The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Atiku Abubakar, on Tuesday commended President Bola Tinubu on the suspension of the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu.
The president on Monday suspended Edu over the N585 million disbursement scandal in the ministry. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) questioned the Cross River-born minister earlier on Tuesday.
In a statement by his Special Assistant, Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, the former vice president lamented that the National Social Investment Programme (NSIPA) that was designed to lift over 100 million Nigerians out of extreme poverty had allegedly become a cash cow for officials of successive All Progressives Congress (APC) governments.
He, therefore, demanded the reform of the ministry.
Atiku 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.
“Even during the COVID-19 lockdown, the former minister, Sadiya Umar-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.
“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.”
