President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been advised not to yield to pressure from the opposition and from disgruntled elements in the All Progressive Congress (APC) in doing away with the services of the embattled Humanitarian Affairs Minister, Dr Betta Edu over alleged blackmail against her.
This advice was given by a civil rights activist and a member of the coalition of civil society groups in Nigeria, Mr Mohammed Sanusi.
Sanusi in a statement on Tuesday stated that it would be a monumental error if Tinubu plays to the gallery, noting that Betta Edu was the shining star of his administration.
He alleged that campaign against Betta Edu was the handiwork of opposition leaders and some members of the party who were uncomfortable with the progress the minister was making in just few months of the Tinubu administration.
According to Sanusi, the negative media campaigns are distracting the government from achieving the Renewed Hope Agenda by forcing it to constantly react to alleged paid blackmails.
He added that a lot of ministers are currently doing their work for fear of these organised social media haunting. ‘The reluctance stemming from uncertainty as to whether their principal will see through the white noise and protect his A team, or give in to the paid propaganda’.
Sanusi called on Tinubu to move quickly in protecting his appointees, stressing that “Mr President must call media aides working directly under him, who have teamed up with the opposition to bring his government down to order.
He stated: “President Tinubu should immediately take charge of his government, reinstate his minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Betta Edu, restart his social protection programmes with better checks and balances, reform the Federal Government financial regulations and take control of the media narrative.
“This was tried in the last administration, and when they saw President Buhari won’t be bought by paid blackmail, they stopped and allowed him to concentrate on governance. but if President Tinubu allows them to succeed with even one person, then it sets a precedent for the rest, and the distraction continues until 2027.”
He stated further that the distractions are not actually targeted at the foot soldiers, but rather at the president himself.
The game plan being to take down all his best hands, and ensure his government has no impact, ultimately getting him voted out for poor performance in 2027.
He advised that what the President needs at this time is to strengthen the existing financial regulations that will ensure more fiscal responsibility on the part of appointees and recall Dr Betta Edu to continue her work in not only creating positive reputation for the administration but also in defending her programmes.
Sanusi further posed some questions which the media have deliberately ignored or highlighted towards exonerating the embattled minister.
According to him, “The questions are, was the money paid to the account of a project accountant of an appropriate grade? The answer is yes! Was the money disbursed to beneficiaries? The answer is yes! Did any funds go to Dr Betta Edu’s account, or was any funds used by her? The answer is NO!
“If these are the facts, why would any strategic government suspend one of its best hands rather than reform its financial regulations if it is not comfortable with any aspect of it? Betta Edu didn’t write the Financial Regulations, she met it there. It is the same practice in all ministries with evidence to support that effect.
“The public now understands clearly that the Federal Government Financial Regulations in Chapter 14 (1402.iii), which talks of advances, states clearly that for disbursement of funds for Non-Personal Advances for projects/special Programmes, the Leader of the Project/special Programme shall be the accounting officer and shall approve all payments, while the Accountant of an appropriate grade shall be attached to each project/special programmes and have responsibility for the disbursement as well as retirement of non personal advances.”
“Three weeks after the suspension of Dr Betta Edu as the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, it has become clear to all that it was a one-week paid campaign of calumny against her, to ensure she gets suspended just because she exposed a N44 billion transfer in an agency under her watch.”
Sanusi further disclosed that the detractors are working to see that the government goes down, and have perceived that Dr Betta Edu might be reinstated soon, have paid for a new media campaign where they have told lies on President Tinubu. They are stating that he has ruled out the return of Dr Betta Edu, meanwhile at no time did the President ever make such an assertion, but is rather waiting for the investigative report from the panel he set up.
“He knows better than to throw his best hands under the bus over cheap blackmail. Those receiving the funds for the media campaign have asked that they be paid cash in dollars to avoid any traces. However, the government is alive to this, and they are closely monitored presently.
“This is a young government of eight months and must be given the benefit of the doubt to bring reforms that will change things for the better. President Tinubu, who many believe would be one of the best presidents Nigeria has ever produced, should immediately take charge of his government.
“Media aides in this government and few disgruntled APC members should not be used to fight their own government because of personal interest. The President must get back on the driver’s seat and not leave his government for media propaganda to direct his actions. Professor Wole Soyinka said last week that barbarians on social media have taken over government. This must be stopped!
“For many days now, the headlines on all newspapers have been negative on government, it is either they are discussing the Dollar which is now 1,500 Naira per Dollar or the outage in the country, or the kidnapping epidemic on the rise or the rising cost of food items, the Movement of Niger Mali and Burkina Faso out of ECOWAS, the movement of some Departments of CBN to Lagos with northern leaders opposing the decision, or the movement of some FAAN agencies to Lagos, or renewed Insecurity and killings in Platue and different parts of the country or the daily kidnappings in Federal Capital Abuja which has put investors on the run etc. Unfortunately in the midst of all these constant attacks on government with no appropriate counter from within, the humanitarian face of the government to address the immediate needs of the poor and the common man which could have cushioned the effect of these issues on the masses, and all its programmes have been suspended for 6 weeks following paid propaganda.
“This young and passionate woman has responded swiftly on behalf of the Federal Government, to humanitarian crises in all parts of the country. Little wonder that due to her absence from office when the Ibadan explosion occurred, the Federal Governments’ humanitarian assistance has scarcely been felt by the victims till date; same goes for the victims of the renewed Plateau crises. God forbid another crisis should occur, without her at her post,” he said.
Sanusi alleged that the suspension of the minister followed a well-coordinated, week-long negative media campaign, coordinated by several known influencers, and heavily sponsored to the tune of over a million dollars from within and outside government circles; all in a bid to get at Edu as punishment for exposing the N44 billion fraud in NSIPA. Names of persons paid, their team and their sponsors are already known to the public with evidence of payment.
He noted: “Unfortunately, this has become the trend in this administration, and the opposition is cashing in on it. The belief is that once you pay for a media blackmail on anyone in government for one week, the president will suspend or remove the person. Presently; payments have been made to blackmail the Chief of Naval Staff to ensure he is removed. Other paid campaigns are ongoing against The Chief of Staff to President, another minister (name withheld) and even the CBN on its latest reforms to better position itself by moving some departments to Lagos.
“Following the swearing in of Ministers in August 2023, one of the most active, innovative, responsive, and result-oriented ministers in President Bola Tinubu’s administration has been Dr Betta Edu.
“Many Nigerians have watched from the sidelines, as her selfless zeal to bring succour to those in need, has continually led her to put herself in harms way. In under 140 days she has visited and successfully initiated various grassroots interventions that have significantly touched the lives of the poor and vulnerable in over 15 northern states, and some in the southern parts of Nigeria as well. She has brilliantly represented Nigeria in many national and international fora, successfully attracting donor support to the humanitarian and poverty alleviation Ministry.
“For once the poor and, the vulnerable across the country can testify that they are actually benefiting from the Federal Government’s various programmes; why would any strategic leader lose a Betta Edu over paid blackmail?”
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