Empowerment scheme: Sanwo-Olu’s aide, others knock Lagos Rep for favouring Southeast over Yorubas

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Wale Ajetunmobi, the Senior Special Assistant to Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and popular blogger and political commentator, Japhet Omojuwa, have condemned a Member of the House of Representatives from Lagos State, Okey-Joe Onuakalusi, over an empowerment scheme that heavily favoured his Igbo kinsmen over Yoruba indigenes in his constituency.

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Onuakalusi, who represents Oshodi-Isolo II and was elected on the platform of the Labour Party in 2023, sparked the controversy after publishing a list of beneficiaries of his foreign training programme that showed 24 of the 29 sponsored participants were Igbo, while only five were Yoruba.

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The programmes sent 20 participants to China to study courses ranging from cybersecurity and artificial intelligence to food processing, tourism development and malaria elimination.

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Another nine were sponsored to South Africa for training in nursing and diabetic care.

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The publication of the list was, however, condemned by netizens with critics accusing the lawmaker, a non-native representing a predominantly Yoruba constituency, of using public resources to favour his own ethnic group at the expense of those he was elected to serve.

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According to his post on X on Monday, the following 20 people were sponsored on foreign trainings abroad

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F) Human Capital Development
nChina Training Beneficiaries – Foreign Human Capital Development (18 Participants)
nThe following persons were sponsored on foreign trainings abroad:
n1)Mr. Victor Ejike Obi -China Training Program
n2)Chief John Onyebuchi Uche – China Training Program
n3)Engr. Walter UkagaArtificial Intelligence & Media Development – (China)
n4)MBA James Ihuoma -China Training Program
n5)Barr. NjidekaCyber Security – (China)
n6)Emmanuel Onyika (MC Senator) -China Training Program
n7)Kenneth Onyema- China Training Program
n8)Mrs. Maureen Ogochukwu Anukwe – China Training Program
n9)Akinduro Olamilekan – China Training Program
n10)Chidi Asobi-Peter – China Training Program
n11)Mr. Richard Oru – China Training Program
n12)Mrs. Ebere Goudjo -China Training Program
n13)Dr. Jarius Abba Awandi -China Training Program
n14)Mr. Williams Ayodeji Michael -China Training Program
n15)Anigbogu Stella – China Training Program
n16)Oloyede Taiwo – China Training Program
n17)Enwerem Obinna – China Training Program
n18)Barr. NjidekaCyber Security – (China)

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The following were sent to South Africa for trainings in Nursing / Diabetic Care:
n1)Mrs. Gladys Chijoke
n2)Dr. Jarius Abba
n3)Mrs. Jenifer Chidinma Uchenna
n4)Mrs. Oluchi Chioma Mark
n5)Mrs. Chidinma Constance Ahaiwe
n6)Mr. Barnard Chibuzo
n7)Mrs. Ezinna Precious Adaukwu
n8)Ngozi Uzo Nwabufor
n9)Mrs. Abisola Shobande Roche (Representative & Coordinator)n

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Reacting to the list, Ajetunmobi described the scheme as beyond mere marginalisation.

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“This is utterly abominable. Marginalisation is not an accurate word to describe this; it’s outright ostracism. Haaa… a ti gba àbọ̀dè fun’ra wa,” he wrote.

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He also turned his fire on those defending the scheme on the grounds that the beneficiaries are Nigerians, saying, “So, the lopsided empowerment is fair game to you? You sick people are usually loud in criticising Tinubu for appointing Yoruba people to federal positions but conveniently forget that the president has been appointing Nigerians.

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“Now, a non-native Reps used resources meant for a Yoruba constituency to substantially empower his own kinsmen. Then, the beneficiaries suddenly became ‘Nigerians’. You silly idiots shift narrative conveniently just to look good before those marginalising your kinsmen in your land. O tin shiere.”

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On his part, Omojuwa described the lawmaker’s action as discriminatory and a slap on his constituents.

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“This is a self-indicting post and a big slap on your constituency. That you didn’t even have enough self-awareness to post this makes me wonder what other forms of latent and blatant discrimination are going on against the people you were voted to represent,” he wrote.

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An X user, Mide.O who tweets as #Midatlblog, also condemned the list, noting that it favoured the Igbos more.

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Midatlblog wrote,”Oga, 16 out of 20 are Igbos. you even included your family members, Chukwuka Onukalusi number 20. Omo, why didnt you just contest in the South East since you wanted to empower your lineage.”

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Another user, Omo Ajagunna, tweeting as #BasedLagos wrote, “Even the Yoruba names there were generated….Samuel Ajayi-Crowther- Oloyede Taiwo.”

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However, following the backlash, Onuakalusi updated the list to accommodate more Yoruba names.

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He wrote, “Updated List of Individuals Sponsored Abroad by Hon. Barr. Okey-Joe Onuakalusi MHR, Oshodi-Isolo Constituency II

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1. Victor Ejike Obi – Course: Elite Agriculture | Location: Taiwan

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2. Chief John Uche Onyebuchi – Course: Language and Culture | Location: China

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3. Rev Aselem – Course: Language and Culture | Location: China

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4. Engr Walter Ukaga – Course: Artificial Intelligence and Media Development | Location: China

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5. MBA James Ihuoma – Course: Law and International Business Environment | Location: China

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6. Barr Njideka – Course: Cybersecurity and Information Countermeasures | Location: China

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7. Olamilekan Akinduro (Otunba) – Course: Malaria Elimination and Monitoring | Location: China

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8. Samuel Ajayi-Crowther – Course: Tourism Development | Location: China

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9. Mrs Stella Anigbogu – Course: Malaria Elimination and Monitoring | Location: China

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10. Oloyede Taiwo – Course: Malaria Elimination and Monitoring | Location: China

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11. Obinna Enwerem – Course: Malaria Elimination and Monitoring | Location: China

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12. Emmanuel Onyika (M.C. Senator) – Course: Tourism Development | Location: China

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13. Light Maureen Ogochukwu – Course: Tourism Development | Location: China

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14. Mrs Ebere Goudjo – Course: Ground-Based Application of Meteorological Satellite Data Processing | Location: China

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15. Dr Jairus Abba – Course: Ground-Based Application of Meteorological Satellite Data Processing | Location: China

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16. Mr Michael Williams Ayodeji (AY) – Course: Ground-Based Application of Meteorological Satellite Data Processing | Location: China

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17. Asobi-Peter – Course: Food Processing and Fermentation | Location: China

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18. Richard Oru – Course: Tourism Development | Location: China

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19. Kenneth Onyema – Course: Tourism Development | Location: China

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20. Chukwuka Onuakalusi – Course: Tourism Development | Location: China”

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