A group of women under the umbrella of Association of Concerned Nigerian Women on Thursday marched through Abuja to demonstrate support for the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Deziani Alison-Madueke.
The women led by the coordinator of the association, Mrs Martha Yaduma, said the persecution against the minister was an attempt by some men to undermine women’s aptitude in governance.
“We know our right and we will fight for it, we won’t allow men to suppress our propensity, we have to stop this, enough is enough, all undue allegations against the minister are not true.
“We have done our investigation and we can say that some people were just out to victimize the minister without any just course.
“What people always do is to bring down a woman whenever she is in a high post, but we want to tell Nigeria that we are solidly behind the Minister,” they said.
The women also, urged the public to wait for the result of other investigations going on over the ministry activities rather than castigating the Minister over alleged misappropriation of oil sector fund.
While saying that Nigerian women have come to speak with one voice in support of the minister, they appealed to men to give women a chance
The women described the minister as a hard working woman, who worked assiduously for the betterment and improvement of the ministry and the oil sector at large.
“Women believe strongly in the transformation agenda of Mr President and we will not allow political detractors to rub this administration of its glory,” they said.
They noted that Alison-Madueke, was the first woman to head the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and had recorded a landslide achievement since she assumed office.
They claimed that under her leadership the oil and gas sector had witnessed a lot of activities and performance that had placed it on a renewed path of growth and sustained development.
They noted that the sector had recorded tremendous achievement by ensuring annual average crude oil production of approximately 2.3 million barrel per day of crude and 6.38 billion cubic feet per day of gas production by year 2013.
According to them, the ministry had maintained an unprecedented stability of supply and distribution of petroleum products across the country until recent episode of shortages which they said were created by saboteurs.
They noted that there had been a massive rehabilitation of previous non-functioning petroleum products, depots and pipelines such as Benin depot, Warri-Benin Pipleline, Aba Pipeline, Gombe, Port Harcourt Depots.
Dr Omar Ibrahim, the Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division of NNPC who received the women on behalf of the Minister commended their courage and support for the Minister
“It is not always easy at this crucial moment to find a group of individuals of your caliber to support the development at the oil and gas sector.
“It is a demonstration of love to the sector and to the country’s economy as a whole. We believe that with this Nigerians will begin to understand and see the truth in the oil and gas sector.
“It is our belief that no matter what happened the truth will always prevail, we appreciate your support for the Minister and your struggle for justice is acknowledged,” Ibrahim said.
The women with various inscription such as “leave Deziani Alone“, “The minister is working“ among otherscommenced their rally from the Eagle Square, Abuja and marched to the National Assembly before rounding it off at the NNPC Tower Abuja