Minister of Women Affairs, Barrister Uju Kennedy-Ohaneye has debunked a report by a popular television station that she advocated for the exemption of women from payment of tax, describing the report as malicious and a misrepresentation of her speech.

In a statement signed by her Special Assistant on Media, Ohaeri Osondu-Joseph, she said at no point has ever advocated that women should not pay tax during her presentation at the just concluded women in security conference which held weekend in Abuja.

“The attention of the Ministry of Women Affairs has been drawn to some false reports and publications showed on the ‘Morning Show’ segment of the Arise TV insinuating that the minister for Women Affairs advocated for women not to pay tax in the Nigeria.

“We wish to state categorically clear that the Minister did not canvass for women not to pay tax because as a law abiding citizen and a major stakeholder in the Nigerian project, she strongly embraces the fact that there is no gender barrier for tax payment which is the civic responsibility of both men and women in the country.

“To further buttress the misrepresentation of the Minister’s speech at the event, the Arise TV segment did not complement the visuals with a track up of the Minister’s presentation at the program which was organized by the ministry to address peace and security of women in Nigeria.

“For avoidance of doubts, the minster stated that some initiatives including mechanized farming and tricycle transport schemes called Pink Riders have been introduced to empower women to support their husbands and her exact words were “I am begging the Army, task force in motor park and Police, when my women, my Pink Riders start their Keke across the nation, leave them alone, just secure them for me, just give them security .

“Many who read and watched the programme on Arise TV of Wednesday 19th, would see that it was out of character, from the usual rigor and incisiveness associated with objective journalism, hence the need to clarify the disinformation and allegations against the Honorable Minister has become most pertinent,” the communique reads.

The minister called on the media to display objectivity and professionalism in the course of their reportage

Earlier at a strategic session in October, the federal government to flagged off the ‘Pink Riders Transport Scheme’ by the minister of women affairs who invited the police, vigilante groups and transport union representatives to further provide security, seamless operation of the scheme and also made an appeal for the women who operate the tricycles to be exempted from any form of harassment by the task force operators at the motor parks.