Dr. Betta Edu.
As the squabbles the squabbles over the N44 billion fraud allegation rages in the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA) with its suspended National Coordinator and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Halima Shehu in the centre of it all plus the deliberate attempt to drag the Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Betta Edu into it, more issues are begging for answers.
Thus, the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Minister, Rasheed Olanrewaju Zubair, in a statement on January 6, said:
Betta Edu is the Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.
Halima Shehu is the suspended National Coordinator and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Social Investment Program Agency (NSIPA), an Agency under the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs.
On assumption of office at NSIPA, Halima Shehu defied the Presidential Directives to work with the Humanitarian Affairs Minister, to pay 400,000 beneficiaries of N-Power and some other programs.
Following the defiance of the Presidential Directives, the Presidency asked the Minister to liaise with the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation to pay the N-Power beneficiaries for the first month which was successfully done.
On Tuesday, January 2024, Halima Shehu was arrested by EFCC operatives in connection with the movement of N44 billion from the NSIPA account to some suspicious accounts within the last four days in December 2023. The interception and recovery of the cash followed some alleged payments of billions of naira by the agency without Presidential and FEC approval.
EFCC then recommended Halima Shehu’s indefinite suspension to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, based on a preliminary investigation. So far, over N39.5 billion has been intercepted and recovered from some of the accounts by the EFCC.
After Halima’s suspension, she suddenly turns into a whistle-blower. Alleging that Minister Betta Edu has looted over N500 million from the money.
Minister Betta Edu says that the N585,198,500.00 was approved, and it is meant for the implementation of Grants to Vulnerable groups in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Ogun, and Lagos States. Cross River has been done.
Posers:
If Halima was doing the honest job of whistle-blowing, why did she wait until her arrest and recovery of more than N39 billion from her before blowing the whistle?
When did Halima become CBN for her to warehouse and keep “safe” over N44 billion of FG’s money until she was arrested?
Is Halima’s vain whistle an attempt to divert attention from her sleaze and ongoing travails with the EFCC where she reports daily or a veil to hoodwink Nigerians?
Why are Nigerians more interested in the N500 million that got Presidential approval and has been spent in four States than the N44 billion allegedly stolen by Halima Shehu?
