Saturday, May 3, 2025

Alleged M585m fraud: Atiku commends Tinubu for suspending Betta Edu

Must read

Ibrahim Ramalan
Ibrahim Ramalan
Ibrahim Ramalan is a graduate of Mass Communications from the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria. With nearly a decade-long, active journalism practice, Mr Ramalan has been able to rise from a cub reporter to the exalted position of an editor; first as Arts Editor with the Blueprint Newspapers before resigning in 2019; second and presently as an Associate Editor of the Daily Nigerian online newspaper. He can be reached via ibroramalan@gmail.com, or www.facebook.com/ibrahim.ramalana, or @McRamalan on Twitter.
- Advertisement -
tiamin rice
tiamin rice

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, has commended President Bola Tinubu on the suspension of the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu.

Recall that Mr Tinubu had suspended Mrs Edu and directed the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ola Olukoyede, to investigate all financial transactions involving the Ministry.

In a statement by his Special Assistant, Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, on Tuesday, Mr Atiku noted that the suspension of the minister was commendable but not enough.

tiamin rice

The former Vice President noted that it was unfortunate that the ministry which was designed to lift over 100 million Nigerians out of extreme poverty had allegedly become a cash cow for successive All Progressives Congress governments.

He said: “While Tinubu deserves commendation for suspending Edu, we believe this is a belated move. First, he had no business appointing her as a minister of such a sensitive ministry in the first place. Tinubu put politics ahead of competence, hence this scandal.

READ ALSO:   CISLAC calls for transparency in distribution, administration of COVID-19 vaccines

“What experience did Betta have in the development sector? How was Imaan Ibrahim, with her wealth of experience, overlooked? How did the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, stand as Betta Edu’s referee during her clearance at the Senate?”

Mr Atiku who called for reform of the ministry, alleged that it was not only Mrs Edu that was involved in the transactions.

whatsApp

“Betta Edu should not be the fall guy. Others who have remotely and wickedly benefitted from money that was meant for poor Nigerians ought to be fished out, probed, and prosecuted too. It is demonic and tendentiously wicked to steal in the name of the poor.

READ ALSO:   500 blood units ‘contaminated’ due to power outages in Abuja, says NBSC

“There is a need for the government to reform the humanitarian affairs ministry and other interventionist programmes that had become an ATM and POS for those in power,” he said.

He noted that the fact that the previous Humanitarian Affairs Minister, Sadiya Umar Farouq, was also being probed for N37bn fraud was evidence that immediate and urgent actions needed to be taken to reform the ministry.

The statement added, “Even during the COVID-19 lockdown, Farouq continued to implement the school feeding programme. She ridiculously claimed that the food would be delivered to the students at home since schools were shut.

“Today, Betta Edu claims that over three million households got N20,000 each during the Yuletide. Sadly, there is no evidence of millions of Nigerians getting such money. This shows that money has just been going into private pockets.

READ ALSO:   Anambra Assembly approves Soludo’s N100bn loan request

“The scandal that we are contending with is not about Betta Edu, nor about Halima Shehu, or any other person for that matter.

“It is about a problem of systemic corruption through which the APC continues to bleed the treasury, ironically, asphyxiating the poor and vulnerable segment of the country, all in the name of caring for them.

“The APC has weaponised poverty and hunger to control the minds of the vulnerable masses, and it is even worse that they have devised a method to use poverty as an instrument of official corruption.”

- Advertisement -

More articles

- Advertisement -

Latest article

- Advertisement -