According to Npower News, Arewa women have begged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to reinstate the former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu to her position as the Minister in charge of Npower.
According to Npower News, the women, under the umbrella of Arewa Women Leaders Forum (AWLF) in a communique issued at the end of a one-day northern women retreat in Abuja on Monday, said Betta Edu “meant well for the Ministry and Nigerians at large”, adding that “Betta Edu was just a victim of circumstances”.
According to Npower News, the President of the Arewa Women Leaders Forum (AWLF) Hajia Salamatu Jibrin and the General Secretary of the Arewa Women Leaders Forum (AWLF) Dr. Naomi Ari, signed a Communique on behalf of the women leaders, made up of non-partisan women across the 19 northern states of the country.
The women expressed their unhappiness over the unfortunate events which eventually culminated in the suspension of Betta Edu.
The women, however, suggested that Betta Edu may have carried out her actions for the sake of smooth running of the programmes lined up for execution in some states, saying, “her good intentions were however, interpreted wrongly; and now, they want to throw away the baby with the bath.
“Beyond what you read on the pages of newspapers and the arrays of media trials here and there, a careful forensics into the matter and the feelers we get from all the panels handling the investigations, including the EFCC are pointing to the fact that she meant well for the Ministry and Nigerians at large.
“All preliminary investigations have revealed that Beta Edu has done nothing wrong while carrying out her constitutionally guaranteed duties. Betta Edu was just a victim of circumstances.
“The testimonials from the officials of the Ministry and other seasoned Civil Servants we interacted with, said Betta Edu did not violate any notable administrative procedures” the communique read in part.
The women leaders recalled the commendable achievements of Betta Edu as Commissioner for Health in Cross River State and Chairperson of Forum of Commissioners for Health.
“Even at short service as the National Women Leader of the All Progressive Congress (APC), we watched and admired Betta Edu's leadership qualities from afar. We were always thrilled for the passion with which Betta Edu mobilised the members of that party across the country and we could only imagine what Betta Edu could have achieved for the ministry if given an opportunity.
“We call on our father, the father of our dear nation, Nigeria and our dear President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to kindly reinstate Betta Edu to her position as the Minster for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation. We believe that, if given a second chance, Betta Edu would turn the fortunes in the ministry for the betterment of the poor and downtrodden Nigerians”, they added.
According to Npower News, the embattled Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation Betta Edu was suspended penultimate Monday by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, over an allegation that she requested for the sum of N585m to be transferred from the ministry’s account to the private account of an assistant director in the same Ministry.
The money, according to reports and publications, was meant for humanitarian interventions in Lagos, Ogun, Akwa-Ibom and Cross River States for the poor and vulnerable groups in the aforementioned states.
