Singer and actress, Onyeka Onwenu, who was fired this week as Director General of the National Centre for Women Development has released a disturbing allegation of how tribalism held sway in the agency and how she was persecuted because she is Igbo.

Read her story below:

When the call came on Sept 13 2013, to serve the Nigerian people as DG National Center For Women Development, I took it as a call from God and I answered in the affirmative. 

I served for 2years and five months and did my best under very difficult conditions. We hardly had money to operate and the place was badly run down. Worst, there was low moral and lack of commitment among the Staff. Most spent the day loitering and gossiping. Many would not show up for work or arrive 11 am, only to leave before 3 pm. Some were absent for months and were just collecting their salary at home. 

My administration changed all that. Most Staff were turned around and became passionate about the work, appreciating also the changes they thought were not possible but were happening right before them. 

There remained though, a remnant who felt that the Center was their personal preserve and that the position of Director General should only go to someone from their part of the country. I was initially dismissed as just a Musician. When that did not work, I was targeted and abused for being an Igbo woman who came to give jobs to and elevate my people while sidelining them. When these detractors could not provide answers to the spate of improvement we were bringing, they resorted to sabotage and blackmail. The first such salvo was fired when a Senate Committee visited on an oversight mission a few months after my arrival. All three Generators at the Center were cannibalized, overnight, just hours to the visit. 

We got over that incident and trudged on. The rest of our activities and accomplishments, modest as there is public knowledge. I have never in my life been an unfair person. I never favored any group. I carried everybody along. But I did not put up with deliberate incompetence and a refusal to learn, an attitude of entitlement which some people displayed. We brought back a level of professionalism and commitment to deliver on our mandate. Without these attributes, the Center would have fallen apart. 

When the call came for me to disengage from the Center, I took it in good faith and with thanksgiving to the Almighty, Yes some stakeholders were upset and tried to make a case for me to continue. Their effort was a testimony of God’s grace on my administration, but I also knew that it was time to go. God who sent me there was taking me to a higher level of service. His infinite wisdom is unassailable. That is my faith. Besides, I was exhausted and had abandoned many personal projects to devote myself, 200% to the Center. The abuses and lack of cooperation from a mother Ministry, from those who felt that the Center overshadowed them, to the extent that they tried to discourage others from working with us, were just a bit much for my comfort. I did not lobby for the job in the first place and I was not going to lobby to keep it. I actually looked forward to leaving. But some people were going to exact their pound of flesh. 

They organized some staff, mostly Northerners, invited the Press and set about to disgrace themselves. By mid afternoon, while the Heads of Departments were putting together the handover notes, they seized the keys to my official car, even with my personal items still inside. Threats began to fly. “That Ibo woman must” “we will disgrace her”. Their Chief organizer, the Acting DG, went about whipping up ethnic sentiments against me. Late 2015, the same officer had gone to the Center’s Mosque to ask for the issue of a Fatwa against me, claiming that I was working against the interest of the North. We nipped that in the bud by calling a townhall meeting and asking that proof be provided. The Fatwa was denied and peace reigned for a while. 

Police was called in to the Center to escort me out and avoid blood shed as I disengaged. Eventually, in the midst of insults and name calling, with an angry baying crowd, some of whom were brought in from outside, I entered my official car and left. At no time during this melee did I threaten to sue Mr President for asking me to disengage. Why would I? Is it not within his authority? Even if it were not, is the Center my personal property? I had done my best and if it was time to go, it was that simple. Life continues. I had a thriving career before my appointment. The Center did not make me. I have so much to do. I am a multitalented, multifaceted and multitasking child of God. By His grace, the future is greater. So what is the problem?

Let me say here that The Federal Government should really look into the Parastatals and take note of the fact that many people who work on them do not have the requisite qualification. Many contribute nothing and many see their job as personal entitlement. They are owed because Nigeria belongs to them and them alone. Somehow, these people were given the impression that they could attempt to do what they did to me and nothing would happen. That is very sad indeed. The Ministry also has a case to answer. They helped to create that impression. A situation where the Ministry could invite a Management Staff to a trip abroad without informing the DG and the Staff would only inform her principal via text message, from the Airport as she is leaving the country, creates an atmosphere of indiscipline and anything goes. The Ministry should restrain itself to its spelt out function and not undermine the authority of the DG. 

Finally, I declare that I am a Nigerian citizen who should enjoy the rights attendant to that privileged. I am Onyigbo and proud of it. I respect myself and I love and respect all for who they are. We are all God’s children. No one has the right to insult or abuse me or deprive me of my rights. Nigeria will not hold unless and until we all come to that realization. 

Thank you and God bless. 
Onyeka Onwenu (MFR)

Former DG NCWD

Source: http://www.trezzyblog.com/2016/02/because-i-am-igbo-sacked-onyeka-onwenu.html

She should keep crying... If that is your case, then all other tribes sacked were sacked because of their tribe. metcheeeew

I just discovered she's a senseless woman!

I stop loving people immediately they bring ethnic coloration into issues.

Mummy Onyeka, ordinarily you belong in the class of King Sunny Ade, Oliver de coque, Ebenezer Obey, etc. Because truly you are a veteran in the industry but unfortunately today, due to your greed and wanton desire for easy wealth, you have sold your integrity to the highest bidder and lost all respect that should be accorded a woman of your calibre. Today, I wouldn't even place you in the class of people like Vic-O, because at least, those people have something they stand for, for you madam, I'm yet to see exactly what your values are.

From supporting Babangida's tyrranical rule, to spearheading Abacha's "President for life" ambition, to licking Obasanjo's butt, Yaradua didn't have your time but you eventually wriggled your way into power again with GEJ and carried his failed reelection bid on your head like a pure water seller.

Right now you should just bow your head in shame please, and stop trying to whip up tribal sentiments because you lost a job given to you as compensation. Because if I ask you now, since you got into office, how have you been able to touch the life of the average Nigerian? You go dey look me like luqmon.

Please be gone! Nothing you or say willbchange the fact that you were disgraced out of office.

#iStandWithBuhari

Isorait

Leave Trash For Lawma

The difference between Igbo and IPOB is in their mentality and speech.
Onyeka Onwenu sounds like an ipob woman in high place, always blaming other people for their woes.
Come to think that she is not the only one relieved of her DG duty makes her rambling pathetic, shameless, ludicrous, lugubrious and ungrateful.

Caseless:
I just discovered she's a senseless woman!

Before insulting her, have you confirmed the story? Did she really say so?

One Love keep us together paraaaaa
Madam u dnt expect to work dat much for GEJ during his campaign against PMB n still expect to chop Yam in ds government. God bless u for ur service, I guess it's no longer needed

I always knew that the so-called parastatals are a big leech on public funds

all dis ipod related tribes self.

Nawa o, what's wrong with this lady now? Madam Onyeka, you've been sacked, go home quietly and stop wailing all over the place. Nobody is interested in your silly rants of tribalism.

Now a new thread for our Ipod youths to masturbate on.......

Look at your leaders.......wailing because of a sack.....if only she knew what ripple effect her nonsense words will cause.....

NO!

It's because you're love peddler of the highest caucuses.

Onyeka u are absolutely right, Pmb sack u because u are ibo

In the same vein pmb appointed kachukwu,ngige etc because they are ibos.

I know this woman personally and I can tell this story is concocted by an IP..

Igbophobia is killing some Nigerians

Law enforcement needs to be taken more seriously in this country. People should be punished when they err. This woman did a good job and her claim should be taken seriously. Those who worked against the centre's advancement should really be investigated.

Arch1:
Before insulting her, have you confirmed the story? Did she really say so?

Tell us what's there to confirm.She's sacked and it remains so.Playing the tribalism game is senseless and childish.

No source?

Onyeka, you are too elegant and stallion for cheap blackmail like this now.

Onyeka Onwenu even you? Is there any body else from that region who has not been bitten by the bug of tribalism?

Arch1:
Before insulting her, have you confirmed the story? Did she really say so?

hun? If this statement was credited to BUHARI, would you have waited for confirmation before you attack?

But where is lalasticlala sef, day don break for Adani ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

[s]

Caseless:
I just discovered she's a senseless woman!

I stop loving people immediately they bring ethnic coloration into issues.

[/s]
Nonsense

GspotAngela:
Victim mentality and Persecution complex are deeply ingrained in the DNA of all Igbos

Did you just write all Igbos? Nne don't be quick to generalize because there are lots of hardworking and honest Igbos that don't suffer from your so called victim mentality. Following your logic, it means all Nigerians are corrupt and fraudsters because of the few bad ones among us.

I understand why she felt she was targeted because is Igbo. But what would have made her complaints credible is to tell us her achievement for the past 2 and half years that she was DG of NCWD.

she should have decorated the whole article with activities she headed to empower women despite all the challenges she faced.

GspotAngela:
Victim mentality and Persecution complex are deeply ingrained in the DNA of all Igbos

Are talking from experience or you only want to be heard or evaluated?

You cant understand what she is saying until you work in Federal government agencies where mediocrity is promoted on the alter of tribe and nepotism. Like I said yesterday, many Northerners, (Few of my northerner friends are hard working) even in their states do not work yet collect salaries (Remember yesterday's story where 30 drivers collect salaries over one working car). Let us call a spade a spade, we cant grow as a country if our appointments are sentiment, religious and tribal based.
As an insider, our leaders need to wake up and stop pampering our brothers from disadvantaged states on mediocrity.

luvmijeje:
I understand why she felt she was targeted because is Igbo. But what would have made her complaints credible is to tell us her achievement for the past 2 and half years that she was DG of NCWD.

she should have decorated the whole article with activities she headed to empower women despite all the challenges she faced.

no single achievement in the write-up, yet she wants to remain in office.