The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide, the apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, has urged President Bola Tinubu to dismiss the suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu, as well as her counterpart, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo from the Interior Ministry.
The call was made during a press briefing in Enugu by the Ohanaeze Youths National President, Mazi Okwu Nnabuike, who emphasized that the removal of these two ministers would serve as a clear message to other aides and heads of government agencies under Tinubu.
Edu was suspended by Tinubu earlier in the month after a memo revealed her request to transfer N585 million to a private account, while Tunji-Ojo faces scrutiny for allegations that his company, New Planet Project, received substantial consultancy fees from the scandal-ridden Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs.
Okwu stressed that for President Tinubu’s commitment to fighting corruption to be credible, the immediate dismissal of Edu and Tunji-Ojo is essential. In a related development, Peter Obi, the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate in the 2023 election, reacted to reports of the federal government’s approval of N3 billion for the verification of the national social register, expressing skepticism with the statement, ‘It Can Only Happen In Nigeria.’
On Wednesday, Obi expressed skepticism about the approval of N3 billion for the verification of the National Social Register in a post on his X platform account. He questioned the rationale behind such an approval and lamented that such occurrences could only take place in Nigeria. Recent reports indicate that President Bola Tinubu approved this substantial amount, sparking mixed reactions from Nigerians both on and off social media.
Peter Obi, reacting to the news, expressed sadness and surprise, highlighting that the approved amount for the national register verification exceeds the budget for some critical activities outlined in the 2024 budget.
In another development, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has initiated an investigation into the alleged involvement of the Accountant General of the Federation, Oluwatoyin Madein, in the N585.2 million fraud case linked to the suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Betta Edu. The EFCC interrogated Madein for over six hours at its headquarters in Jabi, Abuja.
She was questioned about the transfer of N585.2 million in public funds from the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs into a personal bank account of a government official. Madein was subsequently released without any conditions in the evening.
