Fall Out From Chibok Girls Protest: Water Resources Minister, Sarah Ochekpe in Near Fisticuffs with Oby Ezekwesili

The minister of Water Resources, Mrs Sarah Ochekpe exchanged words with the Coordinator of the group Dr. Oby Ezekwezili, who led a group of protesters to a planned meting with President Goodluck Jonathan at the villa in Abuja on Tuesday.

Mrs. Ochepe, who accompanied the Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Zainab Maina and two other ministers representing President Goodluck Jonathan Environment to address the restless protesters most of the BringBackOurGirls group made a remark that irked the coordinator of the group, Mrs Ezekwesili.



Trouble started when one of the few girls that managed to escape from the Boko Haram was called upon raise her concern over the continue captivity of her colleagues abducted from Chibok exactly six months ago.

Mr Ezekwesili had announced that the girl would  speak in Hausa language and one of the protesters remarked that the girl speaking in Hausa would highlight the failure of Nigeria’s education system to which water resources minister Sarah Ochepe replied Oby Ezekwesili was one time education minister. This irked Mrs. Ezekwesili who responded that her tenure as education minister brought a reform that the present ones abandoned.

“Shame on you Sarah!” Oby barked back at the water Resources minister, but the minister responded by saying your reform was to sell schools.

The verbal exchange was almost degenerating into something else as Mrs Ochekpe pointed fingers at Mrs Ezekwesili until the protesters re-echoed the purpose of their protest which eclipsed the altercation between the minister and the leader of the group.

The brief incident nonetheless, the protesters are unrelenting as they sing bring back our girls solidarity songs.

Tuesday protest to the presidential villa makes it the second time the group had attempted to march to the see President Jonathan and it also marked the second time they have been shunned by the president.

The President was represented by the four female ministers – Minister of Women Affairs, Hajia Zainab Maina, Minister of Water Resources, Mrs Sarah Ochekpe,  Minister of Environment, Mrs Lawrencia Laraba-Mallam, Minister of Land and Housing, Mrs Akon Eyakenyi.


They said the president was too busy to meet with the protesters, but assured that he is doing everything to ensure the rescue of the girls.


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