Employees of the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs have openly expressed discontent with their minister, Mrs Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, accusing her of neglect, arrogance, and poor leadership.
 
The protest, which erupted at the ministry’s headquarters in Abuja, saw workers booing the minister and chanting that she “does nothing” to support the daily operations of the ministry.
 
According to the aggrieved staff, the ministry has been starved of basic work tools, including stationery, even as the minister reportedly maintains a retinue of more than 25 special assistants (SAs).
 
A staff member, Anne Ojubele, lamented the poor working conditions, stating, “We don’t have working tools. Even a piece of paper to write on, we don’t have. Most times, we use our personal money to work, and when we complain, she said she is not accountable to us and that we should go and meet Mr. President Tinubu and complain to him.”
 
Another worker, Alake Success, described the minister as inaccessible and dismissive, noting:  “This woman has refused to mingle with staff. We have taken all necessary steps to work with her, because the beauty of democracy is to have access to your leader, but she thinks she is more special than us. She has more than 25 SAs, yet we don’t have a cordial working relationship. What we want is for her to be posted to another ministry.”
 
Responding, the ministry, in a statement, stressed that while it recognises the right of staff to express concerns, such actions must remain within the bounds of professionalism and civil service conduct.
 
Signed by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Minister, Jonathan Eze, the ministry emphasised that Sulaiman-Ibrahim, a certified Human Resource Manager, “understands that staff welfare, motivation, and professional development are vital to institutional performance” and continues to advocate for these within the limits of available resources.”
   
The statement, however, clarified that the minister is not the Chief Accounting Officer of the ministry, noting that issues of finance and staff administration fall under the Permanent Secretary, who is to engage the directors, assess the grievances, and provide recommendations.