Imaan and the rebel staff of Women Affairs ministry

By Ismail Omipidan

The declaration by the late Albert Camus, a French philosopher and novelist, that “Every act of rebellion expresses a nostalgia for innocence and an appeal to the essence of being,” seems apt in situating yesterday’s protest by some staff of the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs against their boss, the Minister, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim.

In his book ‘The Rebel’, Camus analysed the nature and motivations of rebellion, concluding that, more often than not, acts of rebellion should be understood as a response to the absurdity of human existence and a desire to “reclaim a sense of meaning in a meaningless world.” To me, this is precisely what played out at the ministry.

Unfortunately, the press statement issued by the minister did little to engage with the reason for the protest. In my estimation, it merely sought to shift blame rather than address the grievances raised.

For the avoidance of doubt, among other things, the statement noted that “The Honourable Minister, a certified Human Resource Manager with years of practical experience, understands that staff welfare, motivation, and professional development are vital to institutional performance. These are areas she takes seriously and continues to advocate for within the limits of available resources.

“However, it is important to clarify that the Minister is not the Chief Accounting Officer of the Ministry. Issues of finance and staff administration fall under the Permanent Secretary, who is expected to engage the directors, assess the grievances raised, and provide appropriate recommendations.”

For me, the statement failed to address the core issues. Instead, it reinforced the fact that the staff’s rebellious act may indeed be justified. Rather than putting out such a defensive response, the ministry’s Information Officer should have been allowed to handle the communication more strategically. That is one.

Two, accepted, the minister may not be the “Accounting Officer,” but she is the political head. My reading of her statement suggests a lack of synergy between her and the Permanent Secretary.

If this is the case, I would advise her to bend backwards and find common ground with the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Maryam Ismaila Keshinro, a fellow woman like the HM.

I have said it in several of my conversations before, and I want to repeat it here; the way the Federal Civil Service is wired at the moment, it was never designed to make the work of the political head easy or assist them to succeed. Therefore, any minister who truly wants to succeed must find a way to build a working relationship with the Permanent Secretary. Anything short of that is a recipe for rebellious act, like we witnessed yesterday.

The reality is that staff members see files. They know the deals going on. Sometimes, they even package those deals. So when all a minister does is blow grammar, the staff can easily make him or her look irresponsible before the president who hired him or her. And in the end, no one listens to the minister’s explanations, no matter how plausible they sound, because, naturally, the public sides with the underdog.