Former Vice president Atiku Abubakar, in a recent statement by his special assistant, Phrank Shaibu, expressed his views on the suspension of Minister Betta Edu. He questioned her credentials and described Bola Tinubu as putting politics ahead of competence.
Atiku lamented the fact that a programme intended to alleviate the extreme poverty of over 100 million Nigerians has allegedly been exploited for personal gain by successive governments of the All Progressives Congress.
He stated, “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.”
He questioned the credentials of Betta Edu in the development sector and wondered why Imaan Ibrahim, who possesses a wealth of experience, was overlooked. He also raised concerns about the role of Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, in endorsing Betta Edu during her Senate clearance.
Atiku called for a comprehensive reform of the ministry, alleging that Betta Edu was not the only one involved in these transactions. He said, “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.”
He emphasized the need for the government to reform the humanitarian affairs ministry and other interventionist programmes, which he claimed had become a source of illicit income for those in power.
Atiku pointed out that the ongoing probe of the previous Humanitarian Affairs Minister, Sadiya Umar Farouq, for an alleged N37bn fraud underscores the urgent need for reform in the ministry.
The statement further 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.”
He also questioned Betta Edu’s claim that over three million households received N20,000 each during the Yuletide, stating that there is no evidence to support this claim. He said, “This shows that money has just been going into private pockets.”
Atiku stressed that the scandal is not about Betta Edu or any other individual, but rather about systemic corruption through which the APC continues to drain the treasury, ironically suffocating the poor and vulnerable segment of the country under the guise of caring for them.