‘Tinubu must fish out Betta Edu’s collaborators’ – Atiku’s aide Shaibu

Phrank Shaibu, Special Assistant to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar on Public Communication, has commended President Bola Tinubu for suspending the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Betta Edu. Shaibu stressed the need to identify and hold accountable collaborators who illegitimately benefited from funds intended for impoverished Nigerians.

While appreciating Tinubu’s action on Monday, Shaibu declared that the suspension of Edu alone was insufficient, noting the existence of collaborators in the alleged scandal. His statement, issued on Tuesday, comes amid widespread reactions to the minister’s suspension over the purported transfer of N585.2 million into a private account, as revealed in a leaked memo.

Tinubu took this step following reports that Dr Edu directed the transfer to the private bank account of a civil servant responsible for grants targeting vulnerable Nigerians. Dr Edu had previously served as the National Women Leader of the All Progressives Congress before her appointment as a Minister.

Shaibu, in his statement, said: “Firstly, he had no business appointing her as a minister of such a sensitive ministry in the first place. Tinubu put politics ahead of competence, hence this scandal. What experience did Betta have in the development sector? How was Imaan Ibrahim, with her wealth of experience, overlooked? How did the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, stand as Betta Edu’s referee during her clearance at the Senate?”

He insisted that Betta Edu was not the only one involved in the scandal, urging the President to direct the anti-graft agencies to investigate a company owned by the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, that carried out consultancy services to the tune of N438.1 million.