The Minister of State, Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha on Monday said she would not be distracted but remain committed to the duties given to her by President Bola Tinubu.
Onyejeocha was reacting to what she described as “sponsored reports by a yet-to-be-identified Abidemi Johnson, who claims to be the convener of Coalition of Asiwaju Progressive Woman”, that she was ungrateful and plotting to unseat the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas and cause a leadership crisis.
The report also claimed that Onyejeocha dolled out Dollars to launch a media campaign for her to unseat the current Speaker.
While appealing to journalists to recommit themselves to the guiding principles of the pen profession and continue to embrace the spirit of inquiry, transparency and accountability, the minister said, “The media must strive to constantly recommit to the canons of fairness, accuracy, objectivity, balance, and other ideals that guide the profession.”
She said her only sin was that she was appointed a Minister and thereafter won her petition at the National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal in Umuahia, Abia State.
But the minister in a statement by her Special Assistant (Media and Publicity), Gabriel Emameh, titled, “Onyejeocha too busy to be distracted”, described the allegation as lies.
Emameh said, “That anyone could wake up to allege that Onyejeocha is ungrateful for her appointment, then it could only be imagined that the whole narrative is a well-calculated attempt orchestrated by her political enemies to pit her against the people. Onyejeocha will not be distracted.
“To even think alleged that she is plotting to unseat the Speaker is more laughable. Is the Speaker zoned to the South East?
“The objective of the plotters is to create a false image for the minister, thereby heating up the polity.
“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.
“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 but also calls for a thorough investigation.
“So, these baseless allegations did not by any way come to us as a surprise; we have had wind of several plots beforehand to launch a media campaign against her, should the judgment at the Tribunal turn out in her favour. That is the scenario being enacted in their desperation to pull her down.
“The campaign is coming just a 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.
“It’s the wild imagination of convoluted, distorted, warped minds of mischief makers and conflict entrepreneurs who are out to pitch her against the leadership of her party, the All Progressive Congress.
“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.”
Emameh wondered if the minister would 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.
According to Emameh, Onyejeocha is currently focused on her national assignments assigned to her by President Bola Tinubu at the Ministry of Labour and Employment and also by the leadership of the APC as a co-chairman of the party’s national council for governorship election slated for November, adding “her loyalty to the party is unquestionable.”
He challenged anyone who alleged that the minister doled out money for a media attack on the Speaker to come out with proof, saying “This is a dirty campaign taken too far.”
“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 stir the hornet’s net, if not for mischief?
“The 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,” Emameh stated.
