Npower News: EFCC, Betta Edu Have Left Npower Beneficiaries In The Dark Over The Next Line Of Action Regarding Npower

According to Npower News, after the January 8 suspension of Betta Edu, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had submitted an interim report to the presidency.

From reliable sources gathered, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had submitted the interim report of its investigation into the allegations against the suspended minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation and recommended that Betta Edu be prosecuted.

On the contrary, considering the roles Betta Edu played in the success of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), some influential persons, like Senate President Godswill Akpabio are alleged to be mounting pressure on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to give Betta Edu “a soft landing”.

According to Npower News, this influential persons are appealing that Betta Edu be giving another government position, not necessarily the minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.

Information also had it that Ms Halima Shehu, the suspended coordinator of the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA), may have been cleared by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in its interim report.

According to a reliable source, “The leaked documents about releases by NSIPA under Halima have been scrutinised by the EFCC. Those expenses are found to have followed standard procedures because all relevant parties endorsed their signatures.

“The monies were discovered to have been released for the purposes they were earmarked. Besides, Halima only continued the disbursements from where her predecessor stopped. And this was to avoid litigations, because the contractors had presented certificates of no objection".

According to another source, “But a strong personality in the Villa was not happy with the report from the EFCC and therefore told those who brought it to take it back and review the report further”.

But when Dele Oyewale, the spokesman of the EFCC, was contacted to talk about the validity of the claim that an interim report had been submitted to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, he said that investigation about the matter is still on. When Dele Oyewale, the spokesman of the EFCC, was asked when the investigation would be concluded, considering that credible sources had confirmed the submission of an interim report, Dele Oyewale declined further comments.

Eseme Eyiboh, who is the spokesman of the Senate president, when contacted on the allegation that Godswill Akpabio was working hard to secure “a soft landing” for the suspended minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, said, “Betta Edu is never in the legislature and she is not a minister appointed by the president of the senate.

“I recall that she was suspended by her appointer and not the president of the Senate. This was intended to pave way for an official public service procedure. There is no way the president of the Senate could have or can influence the determination of the fate of any minister and particularly Dr Betta Edu".

Outcome of Betta Edu's investigation

According to Npower News, the suspended minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation Betta Edu have not been listed for prosecution, which is part of the duties of the anti-graft agency, according to the Act establishing it.

Recall that Betta Edu was involved in a misappropriation of funds scandal when a memo surfaced online, wherein Betta Edu requested that the Accountant-General of the Federation, Ms Oluwatoyin Madein, transfer the sum of ₦585,000,000 to a personal account.

Thereafter, other documents where Betta Edu made controversial approvals, including approving air fares to Kogi, a state without an airport, went viral, prompting president Bola Ahmed Tinubu to suspend her.

Apart from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) investigation, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu directed that the panel led by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun should “among other functions, conduct a comprehensive diagnostic on the financial architecture and framework of the social investment programmes with a view to conclusively reforming the relevant institutions and programmes”.

The suspended social investment programmes are currently under the Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation ministry, and were initially being implemented by the National Social Investment Programmes (NSIPA).

The programmes includes; Npower, Conditional Cash Transfer Programme (CCT), Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP), and National Home Grown School Feeding Programme (NHGSFP), these Programmes not excluding Npower were placed on hold after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu suspended Betta Edu.

But a new development surfaced when Wale Edun -led presidential panel suggested the removal of the intervention initiatives from the scope of the Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation Ministry and transfer this ministry to the Federal Ministry of Finance.

In other publications that surfaced on line, the presidential panel stated that the suspended programmes, Npower inclusive should be resumed to alleviate the sufferings of poor and vulnerable Nigerians, but that a new board under the leadership of Wale Edun should handle Npower and other social investment programmes.

“Convene a steering committee/board under the leadership of the Honourable Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy to oversee the coordination of programmes,” the documents reads in part.

According to Npower News, reports had it that on February 21, 2024, Wale Edun had hinted on plans to relaunch direct cash transfers to about 12,000,000 vulnerable Nigerians amid the high cost of living in the country.

Wale Edun disclosed this during a retreat organised by his ministry in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

Wale Edun stated that while the initial project was designed for 3,000,000 Nigerians, the current hardship has become a factor in increasing the number of beneficiaries to 12,000,000.

Wale Edun said, “The presidential panel on the social investment programmes has prepared to go to Mr. President with an internal recommendation to restart the direct payments to the poorest and the most vulnerable. Everything is being done to ease the pain.

“We know that there has been about 3,000,000 beneficiaries now, but given the way the rates have gone, there are probably another 12,000,000 people, households that can benefit from that payment”, Wale Edun said.

When Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy was contacted yesterday, he declined comments on whether or not the interim report had been submitted to his superior.

Source: https://dailytrust.com/2-months-after-efcc-presidency-silent-on-edu-halima/