WORKERS LOCK OUT WOMEN AFFAIRS MINISTER IMAAN SULAIMAN-IBRAHIM OVER ALLEGED NEGLECT AND POOR WELFARE

A dramatic protest unfolded at the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs in Abuja on Wednesday, September 10, 2025, as aggrieved staff members locked out Minister Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim from her office. The workers, who gathered in large numbers, blocked the ministry’s entrance gates, chanting solidarity songs and demanding the minister’s removal.

The protesting staff cited prolonged neglect, arrogance and poor welfare conditions as reasons for their action. They expressed frustration over unpaid allowances, lack of working tools and training opportunities, and a perceived disconnect between the minister and her workforce. “We waited for four hours because she was returning from a trip. When she arrived, she ignored us completely, walked into her office, and never came back. That was the last straw,” said an anonymous worker.

Union leaders accused Minister Sulaiman-Ibrahim of prioritizing personal pursuits with a large retinue of aides at the expense of staff welfare. Alake Success, a union leader, stated, “There are no working tools, no training, no welfare. We buy stationery ourselves, and even clean the toilets with our own money. Yet, the minister has over 25 aides feeding on the ministry’s overheads.”

Success compared the current situation unfavorably to the tenure of previous minister Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, saying, “The situation under the previous minister was far better.” The workers vowed to continue their protest until Minister Sulaiman-Ibrahim is removed or redeployed, citing incompatibility with the ministry’s mandate of advancing women’s welfare in Nigeria.