Since the last six months, Betta Edu has held the position of Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation in Nigeria. However, her time in office has been marked by a series of questionable decisions and actions that have raised concerns about her competence and integrity. In this report, Gom Mirian examines five significant issues that have arisen during Edu’s tenure, shedding light on her ‘sins’ and the impact on the Nigerian people.
Misappropriation of Funds:
Betta Edu, a 37-year-old female who emerged as the youngest minister in President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet, navigated her way through as the minister of humanitarian affairs and poverty alleviation until January 2 when Tinubu suspended Halima Shehu as the chief executive officer (CEO) of the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA) over alleged financial malfeasance.
NSIPA is domiciled under the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.
A few days later, a document from Edu to Oluwatoyin Sakirat Madein, the accountant-general of the federation, directing the transfer of N585 million to an individual’s bank account, surfaced online, and the squandering insufficient funds.
In December, Edu told the national assembly that the N532.5 billion earmarked for the ministry in the proposed 2024 fiscal budget is not enough to fight poverty and cushion the effects of the rising inflation in the country.
After appealing to the national assembly for an upward review of the budget, the minister asked the lawmakers to hold her accountable for “full implementation of whatever is appropriated to our ministry”.
This revelation raises questions about Edu’s integrity and her commitment to ensuring the proper use of public funds. Such actions undermine public trust and demonstrate a lack of transparency and accountability.
The question is, will the lawmakers rise to this occasion and hold Edu to her word?
Questionable Policy Implementation:
Edu’s decision to deploy the Global Positioning System (GPS) in distributing fuel subsidy palliatives and other poverty alleviation items to Nigerians has been highly criticized.
While the intention to cushion the fuel subsidy removal effect on vulnerable Nigerians is commendable, the use of GPS technology without proper planning and organization has led to significant discrepancies in the distribution process. Many Nigerians have expressed concerns that deserving individuals are being left out, while others who are not in need are receiving the palliatives.
Lack of Preparedness and Reliance on Religious Intervention:
One of the most concerning aspects of Betta Edu’s tenure is her apparent lack of preparedness to handle the responsibilities of her position. A few days ago, a video emerged, showing where she narrated how she sought the assistance of Bishop David Oyedepo of the Living Faith Church, also known as Winners’ Chapel, to pray for her appointment as a minister.
This reliance on religious intervention raises serious questions about her level of expertise and preparedness for such a crucial role. A responsible position should be filled by someone with the necessary skills and qualifications, rather than relying on religious interventions.
Inadequate Implementation of Cash Transfers:
Despite announcing plans to make monthly cash transfers to low-income households, targeting 15 million households, the implementation of the program has been inadequate.
While the minister claimed that about 81 million Nigerians have benefited from the program, the World Bank revealed that only 10% of the intended beneficiaries, accounting for 1.5 million households, had received the cash transfers by the end of December.
This showcases the failure to meet the target and raises concerns about Edu’s ability to effectively handle such initiatives.
Approval of Unnecessary Expenses:
Edu’s approval of N200,000 thousand naira flight fare for ministry officials to travel to Kogi state, which has no airport, has raised significant concerns.
As Nigerians were still trying to digest and make sense of government funds in a personal account when a fresh set of incriminating documents surfaced again.
The approval, contained in a leaked internal memo dated November 6, 2023, is for the disbursement of funds for flight tickets and airport taxis for the agency’s staff to travel to Kogi state.
In the memo, the money is for the minister’s ‘advanced team’ to travel by air for an event in Kogi. Each of the ‘advanced team’ members, including aides, received the sum of N200,000 for flight tickets, N20,000 for airport taxi, and local running expenses and DTA depending on grade level – all amounting to N72,374,500. But all these taxpayers ‘ -hard-earned monies were released by Betta Edu when even the blind can tell that Kogi state has no airport, the question will be where are the officials flying to?
This raises questions about Edu’s ability to make sound financial decisions and judiciously allocate resources. Approving such unnecessary expenses not only wastes public funds but also demonstrates a lack of proper management and fiscal responsibility.
Betta Edu’s tenure as the humanitarian minister has been marred by significant shortcomings and questionable actions. From her unpreparedness to handle the responsibilities of her position to the misappropriation of funds and inadequate policy implementation, Edu has demonstrated a lack of competence and integrity. These issues have serious consequences for the Nigerian people, who rely on the effectiveness and transparency of the humanitarian ministry. It is crucial that Edu be held accountable for her actions, and that the government takes swift action to rectify the situation and restore public trust.
