* Urges Tinubu to order minister’s suspension, prosecution
A public procurement advocacy group – Network for the Actualisation of Social Growth and Viable Development (NEFGAD) – has urged President Bola Tinubu to be impartial in the face of massive corruption allegations rocking the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation and the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP), insisting that the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Beta Edu, should equally be suspended and investigated in the same manner as the NSIP CEO, Mrs. Halima Shehu.
A section of the media had reported how the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, through a memo dated December 20, 2023 with reference number fmhapa/hq/ohm/s.208, directed the Accountant General of the Federation to make payments of N585,189,500 into a private UBA account 2003682151 belonging to one Oniyelu Bridget Mojisola.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Saturday by Mr. Akingunola Omoniyi, the NEFGAD said: “The recent development in the Humanitarian office has provided President Tinubu a golden opportunity to tell Nigerians and the whole world that he is ready and willing to tackle corruption in a fair, just and impartial manner by also applying same disciplinary measure (suspension) meted on NSIP CEO, Mrs. Halima Shehu on the Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Mrs. Beta Edu.’’
Akingunola noted that ‘’apart from the fact that Dr. Edu and Mrs. Halima Shehu are from different geographical divides of the country, the tendency and pattern of the allegations involving the duo are too identical and should not have attracted different approaches and measures in dealing with them by the president.
“Directing payment of public fund into private account by a public officer is a serious procurent and fiscal malfeasance that attracts serious penalty under extant laws, regulations and rules including the public procurement, Fiscal Responsibility, Independent Corrupt Practices and other offences (ICPC), Code of Conduct Acts and the Anti-mobey Laundering (prevention and prohibition) Act.”
Akingunola further stated that the minister has serious questions to answer by instructing payment of public fund into private accounts other than that of a legal entity that duly participated in a competitive selection process and or area that direct beneficiaries of a conditional grant scheme (in the case of vulnerable people as captured in the Ministry’s mandate).
“The act depicts pure nepotism, favouritism, undue advantage conferment and criminal diversion, he averred. Hence, the group implored President Bola Tinubu to direct the suspension of the Dr. Beta Edu for thorough investigation by relevant anticorruption agencies with immediate effect failure, which may call for massive advocacy and court action.