Scores of protesters marched from the National Assembly to the Office of the Head of the Federation’s Civil Service in Abuja on Friday to protest what they characterized as harassment of Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, Minister of Women’s Affairs.
The protestors, who included human rights activists, civil society organizations, and concerned residents, brandished signs and banners decrying last Wednesday’s move, stating that “no civil servant has the right to challenge a minister.”
Their protest came after an event on September 10 in which Federal Ministry of Women’s Affairs employees locked out Sulaiman-Ibrahim in protest of his long-term neglect and bad living conditions.
Hundreds of workers stopped at the ministry’s entrance, screamed solidarity songs, and demanded her dismissal.
Speaking to media during Friday’s protest, Emmanuel Lawal, Director of Public Enlightenment at the Centre for Accountability and Public Engagement, branded the workers’ actions as an affront to constituted authority.
He said, “We are not unaware of sinister plots both from her Nasarawa home state and even at the center where she currently serves as a minister of the Federal Republic.
“We note with regret that some persons have now allowed themselves to be used, inciting workers, indeed civil servants, instigating protests, and causing embarrassment to the government of Nigeria.”
While rallying support for the minister, Lawal stated that she has proven her mettle as Director General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, Federal Commissioner of the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants, and Internally Displaced Persons, and Minister of State (Police Affairs).
He did, however, express regret that certain individuals are being sponsored to discredit all of her accomplishments.
“We are not unmindful of the grand plot to castigate you, tarnish you before the public, and destroy your hard-earned reputation and unblemished record of service.
“We therefore call on President Bola Tinubu to intervene by looking into the issue and calling them to order. No civil servant has the right to challenge a minister. And of course, we know the attack on the minister was politically motivated,” he noted.
The protest highlights a widening schism between civil servants and political appointees, especially as the Tinubu administration grapples with calls for better welfare and accountability in ministries and agencies.
