Presidency justifies Betta Edu’s suspension, says Tinubu won’t tolerate shenanigans
President Tinubu recently suspended Edu and Halima Shehu, the National Coordinator of the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA) over alleged financial fraud in their ministry.
Edu was suspended on Monday, January 8, 2024, for allegedly approving the payment of ₦585 million into a personal account.
Commenting on the matter, Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, said it was wrong for any government official to pay a private account, TheNation reports.
<img class="image lazyloaded imgWithMetaData" title="Betta Edu and President Bola Tinubu. [Channels TV]" src="data:;base64,” alt=”Betta Edu and President Bola Tinubu. [Channels TV]” width=”650″ height=”350″ data-original=”https://ocdn.eu/pulscms-transforms/1/1uxktkpTURBXy8xYTE2N2YzOTJmZTA0NjVhNTQwZTI3MWE0Zjc0NDcwZi5qcGeRlQLNAorNAV7Cww” />
Betta Edu and President Bola Tinubu. [Channels TV]
Onanuga said the president suspended Edu and Shehu because he won’t tolerate fraudulent acts from anyone.
“The President wants to make a difference and take full control.
“He has shown that his government won’t tolerate shenanigans and that is why he has suspended Shehu and Edu,” he said.
Onanuga said he could not explain why the leaked document that exposed the allegation against Edu bore her signature because according to him, it is the duty of a Permanent Secretary or Director of Finance and Administration to raise a memo for payment.
The Presidential aide said, “It is not the business of any minister to sign anything about money. You cannot pay government money into a private account.
“Everybody knows it is wrong. What I found strange is that the paper in circulation bore Edu’s signature.
“Those in government know that is not normal unless the private account is for your contractor and the account has to be approved before money can be paid into it,”
He, however, urged Nigerians not to judge the embattled minister and others involved in the alleged scandal until the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) concludes its investigation.
“Don’t let’s jump to conclusions on who is a saint and sinner. Let’s keep our fingers crossed until the EFCC finishes its investigation and then gives findings.
“Let’s give everyone involved the benefit of the doubt before we rush to judgment. Let’s wait for the EFCC,” he said.
Shortly after her suspension, the EFCC invited Edu to its headquarters for interrogation.
