The minister of women affairs, Mrs Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye,, has filed a defamation of character lawsuit against Hon. Kafilat Ogbara, a member of the House of Representatives from Lagos State.
Speaking in an interview with Arise Television on June 5, Ogbara Ogbara (the chairman of the house committee on women affairs and social development) claimed that there are “many petitions” against Kennedy-Ohanenye and that the lower chamber is investigating the minister. The minister had been invited to appear before the house committee on public procurement and the panel on women affairs and social development. Reacting to Ogbara’s remarks, the minister denied the allegations, saying she is not under investigation over allegations of fund misappropriation.
In a suit filed on June 14 at the high court in Enugu, Ogbara and Arise Television were listed as first and second defendants, respectively. Through her lawyer, Chuma Oguejifor she argued that the lawmaker’s comments were “offensive” and “poisoned” the hearts of people who know the minister. The lawyer said the minister reached out to the lawmaker over her comment and informed her that it was “false”, but the lawmaker refused to apologise or retract her comments.
According to the lawyer, “The plaintiff had reached out to the defendants and spoken to them about how the publication was as offensive as it was false but till date they have not apologized to the plaintiff nor retracted the defamatory publication. “In these circumstances where the defendants have been remorseless about the publication which as earlier on stated above, exposed the plaintiff to great odium and ridicule especially before right thinking members of the society including her friends, associates, her lawyers, relations, etc., the plaintiff is left with no option in the circumstances than to file the present suit against the defendants for defamation of character. Wherefore the plaintiff claims against the defendants jointly and severally damages amounting to 1 billion naira for libel or defamation of her character.”