While her decision to throw a lavish Party for her husband’s birthday at Transcorp Hilton Hotel Abuja has elicited criticisms and condemnation, especially at a time Nigerians are languishing in abject poverty and a general economic downturn brought about by some unfriendly policies. The Convener and Director of Market Youth Congress (MYC), Comrade Chidiebere Okoh, a good governance and democratic advocacy pressure group in Nigeria has expressed disappointment over what he called “negligence of duty over frivolities”.
TVAfrica recalls that an orphanage home, which was approved in Anambra state to operate a Children’s Home to shelter socially expectant mothers. The idea by the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development was aimed at encouraging young girls not to abandon, sell, or throw away their babies, BUT ARE ENCOURAGED TO ACCEPT SHELTER AS DESIGNATED by the Ministry and AFTER DELIVERY OF THE BABY, WILL HAVE THE RIGHT TO KEEP THE BABY OR RELEASE THE BABY FOR ADOPTION, through this, the 84-year-old Lt Col Chinwe Deborah OGO (Rtd), the Director of Arrow of God Orphanage was able to help to save many lives while giving hope to children who are doing well in the society when her orphanage home was approved and licensed to operate with the establishing ministry.
This home was erroneously shut down over a spurious petition to NAPTIP, throwing the octogenarians out to the cold to die. Upon investigation, NAPTIP absolved the Home of any wrongdoing and directed that it lies within the power of the Ministry of Women’s Affairs to reopen it for the old woman to continue her humanitarian work. Every effort to make that happen has proven abortive because the shutdown in the first place had the colouration of political vendetta, given every incident that played out
But while the Arrow of God Orphanage remains under lock and key as a result of inaction and/or instigation of the Ministry of Women Affairs, Mrs Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, throwing the 84 years old retired Colonel and the homeless children out in the open, she has chosen to waste resources in an opulent birthday bash, inviting notable figures nationwide to partake in her husband’s extravagant birthday celebration at Transcorp Hilton which is a misplaced priority at a time when Nigerians are dying of hunger and at the hands of kidnappers. She is simply defecating on the graves of many vulnerable people in Nigeria.
Her actions should be condemned by well-meaning Nigerians and a responsible government like that of President Ahmed Bola Tinubu, who has shown conscientious effort at changing the lot of Nigeria should reign her in and prevail on her to perform her duty without prejudice by ordering the reopening of an orphanage shut down under her nose without prove of misconduct.
