Presidential Candidate of the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over the suspension of the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu, embroiled in a N585 million scandal.
In a statement by his Special Assistant, Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, on Tuesday, Atiku noted that the suspension of the Minister was commendable but not enough.
The President on Monday directed the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ola Olukoyede, to investigate all financial transactions involving the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.
Edu is being investigated over attempting to transfer N585 million to a private account.
The account belongs to Ms Oniyelu Bridget, designated the Project Accountant, Grants for Vulnerable Groups.
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.
“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?
“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.
“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 noted that the fact that the previous Humanitarian Affairs Minister, Sadiya Umar Farouq, is also probed for N37 billion fraud, evidence that immediate and urgent actions needed to be taken to reform the ministry.
“Today, Betta Edu claims that over 3 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.
“The scandal that we are contending with is not about Betta Edu, nor about Halima Shehu, or any other person for that matter.”
