Alleged Fraud: PDP Urges Tinubu To Sack Humanitarian Minister

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has demanded the immediate sack and prosecution of the embattled Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Betta Edu over the alleged looting of N44 billion National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA) fund, including the N585.2 million audaciously diverted by her to a private account.

The party said her continued stay in office is provocative and a complete disregard of Nigerians.

The PDP stated this on Sunday in a statement signed by its spokesman, Debo Ologunagba, on the day another alleged fraud was discovered in the ministry.

Edu, who was Commissioner for Health in Cross River State when Ben Ayade was governor, was alleged to have demanded the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation to pay N585 million into a private account for certain projects.

Although the Accountant General in a statement issued over the weekend said the request was rejected, the minister has seen rising protest and calls for her removal and prosecution.

The Minister had demanded the payment of flight tickets and sundry expenses of over N72,374,500 to her and her staff in the ministry for their trip to Kogi State which has no airport.

Edu has not responded to the latest allegation which has bolstered calls for her to be removed as minister and jailed for fraud and abuse of office.

The PDP said the exposed fraud in the ministry is just a tip of the iceberg of what it described as an “unprecedented treasury looting, unbridled stealing and plundering of resources,” which it alleged is “going on in the President Bola Tinubu-led All Progressives Congress (APC) administration which has practically brought the nation’s economy to its knees.”

It asked, “Is it not tragic and heartbreaking that a minister entrusted with public funds to support millions of poor Nigerians who have been impoverished by the APC, turned around to divert hundreds of millions of naira meant for the wellbeing of the poor?

“The continuing stay of Betta Edu as minister is therefore provocative and amounts to stealing from the people and daring them to do their worst.