The Presidency has shed more lights on the circumstances surrounding the replacement of the suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation Beta Edu by President Bola Tinubu in the last cabinet reshuffle exercise.
Bayo Onanuga, the President’s spokesman alluded that it could probably be based on findings by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Edu who celebrated her 37th birthday on Sunday, was suspended in January 2024 over the alleged diversion of more than N585 million in public funds into a personal bank account.
She was also implicated in the release of N3 billion to verify the National Social Register under the former administration of Muhammadu Buhari, following public outrage over the scandal.
Speaking on Channels TV Sunday Politics, Bayo Onanuga, presidential spokesperson, insisted that Edu has been dismissed, even though there was no official announcement that she has been sacked.
He said, “Betta (Edu) is gone. She was suspended in January and this is October. She is gone. Her position has been taken over by somebody else.
“As far as this government is concerned, there is no place for her in that cabinet. The EFCC has not shared whatever they have but if you go by what the President has done, it shows that maybe the EFCC has submitted something that actually justified that suspension. If you go by what the President has done, it means the EFCC has said something, has revealed something that formed the basis for the President’s action.”
Similarly, last Wednesday, another presidential aide, Tope Ajayi revealed that “Since the President did not bring her back, it is as clear as it is.
“If she’s not coming back to the cabinet, it means she’s not part of it, especially if you didn’t see her name in the reshuffled cabinet yesterday.”
“The President has the power to hire and fire, to appoint and reappoint whoever he wants to reappoint. If her name is not there, that means she’s not there. I don’t think there is anything to argue about,” he added.
It would be recalled that a memo dated September 18 and titled “CONVEYANCE OF APPROVAL; RE: APPEAL TO USE N3,000,000,000l.00 (THREE BILLION NAIRA) FROM THE COVID-19 PALLIATIVE FUND FOR VERIFICATION OF THE NATIONAL SOCIAL REGISTER.”
had emanated from the office of the Chief of the Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, that President Tinubu had given approval to Edu, for the release of N3 billion to verify the National Social Register under the former administration of Muhammadu Buhari.
The social register had been created for cash transfers and other social investments.
There was also a report of how a company owned by the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo was paid a total amount of N438.1 million by the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation under Betta Edu for consultancy services from the contract.
The company, New Planet Project Limited was one of the numerous consultants awarded contracts from N3 billion given out by the suspended minister for the National Social Register contract.
Not only that, another report chronicled how the ministry approved funds for flight tickets and airport taxis for her team to travel from Abuja to Kogi State, despite the fact Kogi has no airport.
President Tinubu had suspended Edu and ordered an investigation into the alleged fraudulent activities of the minister.
