President Tinubu’s Ex-Minister Thrills In New Nollywood Film

President Tinubu’s Ex-Minister Thrills In New Nollywood Film

By Anuoluwapo Lebi

A former Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye who served under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has returned to the Nigerian movie industry, Nollywood.
 
Culture IQ confirms that Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye was appointed as minister in August 2023, and removed alongside four others in a cabinet reshuffle on October 23, 2024.

The 51-year-old politician has now shifted her focus to filmmaking barely four months after her removal from the cabinet.
 
Announcing her return to her first love, acting on her X handle, the former minister shared a snippet from her latest project.
 
Kennedy who is also a lawyer and entrepreneur, joined the All Progressives Congress, APC, in 2015 and emerged the party’s first female presidential aspirant in 2023, before ultimately withdrawing to support Tinubu.

According to reports, Kennedy-Ohanenye’s stay as Nigeria’s Minister of Women Affairs was bewildered by multiple controversies, which eventually led to her abrupt removal. Barely two months after she assumed office, Kennedy-Ohanenye in October, 2023, threatened to sue the United Nations (UN) for allegedly mismanaging funds meant for Nigeria.

In August, she disrupted two separate events organised “without her permission” in Abuja. During the first event tagged “Unveiling the Power of Women and Food Security,” held without the ministry’s approval, the former minister said the organiser had been taken into custody by the Department of State Services (DSS) for alleged impersonation of the ministry.

In May, Kennedy -Ohanenye filed a suit against the Speaker of the Niger State House of Assembly, Abdulmalik Sarkindaji, following his decision to marry off 100 orphans from his constituency.

In September, 2023, Kennedy-Ohanenye, after a backlash, tendered an apology over comments credited to her in a viral video concerning the sexual harassment scandal at the University of Calabar (UNICAL).This was about 24 hours after a coalition of over 500 gender rights activists under the aegis of Womanifesto convened by the Executive Director of Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre (WARDC), Dr. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, had demanded a retraction and public apology.

Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye is a Nigerian lawyer, entrepreneur, politician, and film producer. In the Nollywood film industry, she has produced several movies, including Mama Onboard, The Senator, The Governor, The President and Hunting The Angel.