“I couldn’t afford to pay my mom’s rent when I was a minister” – Oby Ezekwesili

Former minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, has revealed that one of the prices she had to pay for having integrity while in office, was that she was sometimes unable to pay her mother’s rent. She also stated that the #BringBackOurGirls campaign was a special assignment from God.

Ezekwesili made these revelations yesterday at the ongoing national convention of the Foursquare Gospel Church in Ogun state, where she spoke to the congregation about integrity Punch reports.

She alleged that while in office, she never spent any money from her imprest accounts when she was minister of Solid Minerals, and Minister of Education respectively.

“There were times I couldn’t pay my mother’s rent, not because I couldn’t make a choice and build her a mansion. When I was in government, we had to withdraw our three children from their school to Baptist Special School. I was (just) answering big titles. Some of you would have said, ‘They are eating our money’. May God save those who speak without knowledge! I am not saying this so that you can say I am holy, I have my shortcomings.

Integrity will cost you a lot. Anyone who talks about integrity without the cost is preaching what I do not know about. Integrity can require a supreme cost from you. You will be persecuted for making the choice of integrity but make that choice nonetheless,’’ she said.

Speaking on why she chose to be an advocate for the over 200 abducted Chibok school girls via the #BringBackOurGirls campaign, she stated that it was a divine assignment from God.

“The 219 children of the poor remind me of my own poor background before I became a beneficiary of what God has done. God forbids that Oby Ezekwesili will be in this land and 219 girls, who went to get the same education that I got, were abducted and I will pretend as if nothing happened.

“It was clear in my mind that all kinds of things will be said, but I don’t do jobs; I only do assignments. God said to me that concerning these girls, I should be their voices. In February, 59 boys were slaughtered in their school and we all carried on as if nothing happened. You read my citation,’’ she said.