A group, Youths Vanguard For Democracy and Good Governance, has called on President Bola Tinubu to ensure that the report of the Economic and Finacial Crimes Commission’s probe on the suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Social Welfare, Dr Betta Edu, is made public.
The President in January suspended Edu following widespread anger over an alleged N585m scandal in her ministry.
Tinubu further directed a comprehensive inquiry into the alleged N585m scandal in the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation vowing to “decisively punish” those involved in any breaches and infractions unravelled during the investigations.
The group, which appealed to the President to reinstate Edu on the heel of pervasive hunger in the country, most especially as it affects the underprivileged, also urged the President to end the media trial against the suspended minister.
This was contained in an open letter to the President signed by the group’s National President and National Secretary, Abdulkadir Abubakar and Adelola Poju, respectively.
The statement partly read, “If truly there was a negligible financial crime committed on Betta Edu’s part as all approvals came from the Presidency, then we enjoin Mr President to act swiftly as a father figure and reconsider the subsisting suspension of Betta Edu, and also make public the report of the EFFC investigation, in order to clear the name of this exceptional lady, whose passion to work is unrivalled.
“For us, it has become a miscarriage of justice for Betta Edu to remain at home with her matter undecided for more than 11 weeks.”
They further said, “It is without gainsaying that one of the major spinoffs and accelerants to the many humanitarian issues bedeviling us, remains the subsisting suspension of the Minister for Humanitarian Affairs, Betta Edu.
“A few weeks ago, we woke up to the disturbing news of a stampede at the Nigeria Customs Zonal Office, Yaba Lagos, that led to the unfortunate demise of many innocent Nigerians.
“While we were yet to recover from that experience, we were again greeted by another tragic incident at Nasarawa State University, following a stampede that occurred during the distribution of palliatives by the state government.
“Most of these could have been better handled by a ministry that has a formal structure all the way to the grassroots in every village or community in Nigeria.”