Onyeka Onwenu, has recounted her not too pleasant experience while she held sway at the centre, alleging that most staffers of Northern origin wanted her dead.

The foremost Nigerian musician and actress, stated this in a statement she issued on Thursday over her recent sack by President Muhammadu Buhari. She is one of the 26 DGs and heads of parastatals and agencies relieved of their positions early in the week.

While bemoaning the lack of professionalism at the centre, the former DG said the current acting DG, a northerner, had late 2015, gone to the Center’s Mosque to ask for the issue of a Fatwa against her.

“He called for the issue of fatwa against me, claiming that I was working against the interest of the North. We nipped that in the bud by calling a town hall meeting and asking that proof be provided. The Fatwa was denied and peace reigned for a while”.

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According to her, the same acting DG also organized some staff, mostly Northerners and invited the Press in order to disgrace her after her sack.

“By mid-afternoon, while the Heads of Departments were putting together the handover notes, they seized the keys to my official car, even with my personal items still inside. Threats began to fly. “That Ibo woman must, we will disgrace her.”

“Their Chief organizer, the Acting DG, went about whipping up ethnic sentiments against me. Police were called into the Center to escort me out and avoid bloodshed as I disengaged.

“Eventually, in the midst of insults and name calling, with an angry baying crowd, some of whom were brought in from outside, I entered my official car and left”.

The Elegant Stallion, as she is fondly called also has some words for the Federal Government on how the parastatals should be run.

“The Federal Government should really look into the Parastatals and take note of the fact that many people who work on them do not have the requisite qualification. Many contribute nothing, and many see their job as a personal entitlement. They are owed because Nigeria belongs to them and them alone.

“Somehow, these people were given the impression that they could attempt to do what they did to me, and nothing would happen. That is very sad indeed. The Ministry also has a case to answer. They helped to create that impression. A situation where the Ministry could invite a Management Staff to a trip abroad without informing the DG, and the Staff would only inform her principal via txt message, from the Airport as she is leaving the country, creates an atmosphere of indiscipline, and anything goes. The Ministry should restrain itself to its spelt out function and not undermine the authority of the DG”, Onyeka Onwenu said.

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