The Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Hon Nkeiruka Onyejeocha has chided jobless and lazy charlatans who have launched a campaign of columny against her.
A statement made available to SummitPost on Monday, by her Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Gabriel Emameh, explained that the Minister’s immediate focus is on the national assignment entrusted to her by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, noting that she has no time at all to spare, paying attention to lousy charlatans with their preprotrous and spurious allegations.
It would be recalled that one Abidemi Johnson, who claimed to be the convener of Coalition of Asiwaju Progressive Woman (CAPW), had in a statement described the Honourable Minister of States for Labour and Employment, Barr. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, as ungrateful.
She also alleged that Onyejeocha was plotting to cause a leadership crisis in the House of Representatives, an allegation the minister described as the sponsored machinations of narrow-minded opponents and traducers, who are bent on dragging her hard earned name into the mud, where they lives.
“My attention has been drawn to a statement credited to one Abidemi Johnson, a yet to be identified lady claiming to be the convener of Coalition of Asiwaju Progressive Woman (CAPW), who tagged the Honourable Minister of States for Labour and Employment, Barr. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, as ungrateful and plotting to cause a leadership crisis in the House of Representatives.
“The so called Abidemi also in the statement alleged that the Honourable Minister dolled out dollar to a yet to be identified group to launch a media campaign for her to unseat the current Speaker of House Representatives, Hon. Abbas Tajudeen.”
The statement reads in full:
ONYEJEOCHA TOO BUSY TO BE DISTRACTED
For immediate release
September 11, 2023
Our attention has been drawn to a statement credited to one Abidemi Johnson, a yet to be identified lady claiming to be the convener of Coalition of Asiwaju Progressive Woman (CAPW), who tagged the Honourable Minister of States for Labour and Employment, Barr. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, as ungrateful and plotting to cause a leadership crisis in the House of Representatives.
The so called Abidemi also in the statement alleged that the Honourable Minister dolled out dollar to a yet to be identified group to launch a media campaign for her to unseat the current Speaker of House Representatives, Hon. Abbas Tajudeen.
We want to state clearly that these are point-blank lies sponsored by her political enemies who have no line between darkness and light; morality or absurdity. This is indeed not only laughable and preposterous but also calls for thorough investigation.
So, these baseless allegations did not by any means come to us as a surprise; we had gotten wind of several plots before hand to launch a media campaign against theHonourableMinister, should the judgment at the Tribunal turn out in her favour. That is the scenario being enacted in their desperate bid to pull her down.
The campaign of columny is coming just few hours after a pro APC group sent a congratulatory message to the Honourable Minister on her victory at the Tribunal, urging her to return to the National Assembly.
Ordinarily, the ill-fated statement and spurious falsehood therein would have been ignored but for the uninformed, we wish to say that the statement is a product of high wire mischief from her political traducers. It is the wild imagination of convoluted, distorted, warped minds of mischief merchants and conflict entrepreneurs who are out to pitch her against the leadership of her party, the All Progressive Congress.
Many had thought that Onyejeocha’s victory at the tribunal which is a plus to the party, could have been a thing of celebration. But no, because their plot to retire her from active politics continues to hit the rock.
1. It should be noted that while it is her right, like every other Nigerian, to challenge the outcome of an election she was not satisfied with as provided by the constitution of the Federal of Nigeria, they should also be reminded that Onyejeocha was already at the Election Petition Tribunal before she was appointed a Minister.
2. Would she have abandoned her pursuit to regain what was stolen from the APC as a family for politicians with parochial interests, greed and an unbridled sense of entitlement or for the opposition party?
3. For the records, Honourable Nkeiruka Onyejeocha is currently focused on her national duties as assigned to her by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the Ministry of Labour and Employment and also by the leadership of the All Progressive Congress as a co-chairman of the party’s national council for governorship election slated for November. Her loyalty to party is unquestionable.
4. Who would have thought that a mere statement of appeal issued by women who share the same vision with the Honourable Minister asking her to go consider going back to the house to pursue critical national Bills, would stirred the honest’s net, if not for mischief?
5. The Honourable Minister has since her victory at the Tribunal continued to receive calls from loved ones and well-wishers and she has consistently maintained that she is focused on her national assignment.
6. We challenge anyone as alleged by this faceless group that Hon Nkeiruka dole out money for this said purpose to come out with a prove. This is a dirty campaign of calumny taken too far.
7. Her victory at the Tribunal is not only the case, that she has not said a word about her future, has left them restless. So, the need to embark on mischievous propaganda to distract her or possibly force words out of her lips. Hon. Nkeiruka will not be distracted.
8. Onyejeocha is a thorough- bred and an accomplished politician who has achieved an enviable political status, fame and status. She has gone far beyond using subterfuge to attain any political position. That was why as a citizen who believes in the rule of law, she approached the court to seek redress.
9. She is a member of the ruling All Progressive Congress and she has paid her dues. Her credential is there to speak for her. She is not a desperate politician but one who seeks to sustain the goodwill of her people.
10. Currently, she has been selected to co-chair the party’s National Governorship Election Campaign Council. She was a member of the Tinubu Presidential Campaign Council. She is an accomplished woman who have served in various capacity without blemish.
11. That anyone could wake up to allege that Onyejeocha is ungrateful for her appointment, then it can only be deduced that the whole narrative is a well calculated attempt orchestrated by her political enemies to picht her against the people.
12. The objective of the plotters is to create a false image for the Honourable Minister, thereby heating up the polity.
13. Her only sin is that she was appointment a minister and won her petition at the tribunal.
14. We have no doubt that discerning and well-meaning Nigerians are conscious of the ignoble role of these men who should be ignored. Our prayer is that her detractors will soon come to terms with the futility of their actions and succumb to the supremacy of the will of God, the Almighty. No human should play God.
15. Finally, we appeal to journalists to recommit themselves to the guiding principles of the pen profession and continue to embrace the spirit of inquiry, the pursuit of truth, and the relentless quest for transparency and accountability.
16. These are critical times in the history of our nation, the media must strive to constantly recommit to the canons of fairness, accuracy, objectivity, balance, and other ideals that guide the profession.
Emamah Gabriel
Special Assistant to the minister of Labour and Employment
On Media and Publicity.