In order to facilitate Ruth Ogunleye’s smooth transition into her new surroundings after her recent discharge as a female ex-Army Private, the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs (FMWA) has revealed measures to improve her reintegration process.
The promise was given by the Honorable Minister of Women Affairs, Barrister (Mrs.) Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, when she met with the ex-Army Private who had been dismissed on Friday in her Abuja office.
This was emphasized in a statement released on Saturday and signed by Mrs. Grace Njoku, Head of FMWA’s Information and Public Relations, who said that the Ministry will establish a supportive atmosphere to help her obtain funding and develop her information technology abilities.
Recall that on September 25, the Nigerian Army declared the dismissal of former Private Ruth Ogunleye, a female officer, for reporting that a higher officer, Colonel I.B. Abdulkareem, had harassed her sexually. This incident caused the Minister of Women to take up the case.
Through her TikTok page, @Ogunleyeruthsavage1, ex-Private Ogunleye claimed in January 2024 that she was living an intolerable existence because of Colonel I.B. Abdulkareem, Colonel G.S. Ogor, and Brigadier General I.B. Solebo. She particularly claimed that Abdulkareem had repeatedly attempted to abuse her, forced her to accept injections against her will, taken her from her home against her will, and locked her up in a mental health facility for several months after she turned down his demands for sex.
However, in response to a number of accusations, the Nigerian Army, through Major-General Onyema Nwachukwu, its spokesman, disclosed the inquiry’s findings, saying, “After receiving her complaint, the Nigerian Army referred the matter to the Military Police for a thorough investigation.” The investigation came to the conclusion that the claimed offenses were not committed by Colonel IB Abdulkareem.
He went on to say that Ogunleye had a condition that made her medically fragile, according to the medical findings from her evaluation at the National Hospital in Abuja.
However, the Minister stated in the statement that the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Technical, Vocational, and Entrepreneurship Education (TVEE), led by Abiola Arogundade, is in communication with the Ministry of Women Affairs to help Ms. Ogunleye obtain the necessary skills, particularly in ICT, as quickly as possible and then be given the tools she needs for an online IT job.
The Minister added that the Ministry is making plans to get a scholarship that will enable her to fulfill her lifelong goal of becoming a licensed professional nurse.
She applauded Nigerians for taking the effort, via various social media platforms, to inform the public and government about eerie social developments in order to raise awareness and guarantee that remedies are provided.
In order to help Ms. Ogunleye embrace the new opportunities being presented to her and move past the past, the Minister urged philanthropists, non-governmental organizations, and the general public to demonstrate their love and support for the Ministry’s efforts to rehabilitate her.
Ex-Private Ruth Ogunleye responded by thanking the Management and Staff of the Ministry, the Honorable Minister of Women Affairs, and themselves for providing her with support during her time of need.
One of the visit’s highlights was when the Ministry gave Ms. Ogunleye a cash payment of 200,000 naira through the Honorable Minister Barrister (Mrs.) Kennedy-Ohanenye.
