Opinion
By Rasheed Olanrewaju Zubair
Betta Edu is Minister of Humanitarian Affairs.
Halima Shehu is suspended National Coordinator and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Social Investment Program Agency (NSIPA), an Agency under the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs.
On assumption of office at NSIPA, Halima Shehu defied presidential directive to work with the Humanitarian Affairs Minister, to pay 400,000 beneficiaries of N-Power and some other programmes.
Following the defiance of the presidential directive, the presidency asked the minister to liaise with the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation to pay the N-Power beneficiaries for the first month which was successfully done.
On Tuesday January 2024, Halima Shehu was arrested by EFCC operatives in connection with the movement of N44 billion from NSIPA account to some suspicious accounts within the last four days in December 2023. The interception and recovery of the cash followed some alleged payments of billions of naira by the agency without presidential and FEC approval.
EFCC then recommended Halima Shehu’s indefinite suspension to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, based on preliminary investigation. So far, over N39.5 billion has been intercepted and recovered from some of the accounts by the EFCC.
After Halima’s suspension, she suddenly turns to a whistle blower. Alleging that Minister Betta Edu has looted over N500million from the money.
Minister Betta Edu says that the N585,198,500.00 was approved by the Presidency, and it is meant for the implementation of Grants to vulnerable groups in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Ogun and Lagos states. Cross River has been done.
Posers:
If Halima really was doing the honest job of whistle blowing, why did she wait until her arrest and recovery of more than N39 billion from her before blowing the whistle?
When did Halima become CBN for her to warehouse and keep “safe” over N44billion of FG’s money until she was arrested?
Is Halima’s vain whistle an attempt to divert attention from her sleaze and ongoing travails with the EFCC where she reports daily or a veil to hoodwink Nigerians?
How can an alleged N44billion thief catch N500m that was approved by the Presidency?
Why are Nigerians more interested in the N500million that got Presidential approval and it’s been spent in four states than the N44billion allegedly stolen by Halima Shehu?
***Rasheed Olanrewaju Zubair is the special adviser on Media and Publicity to Honourable Minister.
T.
-January 8, 2024 @ 7:32 GMT|
Tags: Betta Edu Halima Shehu
