Agatha Chitumu, Abuja
DAILY COURIER - A Civil Society Coalition in the Niger Delta region under the aegis of South South Civil Society Organizations has cautioned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu against re-appointing the suspended minister, Dr. Betta Edu back into his cabinet.
The about 28 rights groups, who decried Edu’s antecedents said it is at variance with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the current administration, cautioning that any attempt to reappoint her will be tantamount to endorsing fraud and corruption and will be vehemently resisted by Nigerians.
Edu it would be recalled was disgraced out of office some six months into her appointment over her alleged involvement in ₦3bn fraud and the diversion of funds from the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA) into personal accounts amongst others.
In a press release signed by Comrade Emmanuel Gabriel Abela and made available to newsmen in Abuja on Thursday, the group rejected the idea of reappointing the embattled Edu, saying it will taint Mr. President’s fight against corruption and ineptitude.
It reads, “as patriots and firm believers in Mr. President’s fight against corruption and ineptitude, we reject in totality attempts by a few corrupt elements to smuggle a corrupt personality like Dr. Beta Edu back into the Federal Executive Council. From her precedents, the only place suitable for her right now is a maximum security prison and not a seat in the Executive Council.
“Even though we’re from the same region, we reject in totality, anything that has to do with corruption as Beta Edu had serially worked against our region and the interest of Nigerians at large when she allegedly diverted ₦585.189m meant for vulnerable groups in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Ogun and Lagos states into her private account”.
“Nigerians must not forget that Dr Edu personally supervised the siphoning of over ₦3bn from the NSIPA account using various fraudulent schemes. This is not the kind of person Mr. President will want to be associated with if he’s to be taken seriously as an anti-corruption crusader”.
The Coalition also churned out other damning allegations against 37-year-old politician who served as the National Women Leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) including the appointment of persons into non-existent projects, contract scams and other unwholesome activities which they belief are at cross purposes with the vision of the current administration.
“As if on a mission to crumble Nigeria, Beta Edu devised dubious tactics including mysterious appointments into non-existent entities such as the appointment of one Olubunmi Bello as the National Coordinator of the Community and Social Development Programme (CSDP), a defunct $415m World Bank-funded intervention project that was launched in 2009 and officially closed in June, 2021.
“She also appointed one Richard Romanus as the National Programme Manager of the Youth Empowerment and Social Support Operations (YESSO); another defunct World Bank-supported project. These were not mistakes but a calculated attempt to plant conduits at strategic places to help siphon our commonwealth.
“For someone who approved funds for flight tickets and airport taxis for her advanced team to travel for an event in Kogi State in excess of ₦73m when it’s common knowledge that Kogi State has no airport, reappointing her into the current administration will be a scandal of international dimension. She simply has nothing to offer Nigerians and shouldn’t be given another opportunity”, the release stated further.
In the same vein, the rights group also appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu not to listen to those clamouring for the return of Edu, saying that her antecedents were at variance with the Renewed Hope Agenda and any attempt to reappoint her will be tantamount to endorsing fraud and corruption, a move which will be vehemently resisted by Nigerians.
“We passionately appeal to Mr. President not to tarnish the image of his meritorious adminstration by reconsidering the embattled Beta Edu. She must be probed and the findings made public for all to see. She must be made to account for the rot in NSIPA, N-Power, Conditioner Cash Transfer programme and the lopsided appointments she made while in office.
“Her reappointment will no doubt isolate the South South region and endanger Mr. President’s re-election come 2027”, the statement ended.
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