Federal Government Set To Resume Npower And Other Social Investment Programmes

According to Npower News in the middle of the ongoing investigations and calls for reinstatement of the suspended Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation Betta Edu, the Federal Government reveals plans to resume Npower and other social investment programmes coordinated by the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA).

According to Mohammed Idris, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, made this known during a radio interview in Kaduna that the committee set up by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to review the operational mechanism of the national social investment programme has submitted its report.

This gives way for the resumption of Npower, Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT), Government Enterprise and Empowerment programme (GEEP), and the National Home Grown School Feeding Programme (NHGSFP) affecting millions of vulnerable households.

Additionally, the government intends to reinvest savings from the removal of electricity subsidies into improving power supply and other vital social services.

Plans for agricultural interventions and investments in the procurement of compressed natural gas (CNG) buses are also discussed by the minister, highlighting the administration's multifaceted approach to addressing socio-economic challenges across various sectors.

https://nigerianbulletin.com/ams/fg-set-to-resume-n-power-cct-and-school-feeding-initiatives-after-suspension.4310/

Betta Edu: Bullying Tactics In Place of Due Process

According to Npower News, when the suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu, was asked to step down by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on January 8th 2024, the allegation against Betta Edu was very clear.

Betta Edu was accused of granting approval for payment of ₦585,000,000 of the Ministry’s fund into the private account of a civil servant. Betta Edu was then ordered to be investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Equally, the minister who preceded Betta Edu in the management of disasters and poverty, Sadiya Umar-Farouk, was questioned by the Commission over a hefty sum of ₦37,100,000,000, allegedly laundered by officials of the ministry during Sadiya Umar-Farouk's tenure as minister.

There was also Halima Shehu, who was suspended from office as National Coordinator and Chief Executive Officer of the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA), after Halima Shehu was also grilled for suspicious cash transfers to vulnerable groups and individuals during the tenure of President Muhammadu Buhari. It became a huge mess for the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's administration to manage, in just a few months in office.

For Betta Edu, she was alleged to have approved payment of hundreds of millions of naira into private accounts of civil servants, a reported case being that of the accountant in charge of grants for vulnerable Nigerians.

A leaked memo showed that the suspended minister Betta Edu, in December 2023, requested the Accountant General of the Federation, Oluwatoyin Madein, to transfer money from the account of the NSIPA Office to the private account of one Bridget Oniyelu, the accountant of a federal government poverty intervention project known as Grants for Vulnerable Groups, which was under Betta Edu's ministry.

Experts in public finance queried that transfer order, claiming it contravened sections of the country’s Financial Regulation Law of 2009. The Law, among other provisions, states that personal money shall not be paid into a government account and vice versa. The law provides that such movement of public funds can only emanate from a fraudulent intent. Mrs Madein was to later dissociate herself from the memo and the transfer authorisation. Sounded like an afterthought.

This was the background that led to Betta Edu’s suspension and Betta Edu's investigation by the EFCC. It also turned out in further revelations that some ranking members of this government may have been linked to these disbursements. A trail was established, which roused public outrage that called to question the integrity component of this government and the one that preceded it.

Nigerians got engaged, trying to figure out how much the All Progressives Congress (APC) and their government have ripped them off in eight years and seven months, in the name of poverty and disaster management. Citizens saw that as a test case for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to demonstrate his capacity to catch thieves and fight corruption in high places.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu demurred. Instead, in what was clearly a face-saving and time-buying tactics, the matter was referred to a panel headed by the Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance, Yemi Edun, to conduct a detailed investigation of the entire Social Investment Programmes (SIPs); and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu also ordered that the SIPs be frozen for the time being, pending the report of the Panel.

Nothing was said of ongoing investigations by the EFCC, but the impression given was that the panel’s assignment was superior to whatever trail the EFCC had established, all of which were to be presented to Nigerians when the panel was done with its assignment.

What was communicated officially was that the government had suspended the minister (Betta Edu) in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to upholding highest standards of integrity in the management of public funds. Presidential spokesperson, Ajuri Ngelale,was the one who propagated government’s commitment for highest standards of probity, and that heightened citizens’ desire that this scandal is not deodorised and swept under the carpet with calculated delays and rigmarole.

Though President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had pledged to continue from where Buhari ended his sojourn in government, he could not have meant that this government will build on the scandals and lapses of the former, Nigerians hoped.

Nigerians have not forgotten that the suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation was invited to the headquarters of the EFCC, at Abuja, where she spent hours until she was granted bail very late in the night. The terms and conditions of the bail were kept secret by the Commission but citizens were assured that the investigations were to continue. All that was in early January.

Today, despite the famine in the land and the deliberate efforts to afflict the collective memory with amnesia, Nigerians together with beneficiaries of Npower and other social investment programmes are still waiting for the details. They are waiting for the report of the forensic examination of the activities of the ministry in the last eight years. That was the promise, Nigerians are eager to know the revelations from the EFCC investigations.

There is no closure on it yet and if this government wants to be trusted on its anti-corruption claim, it should stop playing politics. Allow the EFCC conduct transparent investigations and bring Nigerians up to date with the findings, just the way government is doing with that of former Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele.

Smart citizens had feared this case could enter voicemail; that happens when weighty matters are cleverly swept under the carpet and allowed to fossilise. The people know that the allegations are far too heavy for one suspect to be scapegoated on behalf of a rent-picking APC political class. Those who were off-takers from the ministry’s poverty purse for the eight years should be probed.

Mind you, the EFCC was not set up to recover stolen funds in the coven, only to announce figures Nigerians cannot verify and relate with. Let the Commission stop flying a kite on this matter, in a dubious bid to lull Nigerians to sleep. Go to court to announce the sums recovered as well as the fifty bank accounts that you claim were linked to the Poverty Alleviation scam. Let owners of the accounts come to court and present their testimonies. If that is not done, corruption is going to fight back.

Corruption started fighting back last week when a notable media house was harassed for reporting an update on this scandal. Other media houses had to scurry to pull down same story that was originally traced to the EFCC. Even the Commission’s website is no longer forthcoming with the update. This is what you get when an agency and government fight corruption selectively.

Source: https://guardian.ng/opinion/bullying-tactics-in-place-of-due-process/

Npower News: EFCC Said They Have Not Cleared Betta Edu

According to Npower News, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says it has not cleared Betta Edu the suspended Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation of the government of Nigeria.

In January, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had ordered the suspension of Betta Edu and Ms  Halima Shehu, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Social Investment Programme Authority (NSIPA).

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to go after Betta Edu in order to get to the root of the matter.

Many Nigerians and beneficiaries of Npower had complained that no update had been given on the investigation months after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu gave the order.

According to Npower News, in the March edition of the agency’s monthly e-Magazine titled: EFCC Alert, Ola Olukoyede, Chairman of the anti-graft commission, had said N30,000,000,000 had been recovered from the investigation while fifty bank accounts were under investigation.

But on Sunday, spokesman of EFCC, Dele Oyewale, clarified that its investigations that yielded recovery of ₦30,000,000,000 was not about Betta Edu but about the intricate web of fraudulent practices in the Ministry.

The EFCC disclosed that the recovered sum was part of the fraudulent dealings involving COVID-19 funds, the World Bank loan, Abacha recovered loot that was released to the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management and Social Development.

While revealing this to journalists in Abuja, Dele Oyewale stated that the fund was released by the Federal Government to execute its poverty alleviation mandate.

Dele Oyewale, who further clarified that the officials of the ministry for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, including Betta Edu, who were invited by the commission as part of the investigation have not been cleared by the EFCC.

“The EFCC has noticed the rising tide of commentaries, opinions, assumptions and insinuations concerning its progressive investigations into the alleged financial misappropriation in the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development.

“At the outset of investigations, past and suspended officials of the Humanitarian Ministry were invited by the Commission and investigations into the alleged fraud involving them have yielded the recovery of ₦32,700,000,000 and $445,000 so far.

“Discreet investigations by the EFCC have opened other fraudulent dealings involving Covid -19 funds, the World Bank loan, Abacha recovered loot released to the Ministry by the Federal Government to execute its poverty alleviation mandate.

“Investigations have also linked several interdicted and suspended officials of the Ministry to the alleged financial malfeasance. It is instructive to stress that the Commission’s investigations are not about individuals.

“The EFCC is investigating a system and intricate web of fraudulent practices. Banks involved in the alleged fraud are being investigated. Managing Directors of the indicted banks have made useful statements to investigators digging into the infractions.

“Additionally, the EFCC has not cleared anyone allegedly involved in the fraud. Investigations are ongoing and advancing steadily. The public is enjoined to ignore any claim to the contrary,” Dele Oyewale stated.

https://dailytrust.com/humanitarian-ministry-fraud-weve-not-cleared-betta-edu-says-efcc/

Beneficiaries of Npower Seek Reinstatement Of Suspended Minister For Humanitarian Affairs And Poverty Alleviation Betta Edu

According to Npower News, appeal has gone to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to reinstate Betta Edu, the suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.

In the light of the prevailing economic situation confronting Nigerians, traders in Lagos as well as women, youths, beneficiaries of Npower and religous leaders said Betta Edu will help to tackle the suffering of Nigerians being a young and a passion-driven minister.

Speaking to a cross section of the public on the need to reinstate the suspended Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation Betta Edu, the Chief Imam of Agbure Central Mosque at Ojodu Abiodun, Lagos State, Salaudeen Olore stated that at the heart of the argument for meeting Nigeria’s social intervention needs lies the moral imperative to uphold human dignity and social justice.

“Betta Edu deserves better because for the short while that she came to political limelight, she has paid her dues.

”Every citizen, regardless of their socioeconomic status, deserves access to basic necessities such as food, shelter, healthcare, and education. Poverty, hunger, and lack of access to essential services not only undermine individuals’ quality of life but also erode the social fabric of the nation,” Salaudeen Olore stated.

According to Npower News, Salaudeen Olore warned that by failing to address these pressing needs, Nigeria risks perpetuating cycles of inequality and marginalisation which further widen the gap between the privileged few and the disenfranchised many.

“And as it stands, the suspended Minister knew her onions, so am calling on President Tinubu to bring back the woman, Dr Betta Edu, so she can continue her good work,” Salaudeen Olore said.

Mrs Ifeyinwa Nwokolo, a business woman and a distributor described Betta Edu as an all round humanist who should be reinstated.

Mrs Ifeyinwa Nwoko said: ” I have never met her but from what I read and watched on Television, she is a charismatic woman. Her compassion and humility made market women all over the country to love her. She has the solutions to the people’s social needs. So I’m calling on the wife of the President, Senator Remi Tinubu to intervene and forgive her of the little administrative error she made.”

Alhaji Tunji Adunbarin, a pensioner, said that meeting Nigeria’s social intervention needs was important for promoting social cohesion and eradicating the risks of social unrest.

”In a country as diverse and complex as Nigeria, disparities in access to resources and opportunities can fuel tensions along ethnic, religious, and regional lines. Social intervention programmes that target marginalised communities and vulnerable populations not only alleviate immediate suffering, but also promote inclusivity and solidarity across societal divides,” Alhaji Tunji Adunbarin stated.

By investing in the well-being of all citizens, Alhaji Tunji Adunbarin added that, Nigeria can build a more resilient and harmonious society, capable of weathering the challenges of the present and future.

“So, I am begging President Tinubu to recall Betta Edu so the people can breathe again,” Adunbarin noted.

Cross section of traders at the Isheri/Olowora market under Kosofe local government area unanimously echoed and begged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to bring the Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation Betta Edu back to continue her good work.

The leader of the group, Alhaja Modupe Taiwo, said that the little support they got from the Humanitarian Affairs Minister Betta Edu, went a long way in helping their fellow traders who were feeding from hand to mouth.

Alhaja Modupe Taiwo reminded President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that from an economic standpoint, meeting Nigeria’s social intervention needs is not just a matter of altruism but a strategic investment in human capital and national development, and that they appreciate President Bola Ahmed Tinubu but they need Betta Edu to fasten their recovery.

“Poverty, malnutrition, and inadequate healthcare and education hinder individuals’ productivity and potential, thereby stifling economic growth and perpetuating cycles of underdevelopment. On the other hand, investing in social intervention programmes yields substantial returns in the form of improved health outcomes, increased educational attainment, and enhanced workforce participation,“ Alhaja Modupe Taiwo said.

A member of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Alhaji Olajide Kilajolu added that neglecting Nigeria’s social intervention needs can have far-reaching consequences for the country’s stability and security.

“Economic disparities and social exclusion create fertile ground for discontent and disenchantment, which can manifest in various forms of civil unrest, including protests, demonstrations, and even violent conflicts.

“By addressing the root causes of social inequities and addressing the grievances of marginalised communities, Nigeria can foster a more stable and secure environment conducive to peace, progress, and prosperity,” Alhaji Olajide Kilajolu stated.

Beneficiaries of Npower have also called for the reinstatement of Betta Edu the suspended Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation so that they can receive their Npower payment.

https://leadership.ng/lagos-traders-women-others-seek-reinstatement-of-suspended-minister/

Federal Government Hints At Resumption Of Npower Three Months After Suspension

The federal government has revealed plans to resume Npower coordinated by the national social investment programme agency (NSIPA).

According to Npower News, Mohammed Idris, the minister of information and national orientation, spoke on Saturday during an interview programme on Radio Nigeria in Kaduna.

The minister did not state when Npower will recommence.

On January 12, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu suspended Npower administered by NSIPA for 6 weeks, as part of an investigation of alleged malfeasance in the management of Npower.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, had on January 2, suspended Halima Shehu as the chief executive officer (CEO) of NSIPA over alleged financial malfeasance.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu also suspended Betta Edu as minister for humanitarian affairs and poverty alleviation on January 8. The suspended Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation Betta Edu supervises the operations of the NSIPA.

The programmes affected include the Npower, the conditional cash transfer (CCT), the government enterprise and empowerment programme, and the home-grown school feeding initiative.

On March 13, the house of representatives asked the federal government to resume the implementation of the suspended social investment programs including Npower.

Speaking during the interview, Mohammed Idris, the minister of information and national orientation, said the committee set up by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to review the operational mechanism of the national social investment programme has submitted its report to pave the way for the resumption of the Npower and other National Social Investment Programmes.

According to the Mohammed Idris, the minister of information and national orientation,, fifteen million vulnerable households will receive ₦25,000 conditional cash transfers for three months among other interventions.

https://www.thecable.ng/betta-edu-saga-fg-hints-at-resumption-of-social-investment-programmes-3-months-after-suspension/amp/

Arimoro Applauds President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's Economic Policies Calls For Betta Edu's Reinstatement As Minister For Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation

According to Npower News, the national chairman of the defunct Sustainable National Party (SNP) and founder of the Sustainable National Movement, Kayode Arimoro, has expressed confidence that the present administration’s economic policies will reposition Nigeria to its pride of place among the comity of nations.

Kayode Arimoro was reacting to various developmental initiatives of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's government and called for patience on the part of the citizenry.

According to Npower News, Kayode Arimoro believed that the job of governance is a collective responsibility after every election, saying all Nigerians must rally round and support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's administration to enable it to deliver on his Renewed Hope agenda.

On the suspended minister of humanitarian affairs and poverty alleviation, Betta Edu, Kayode Arimoro urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to be dispassionate in basing his decisions off conflicting media coverage because as the Commander in Chief, he has full details of the facts and fictions of the matter.

“Reinstating Dr. Betta Edu, who has done exceptionally well within the first 100 days in that position and has proven track records of going through the nooks and crannies of our dear country to put smiles on faces of the vulnerable people is the way to go,” Kayode Arimoro stated.

Kayode Arimoro, however, noted that the suspended minister of humanitarian affairs and poverty alleviation, Betta Edu was being investigated for transactions that predated her appointment as minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.

“And secondly, let it also be stated clearly that the funds transfer in question did not go into her private accounts neither was she signatory to any.

“The sustainable National Movement enjoin all to go beyond ethnic, religion and other divisive tendencies towards the emergence of a more united, peaceful and prosperous country,” Kayode Arimoro stated.

Kayode Arimoro wished Nigerians a happy Eid-el-Fitri celebration.

https://leadership.ng/arimoro-applauds-tinubus-economic-policies/

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Betta Edu, And Her Ministry of Corruption

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) aroused the rage of Nigerians this week when it revealed in its periodic newsletter called “EFCC Alert” (which it shared with news organizations on Monday) that it had recovered up to ₦30,000,000,000 of the money allegedly stolen by suspended Minister for Humanitarian and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu.

The rage was not directed at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), of course. It was directed at Betta Edu for the deficiency of morality it must take for her to steal that much money in just six months of being a minister. The rage also comes from people’s extrapolation of how much unconscionable theft of our public wealth must be going on in this administration undetected. What sort of moral climate conduces to such stratospheric pillaging of the public till without a tinge of compunction or fear of consequences?

Just when Nigerians were roiling in the storm of EFCC’s revelations, Betta Edu’s lawyers denied them and threatened to sue the BBC for publishing them, even though scores of news outlets also published the same story.

Betta Edu lawyers allege that the story about the recovery of ₦30,000,000,000 from her and the investigation of fifty banks connected to her, which we read inseverallegacy and digital-native news outlets, was repurposed from the BBC.

Well, that’s not accurate. As I indicated earlier, EFCC’s bulletin, called the “EFCC Alert,” is the source of the story, and it was shared with multiple news organizations, including the BBC.

If the information about the extortionate amount of money allegedly recovered from Betta Edu is false, the blame for this should go to the EFCC, not the BBC—or, for that matter, any news site.

In order to write this column, I searched for the EFCC Alert to see what exactly it contains. I would have reached the same conclusions about Betta Edu as the BBC and other news organizations did if I were still in the news business.

Here’s the original, verbatim wording from the “EFCC Alert” that informed the BBC story:

“Update on Betta Edu investigation. We have laws and regulations guiding our investigations. Nigerians will also know that they are already on suspension, and this is based on the investigations we have done, and President Bola Tinubu has proved to Nigerians that he is ready to fight corruption.

“Moreover, concerning this particular case, we have recovered over ₦30,000,000,000, which is already in the coffers of the Federal Government.

“It takes time to conclude investigations; we started this matter less than six weeks ago. Some cases take years to investigate. There are so many angles to it, and we need to follow through with some of the discoveries that we have seen. Nigerians should give us time on this matter; we have professionals on this case, and they need to do things right. There are so many leads here and there.

“As it is now, we are investigating over fifty bank accounts that we have traced money into. That is no child’s play. That’s a big deal. Then you ask about my staff strength.

“And again, we have thousands of other cases that we are working on. Nigerians have seen the impact of what we have done so far, by way of some people being placed on suspension and by way of the recoveries that we have made. You have seen that the programme itself has been suspended. We are exploring so many discoveries that we have stumbled upon in our investigation.

“If it is about seeing people in jail, well, let them wait. Everything has a process to follow. So Nigerians should wait and give us the benefit of the doubt.”

It is entirely possible that the EFCC meant that in the past six weeks, it has recovered ₦30,000,000,000 from multiple corruption cases of which Betta Edu’s is one. There are many clues to that in the “alert.”Perhapsthe EFCC chairman has challenges with articulate, elegant, and clear communication in the English language.

However, in the absence of any countervailing facts, it’s reasonable to assume that the EFCC Alert meant that ₦30,000,000,000 was recovered from Betta Edu and that more than fifty bank accounts belonging to Betta Edu are being investigated.

After all, the title of the bulletin is “Update on Betta Edu.” It also talks of “suspension” (and Betta Edu is the only public official we know of that is on suspension on account of corruption), although it uses the pronoun “they” to refer to the subject of suspension, implying that it could be more than one person.

Nonetheless, in referencing the recovery of ₦30,000,000,000 the EFCC Alert talks about “this particular case”; it doesn’t say“these particular cases.”So, it’s wholly within the bounds of reason to conclude that “this particular case” refers to the title of the news bulletin: “Update on Betta Edu investigation.”

I hope the EFCC will clarify this issue for us—and, of course, be more careful in its public communication in future.

But it doesn’t really matter if Betta Edu stole ₦30,000,000,000 in six months and salted away money in fifty bank accounts.

The truth is that the ministry Betta Edu supervised is a cesspool of some of the most fetid and audacious corruption that Nigeria has ever seen since the restoration of civilian rule in 1999.

Right from its inception, it was conceived as the hotbed of graft, as the featherbed of in-your-face venality. Its origins are traceable to the Muhammadu Buhari regime’s National Social Investment Programme (NSIP), which was conceived to putatively contain poverty and deprivation in Nigeria.

NSIP had within it such programs as the Npower, the National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme (NHGSFP), the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) programme, and the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP), which is made up of the MarketMoni, FarmerMoni, and TraderMoni schemes.

Former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo headed NSIP. But the Buhari cabal later realized that NSIP was a prolificcash cow that lined several pockets and missed its supposed targets. I was one of the earliest people approached to expose what the cabal was convinced was humongous corruption in the NSIP that ran into tens of billions of naira—complete with what seems like fool-proof documentary evidence.

As I said at the time, I refused to be used to amplify the internal discord of the common oppressors of the Nigerian people. When Osinbajo was using TraderMoni to induce poor people to vote for Buhari, the cabal had no problem. They only discovered his “corruption” after the fact.

So, they reached out to other fringe sources and figures to give publicity to the corruption in NSIP, which caused Osinbajo to threaten to sue a whole bunch of people. They achieved their aim of calling attention to the rot in NSIP, which justified taking it away from the vice president’s office and constituting it as a separate ministry.

Thus, the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development was born. The Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration renamed it as the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.

Because it was conceived in corruption, born in more corruption, and nourished in even more corruption, it can’t be anything but corrupt. It has become the posterchild for bizarre, eye-watering, consequence-free corruption.

Recall that on April 10, 2020, Maryam Uwais, then Special Adviser to the President on Social Investment, told Channels TV’s Sunrise Daily program that she couldn’t account for the billions that she and the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs putatively gave to weak, poor, and vulnerable Nigerians to ease the hurt of the coronavirus pandemic because, “Those who benefit from the conditional cash transfer of the Federal Government as palliative to cushion the effects of the lockdown caused by the deadly Coronavirus don’t want to be addressed as poor people. That is why we can’t publish their names.”

For her part, Sadiya Umar Farouq, Uwais’ superior, turned heads when she said she expended billions to feed schoolkids who weren’t in school because of COVID-19. Betta Edu was merely walking a well-trodden path in the ministry.

If President Bola Ahmed Tinubu wants to be taken seriously, he should not only outright terminate Betta Edu’s appointment as a minister, but President Bola Ahmed Tinubu should also scrap the entire ministry Betta Edu heads. That ministry has no reason to exist.

https://tribuneonlineng.com/bbc-betta-edu-and-her-ministry-of-corruption/

Npower: Federal Government Lifts Restriction On The Accounts Of Npower Staffs

According to Npower News, the Federal Government of Nigeria has lifted restrictions placed on the bank accounts of staffs of Npower working at the Npower situation room. Reports have it that in late February a post-no-debit order was placed on bank accounts of the Npower staffs working in the situation room, following investigation of Betta Edu the suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, as well as interdicted Coordinator, National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA), Hajiya Halima Shehu by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

While the Npower staff had accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of taking the action, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said the accusation was false, saying: “All these contract staff of Npower; we have no business with them.

“Only those that were indicted in the investigation that we are conducting, those are the people that we have their accounts suspended.” One of the Npower situation room staff, who spoke on behalf of his colleagues, had said: “We are all aggrieved over the ongoing investigation that has made innocent persons victims by freezing the accounts of mere contract staff that worked all through the year from May 2023 – December 2023, without any form of payment of salaries.

“The last payment that was made was in April 2023 till a few days after Christmas when they managed to pay the backlogs of eight months (May to December) to the tune of ₦640,000 at ₦80,000 per month. “We were all excited to receive our long awaited salaries after suffering all through the year only for the salary to be paid, and immediately our accounts frozen till date by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

“We are appealing that our accounts be unfrozen so we can have access to it, as the situation is unbearable for each and every one of us.” Providing update on the matter, the source, obviously excited, disclosed the “unfreezing of our accounts that were (allegedly) frozen since December last year.” His words: “I will like to give you update on the over fifty five bank accounts of Npower Situation Room staff that were restricted in the aftermath of the ongoing investigation of the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, and the NSIPA.

“I am pleased to inform you that we now have access to our respective bank accounts, and this happened a few days ago. “However, a few of my colleagues have not been able to withdraw and that is strictly their banks’ problem.

https://newtelegraphng.com/humanitarian-ministry-probe-fg-lifts-restriction-on-n-power-staffs-accounts/

Npower: ₦30,000,000,000 Recovered By Anti-graft Agency Not Linked To Me - Betta Edu

According to Npower News, the suspended Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu, says she has nothing to do with the ₦30,000,000,000 recovered by the anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

On the 8th of January 2024, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu suspended Betta Edu and directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). “to conduct a thorough investigation into all aspects of the financial transaction” involving Betta Edu's ministry.

The social investment programmes which includes Npower, Conditional Cash Transfer, Government Enterprise And Empowerment Programme (GEEP), and the National Homegrown School Feeding Programme, were put on hold by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu after the suspension of Betta Edu.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has since been investigating the suspended minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation Betta Edu and the ministry.

According to Npower News, In an update contained in a bulletin titled “EFCC Alert,” Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), said it is also investigating fifty bank accounts, adding that the ₦30,000,000,000 recovered is in the custody of the federal government.

"We have laws and regulations guiding our investigations. Nigerians will also know that they are already on suspension and this is based on the investigations we have done, and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has proved to Nigerians that he is ready to fight corruption,” Ola Olukoyede, EFCC chairman, was quoted as saying in the bulletin.

“Moreover, with respect to this particular case, we have recovered over ₦30,000,000,000, which is already in the coffers of the Federal Government.”

According to Npower News, in a letter issued on Wednesday, Chikaosolu Ojukwu, lawyer to Betta Edu, said: “Neither ₦30,000,000,000 nor any amount whatsoever has been traced to or recovered from our client’s bank accounts nor has any proceed of crime been traced or recovered from her…”

The letter addressed to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) offices in Abuja and London, also threatened to sue the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), if the publication on the matter was not taken down on its website.

"First and foremost, the language used in describing our client’s purported involvement in the alleged corruption case suggests guilt without allowing for the presumption of innocence, which is fundamental in any fair and unbiased reporting,” the letter reads.

“The reckless manner in which the article was crafted, without providing our client with the opportunity to respond to the allegations before its wide publication, is a clear breach of journalistic fairness and due process and demonstrates a complete disregard for journalistic integrity and professionalism. 

"This is a blatant attempt to tarnish our client’s reputation and undermine her credibility which she has earned over the course of her distinguished career in both private and public life.

“For the avoidance of doubt, our client has neither been indicted nor found culpable of any act of financial impropriety in relation to her stewardship of the Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation Ministry in Nigeria.”

Chikaosolu Ojukwu, lawyer to Betta Edu, said Betta Edu the former minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation has “suffered immeasurable reputational damage, psychological trauma and anguish as a direct consequence of the publication and dissemination of the article”.

The letter demanded a complete withdrawal of the article and an apology within 2 days.

Chikaosolu Ojukwu, lawyer to Betta Edu, said failure to comply with the demands, simply means legal actions would be taken before the appropriate courts.

Chikaosolu Ojukwu, lawyer to Betta Edu, said the actions would be “to obtain redress for the injurious falsehood peddled in your article and to seek punitive and exemplary damages in the sum of US$ 50 million against the BBC for the damage and injury suffered by our client”.

Source: https://www.thecable.ng/n30bn-recovered-by-efcc-not-linked-to-me-says-betta-edu/amp/

CISLAC/TI-Nigeria Commends EFCC For Recovering ₦30,000,000,000 From Betta Edu

According to Npower News, the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) and Transparency International in Nigeria (TI-Nigeria) have commended the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for its recent recovery of ₦30,000,000,000 from the investigation of the suspended Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu.

In a statement signed by Comrade Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, the Executive Director of CISLAC/TI-Nigeria, the organisation expressed its appreciation for the EFCC’s efforts in fighting corruption, particularly within government ministries tasked with uplifting Nigerians and beneficiaries of Npower out of poverty.

Comrade Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, the Executive Director of CISLAC/TI-Nigeria highlighted the importance of the recovery, stressing the need to hold accountable those entrusted with public funds.

“It is highly commendable that the EFCC has taken action against corruption within the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, which should be focused on alleviating poverty rather than being a breeding ground for embezzlement,” Comrade Auwal Musa Rafsanjani stated.

Highlighting Nigeria’s alarming poverty statistics, with approximately 104,000,000 citizens living below the poverty line according to World Bank data, Comrade Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, the Executive Director of CISLAC/TI-Nigeria lamented the detrimental impact of corruption on the nation’s development.

Comrade Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, the Executive Director of CISLAC/TI-Nigeria urged for intensified efforts to recover looted assets and punish those responsible, stressing the importance of treating corruption as a major impediment to progress.

“With poverty rates soaring and resources being misappropriated, it is imperative that the EFCC and other anti-graft agencies continue to pursue justice and ensure that looted funds are recovered and accounted for,” Auwal Musa Rafsanjani asserted.

The Comrade Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, the Executive Director of CISLAC/TI-Nigeria called for the promotion of the rule of law and transparency in anti-corruption efforts, emphasizing the crucial role of accountability in combating corruption effectively.

“In reaffirming our support for the EFCC and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), we urge these agencies to uphold the principles of transparency and accountability in their operations.”

“Only by preventing, blocking and holding corrupt individuals accountable and ensuring proper management of recovered assets can we root out the scourge of corruption from our society,” Auwal Musa Rafsanjani stated.

CISLAC/TI-Nigeria urged all stakeholders to join hands in the fight against graft and to support the efforts of law enforcement agencies in upholding the rule of law and integrity in governance.

Source: https://www.tvcnews.tv/2024/04/cislac-ti-nigeria-applauds-efcc-for-recovering-n30bn-from-suspended-minister-betta-edu/

Npower News: Betta Edu Threatens To Sue British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

According to Npower News, the suspended Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation has threatened to sue the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) for alleged defamation of character.

In a letter signed by Betta Edu's counsel, Chikaosolu Ojukwu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Betta Edu demanded $50,000,000 compensation from the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).

The letter, addressed to BBC’s Abuja and London offices, claimed that the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) had reported false information regarding the ongoing investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), alleging that ₦30,000,000,000 was recovered from the suspended minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu.

Chikaosolu Ojukwu stated that the concerned publication had caused immeasurable reputational damage, psychological trauma and anguish to Betta Edu.

“Our client has suffered immeasurable reputational damage, psychological trauma and anguish as a direct consequence of the publication and dissemination of the article,” the letter read.

The letter further criticized the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) for its article, stating that it suggested guilt on Betta Edu’s part without allowing for the presumption of innocence.

According to Npower News, the letter accused the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) of breaching journalistic fairness and due process by not providing Betta Edu with an opportunity to respond to the allegations before publishing the article.

Parts of the letter read, “First and foremost, the language used in describing our client’s purported involvement in the alleged corruption case suggests guilt without allowing for the presumption of innocence, which is fundamental in any fair and unbiased reporting.

“The reckless manner in which the article was crafted, without providing our client with the opportunity to respond to the allegations before its wide publication, is a clear breach of journalistic fairness and due process and demonstrates a complete disregard for journalistic integrity and professionalism.

"The headline, content, and tone of the article imply guilt on the part of our client, without any concrete evidence to substantiate such claims.

“This is a blatant attempt to tarnish our client’s reputation and undermine her credibility which she has earned over the course of her distinguished career in both private and public life.

“For the avoidance of doubt, our client has neither been indicted nor found culpable of any act of financial impropriety in relation to her stewardship of the Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation Ministry in Nigeria.

"It is also pertinent to emphasize that neither ₦30,000,000,000 nor any amount whatsoever has been traced to or recovered from our client’s bank accounts nor has any proceeds of crime been traced or recovered from her to warrant the scurrilous article under reference.

“Suffice it to say that in the aftermath of the publication of this scandalous article (which the BBC caused to be disseminated to millions of persons across the globe), our client has been inundated by calls and messages from friends, associates expressing their shock and consternation.

“Our client has suffered immeasurable reputational damage, psychological trauma and anguish as a direct consequence of the publication and dissemination of the article.”

Source: https://dailypost.ng/2024/04/10/betta-edu-threatens-bbc-with-lawsuit-demands-50m-compensation/