Nigeria’s Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, defended her ministry’s expenditure of N1.5 million on fueling six vehicles in her convoy during an official trip to Anambra State.
She addressed this matter on Monday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme, following a recent confrontation with members of the House of Representatives over unrelated expenditures.
Kennedy-Ohanenye expressed surprise at the scrutiny over the N1.5 million expenditure, emphasising that the amount was reasonable given the operational needs of her convoy.
She clarified the breakdown of vehicles involved, stating, “How many vehicles? I travelled with the staff in the bus, two security vehicles, one DSS and one police, my vehicle, the backup, and the other one.
“About six vehicles went all the way to Anambra State for a job, and we came back. What is N1.5m for those cars?”
She further highlighted challenges in explaining these expenditures to lawmakers, noting their reluctance to allow detailed explanations during their interactions.
“But when I was explaining, they (lawmakers) won’t even give you a chance to explain.
Kennedy-Ohanenye defended her need for providing context rather than being limited to simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ responses, arguing, “How can I say yes or no without an explanation?”
