The cycle of corruption in Nigeria seems to be unending. From one administration to the other, there appears to be a determination to outdo each other in who wins the Olympian corruption medal.
It will be imagined that after the sleaze of the last two administrations Nigerians will have some respite from thieving public officials, but that is a farfetched prospect it appears.
Barely six months since the Federal Executive Council was inaugurated by President Bola Tinubu, were allegations of mindless looting already being whispered until Bettagate happened.
The irony of the macabre corruption dance on display is that it came at a time a former minister of the same Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Sadiya Umar Farouk, was being invited of misappropriating over N37 billion and still counting according to anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
When the news broke that the National Coordinator of the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA), Halima Shehu, has been suspended by President Tinubu over alleged N37.1billion fraud in the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, and she was subsequently detained by the EFCC, we heaved a sigh of relief that the government will broker no tolerance for corrupt acts.
Perhaps, we at The Abuja Inquirer were too hasty in our belief or simply did not pay close attention given the “quick,” bail granted to Ms. Shehu inspite of the gravity of the allegation.
So, when the cat was eventually let out of the bag that the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Dr, Betta Edu, had approved the payment of N585.2 million into the private account of a project accountant, Ms. Bridget Oniyelu, for conditional cash transfer under the Grants for Vulnerable Groups, it was obvious there was more than meets the eyes.
The good thing about the unfolding saga is that the minister has unwittingly admitted to breaching federal regulations and has committed a felony, therefore, should not be in office a day longer.
For clarity, Dr. Edu breached Chapter Seven, Section 713 of Nigeria’s Financial Regulations 2009, which emphasises separating public and personal money in government transactions. It states that “Personal money shall in no circumstances be paid into a government bank account, nor shall any public money be paid into a private account.”
The section further states that, “Any officer who pays public money into a private account is deemed to have done so with fraudulent intention.”
So, the feeble attempt by the minister through her media aide, Rasheed Zubair, suggesting that the allegation and her owning to the heist is an attempt to discredit and malign her, holds not water.
What is expected of the anti-graft agencies, EFCC and ICPC, is to have invited and taken Ms. Onyielu in and see what other public funds are in her bank account and for what purposes.
Similarly, it is curious that the federal government has remained mute over this grand larceny in the hope that the foul wind will blow away and it will be business as usual.
Nigerians, especially the civil society, must for once demonstrate their resilience by staying on this matter until Dr. Edu of the Bettagate is suspended if not outrightly removed from office to allow for unfettered investigation.
If the government fails to act on this obvious allegation, it will lend credence that the minister is a bagman (woman) for powerful forces in the Presidency including the Office of the First Lady.
As it is now, the N585.2million is a tip of the iceberg owing to claims by the minister sometime in December, 2023 that over 3.5 vulnerable Nigerians have received conditional cash transfer of N20, 000.
From the allegation and facts already in the public domain, it appears that the numbers were made up, therefore, a thorough investigation into the various social intervention programs of the ministry is urgent and required.
If Dr. Edu is allowed to continue in office, then there is no reason for Ms. Shehu not to be recalled to office when it has shown that it was the minister that was signing off on releases even against the advice of the Accountant General of the Federation, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Sakirat Madein, on using personal account for such humungous transfer.
With over N40 billion at stake, the Tinubi administration will do itself a world of integrity and good, to go beyond the grandstanding and shows it is serious about tackling the hydra of corruption. Like Nigerians will say, we no go greet this year!
