As discussions about cabinet reshuffle hits up, the Ethnic Nationality Group of Nigeria (ENGN) has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to reject calls for the reinstatement of Dr. Betta Edu as Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.
According to a press statement made available to journalists in Abuja on Thursday, ENGN Convener and Spokesperson, Comrade Emmanuel Joseph, and Alhaji Nurudeen Batseris cited Dr. Edu’s alleged involvement in high-profile corruption cases, nepotism, and lopsided appointments during her brief tenure.
According to the group Leaders, Edu’s actions contradicted President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which promises to end poverty and corruption.
While urging President Tinubu to probe Dr. Edu and make findings public, they emphasized that reinstating the suspended Minister would undermine the administration’s anti-corruption efforts, and as such the president should treat the case of Edu thesame way Halima Shehu was treated to ensure fairness to all region of the country.
“Nigeria is facing multidimensional challenges with devastating effect on governance and the well being of Nigerians. One of the major and invasive challenges bedeviling our country is corruption. It has become ingrained in our psyche that many Nigerians do not see anything wrong with it.
“The fact that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu promised to but an end corruption in Nigeria during his presidential campaigns endeared many Nigerians to him. The massive votes he got and his staunch anti-corruption posture have proved to Nigerians that he has both the political will and capacity to permanently end corruption in the country.
“It is based on Mr. President’s proven track record of combatting corruption, including the immediate sack and prosecution of corrupt officials like former Central Bank Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele and the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as well as our firm conviction that he will not jeopardize the integrity of his administration, that we have invited you here to voice our strong opposition to plans by a few selfish elements for the reinstatement of Dr. Beta Edu as the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.
“Ladies and gentlemen, you don’t need to be reminded that Dr. Beta Edu, the former All Progressive Congress (APC) National Women Leader who was appointed as the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was sacked barely six (6) months in office following high profile cases of corruption running into billions of naira and other unwholesome acts including nepotism and lopsided appointments at the Ministry while she held sway.
“Her behaviour was in stack contrast to the Renewed Hope Agenda of the current administration which promised to offer succour to Nigerians and end poverty in the land. By diverting funds meant for the vulnerable, Betta Edu clearly pitched her tent with the enemies of the country and does not deserve to be given another opportunity regardless of the outcome of her investigation.
“Dr. Betta Edu came into office with a clear mandate and that was to accumulate as much money as possible for her Governorship ambition in Cross River State. For instance, even with her short stay in office, Dr. Beta was complicit in several financial scandals including the siphoning of ₦3bn from the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA) into personal accounts of her proxies and other fraudulent schemes.
“Her involvement in the diversion of ₦585.189m meant for vulnerable groups in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Ogun and Lagos States into her private account shows how heartless and inhumane she was as a supposed Humanitarian Affairs Minister. Reappointing her under guise is akin to licensing her excesses and empowering her to impoverish more vulnerable Nigerians through her endemic corrupt schemes and greed.
“In total disregard for federal character principles and in a bid to plant stooges in strategic locations to advance her fraudulent enterprises, Dr. Beta Edu was notorious for the appointment of her cronies as heads of non-existent projects.
“The appointment of one Olubunmi Bello as the National Coordinator of the Community and Social Development Programme (CSDP), a defunct $415m World Bank-funded intervention project that was launched in 2009 and officially closed in June, 2021 and that of one Richard Romanus as the National Programme Manager of the Youth Empowerment and Social Support Operations (YESSO); another defunct World Bank-supported projects are just few examples.
“The embattled former Minister was also heavily involved in other unwholesome activities which were at cross purposes with the vision of the current administration.
“The bizarre and mysterious approval of funds for flight tickets and airport taxis for her advanced team to travel for an event in Kog State in excess of ₦73m when it’s common knowledge that Kogi State has airport is repugnant enough to earn him a permanent home in a maximum security prison.
“Her reinstating will therefore, be a scandal of international dimension. It is indeed disturbing that despite these glaring infractions, some persons are desperately lobbying for her reinstatement. We are constrained to state that those who are trying to smuggle Dr. Beta Edu back into this administration are the beneficiaries of her corrupt schemes.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we urge you to use your good platforms to amplify our voices and ensure that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu does not listen to those clamouring for the return of Dr. Beta Edu. Her antecedents were clearly at variance with the Renewed Hope Agenda and any attempt to reappoint her will be tantamount to endorsing fraud and corruption, a move which will be vehemently resist.
“Mr. President must not tarnish the image of his meritorious administration by reconsidering the embattled Betta Edu. She must be probed and the findings made public for all to see. She must be made to account for the rot in NSIPA, N-Power, Conditioner Cash Transfer programme and the lopsided appointments she made while in office.”