• Interrogators grill Edu, Umar-Farouq, banks’ chiefs
• N438m contract scandal: Tunji-Ojo in Aso Villa, says ‘It’s all good’
• Edu’s suspension commendable but not enough – Atiku
• Why Tinubu acted swiftly on fraud allegations — APC
• Afenifere, CUPP back Tinubu on fight against corruption

Many Nigerians are calling for the expansion of investigation into various poverty eradication schemes that have failed to lift at least 133 million multidimensionally poor citizens despite billions of naira invested in the schemes.

According to them, the recent revelation and probe into activities of the past and current officers at the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation reinforces the need to re-evaluate and investigate poverty alleviation schemes that fail to lift people out of poverty.

Although there have been claims of the number of people impacted by poverty alleviation schemes, the number of poor Nigerians has continued to rise, with government policies negatively impacting the vast population.

Also yesterday, the dragnet of the ongoing probe of the sleaze involving past and current officers at the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation widened when the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) quizzed Chief Executive Officers and Managing Directors of some banks in connection with the over N44 billion fraud reportedly uncovered in the ministry.

The affected CEOs quizzed in the sweeping investigation are Dr. Ebenezer Onyeagwu (Zenith Bank), Haruna Musa (Jaiz Bank) and Walter Akpani (Providus Bank).

The Guardian learnt that the bank chiefs at the request of the EFCC, handed over documents of accounts operated by the humanitarian affairs ministry to the agency to strengthen the ongoing investigation.

It was gathered that the senior bank executives were questioned over their roles by EFCC interrogators at the commission’s headquarters in Jabi, Abuja and released afterwards.

Recall that the suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Betta Edu, is currently being held and is undergoing interrogation by the EFCC over ₦585million scandal. Also, Halima Shehu, the embattled Co-ordinator and Chief Executive Officer of the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA) domiciled in the Ministry is being probed by EFCC over an alleged ₦44 billion fraud.

This is just as Edu’s predecessor, Sadiya Umar-Farouq, is being queried by EFCC interrogators over allegations that she laundered N37.1 billion while serving as a minister in former President Muhammadu Buhari’s cabinet.

Confirming the probe of the senior bank executives on Tuesday, an EFCC source revealed that Zenith, Providus, and Jaiz banks were being questioned over the ₦44.5 billion fraud uncovered in the ministry involving Edu and Shehu.

The source said: “The CEOs and MDs of Zenith Bank, Providus Bank, and Jaiz Bank are currently being grilled by our interrogators here at the headquarters. They were invited and are being probed in connection with the uncovered ₦44 billion fraud and the ₦585 million scandal involving Halima Shehu and Betta Edu.

“The suspended minister and the coordinator have both made new revelations during their interrogations, and the investigation is still ongoing.”

The source revealed that a potential deliberate lapse in flagging suspicious activity by the banks – a crucial responsibility mandated by anti-financial crime laws and Central Bank directives – played a critical role in the brazen misappropriation of the public funds. EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, was not reachable to confirm the development as at press time.

Meanwhile, former Minister, Umar-Farouq, who submitted herself to the EFCC on Monday for questioning, appeared before the commission’s interrogators yesterday. Umar-farouq returned home on Monday night after about 12 hours of interrogation by EFCC operatives.

Edu had her first day with the anti-graft investigators yesterday. She arrived at the EFCC headquarters at 11:00a.m. alongside her aides and lawyer and was still being detained as at press time last night.

Recall that the President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, had at the 40th anniversary of The Guardian newspaper in Lagos, called on Nigeria and other African countries to take urgent action to end poverty and mismanagement of natural resources if they want to earn the respect of the global community.

He had criticised the use of the term “poverty alleviation,” arguing that it implies that poverty is an acceptable condition, questioning the accountability of African leaders who claim public good by showcasing modest achievements, such as installing boreholes, on national television.

Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar’s Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, has said the suspension of Edu, though commendable, is not enough.

Responding to the raging scandal, Shaibu said in a statement that it was unfortunate that a programme that was designed to lift over 100 million Nigerians out of extreme poverty had become a cash cow for successive APC governments.

He said: “While Tinubu deserves commendation for suspending Edu, we believe this is a belated move. Firstly, he had no business appointing her as a minister of such a sensitive ministry in the first place.

“Tinubu put politics ahead of competence, hence this scandal. What experience did Edu have in the development sector? How was Imaan Ibrahim, with her wealth of experience, overlooked? How did the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, stand as Edu’s referee during her clearance at the Senate?” the statement queried.

Shaibu added: “To be fair, it is not only Edu that was involved in these shady transactions. More documents show that the Interior Minister’s company also benefitted. Reports suggest that others in the Tinubu government got cash from this same ministry under the dubious Renewed Hope Initiative.

“Betta Edu should not be the fall guy. Others who have remotely and wickedly benefitted from money that was meant for poor Nigerians ought to be fished out, probed, and prosecuted too. It is demonic and tendentiously wicked to steal in the name of the poor.”

He noted that the fact that the previous Humanitarian Affairs Minister, Umar-Farouq, was also being probed for N37 billion fraud was evidence that immediate and urgent actions need to be taken to reform the ministry.

“Even during the COVID-19 lockdown, Farouq continued to implement the school feeding programme. She ridiculously claimed that the food would be delivered to the students at home since schools were shut.

“Today, Edu claims that over three million households got N20,000 each during the Yuletide. Sadly, there is no evidence of millions of Nigerians getting such money. This shows that money has just been going into private pockets.

“The scandal that we are contending with is not about Edu, nor about Shehu, or any other rogue element for that matter. It is about a problem of systemic corruption through which the APC continues to bleed the treasury, ironically, asphyxiating the poor and vulnerable segment of the country, all in the name of caring for them.”

Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 election, noted that “this is the time when we need to go beyond poli­tics and partisan grandstanding to address the fundamental issues of rational economic manage­ment.

“I am afraid that the current administration is not paying sufficient attention to issues of rational economic management. Instead, an unsustainable level of debt is being piled upon the econ­omy thereby further burdening our already distressed populace who are bearing the burden of harsh economic policies not backed by compassionate cush­ioning policies.”

Adding its voice to the development, the pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, yesterday declared its support for President Tinubu on his resolve to fight corruption, particularly his resolve against the menace within his cabinet.

While decrying the corruption scandal rocking the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, the foremost Yoruba group stated that an extensive investigation must be carried out to unearth the alleged financial recklessness happening within the Ministry.

In a statement issued by the National Organising Secretary of the group, Kole Omololu, Tinubu was urged to extend the investigation to other ministries as well as the companies that received inflated consultancy fees. According to Afenifere, the country will continue to face challenges if corruption is not dealt with thoroughly.

The statement reads in parts: “As an organisation deeply committed to the progress and well-being of our nation, we are ready to provide our support in the battle against corruption.

“We strongly believe that eradicating corruption is essential for creating an environment that promotes sustainable development, equal opportunities, and social justice for all Nigerians.

“Therefore, we urge President Tinubu to reaffirm his dedication, along with his government, to the growth and advancement. As the President and Commander-in-Chief of Nigeria, President Tinubu must show the determination and resolve to address the critical issue of corruption, which has plagued our beloved country for far too long. Corruption remains a significant barrier to our nation’s development and hampers our collective aspirations.”

Similarly, the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) has applauded President Tinubu over the suspension of Edu for her alleged role in the attempt to steal monies meant for distribution to vulnerable Nigerians.

CUPP’s National Secretary, Peter Ameh, urged President Tinubu to go beyond Edu and fish out anyone that is connected to or partake in the stealing of the collective patrimony of Nigerians. CUPP warned that any attempt to use political consideration to sweep this monumental corruption under the carpet will be resisted by the Nigerian people.

It thereby called on the federal government to rethink the role and mandate of the Humanitarian ministry and save the nation from this embarrassment.

“It is our belief that the suspended Minister could not have carried out that heist without the urging of a stronger and perhaps high-ranking member or members of the present government,” CUPP noted.

“The whole issue surrounding the palliative and the larger Humanitarian Affairs ministry has become a sore thumb in both this government and the previous one.

“The former minister is still under probe for embezzling close to N40 billion before the present minister is fingered for her ignoble role. CUPP does not really believe in giving people fish to eat, which the ministry stands for, but in teaching people how to fish and become self-sustaining.

FOLLOWING the uproar accompanying revelations that a firm linked to him secured a N438 million consultancy contract under the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, was on Tuesday, sighted in the Presidential Villa, Abuja, where he was said to have met with President Bola Tinubu.

There were conflicting reports concerning his presence in the Presidential Villa as some had suggested that the Minister was summoned by President Tinubu to explain the issues connected with the N438 million controversy, while others maintained that he was in the seat of power on a routine ministerial visit.

It was not clear whether he met with the president, but a top State House official confirmed Tunji-Ojo’s visit but asked not to be named. He also declined to give further details. The official explained that the Minister’s presence in the Presidential Villa was a routine affair but was not forthcoming on the reasons for the visit.

He simply said: “One cannot rule out the possibility of the prevailing matter forming the crux of their closed-door meeting.”

It was gathered that the President had to reschedule many of his Tuesday engagements for other pressing issues such as emerging developments from Niger Republic where the military junta had released some members of the deposed president’s family from detention.

At least three other ministers including Hanatu Musawa (Arts and Creative Economy), Shuaibu Audu (Steel Development) and Adebayo Adelabu (Power) were in the Villa but were unable to meet with the president because of his busy schedule.

Another source said Tunji-Ojo and his counterparts who were on the President’s schedule on Tuesday were unable to see him as President Tinubu was meeting a delegation from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

However, when asked to comment on the controversy, Tunji-Ojo simply told correspondents: “We are too intelligent to be stupid.”

He denied any involvement in the N438 million contract awarded to New Planet Project Limited that he co-founded. He had explained in an interview on Monday night on Channels Television that he was no longer involved in the running of the firm having resigned as a director in 2019.

When he was approached for an interview, the minister simply said “It’s all good” as he made his way out of the Presidential Villa. His appearance at the Villa came barely 24 hours after the suspension of Edu.

The Minister of Interior described the report as shocking, insisting he is only a shareholder in the company and not involved in its day-to-day operations.

He said: “I have to say this, I saw it and I was shocked because the company in question was a company, where I was the director. About five years ago, I had resigned my directorship.

“Yes, I founded the company 10 years ago. In 2019 when I got to the House of Representatives, when I won the election precisely, I resigned. I resigned 4th of February 2019 with a Certified True Copy of Corporate Affairs Commission as far back as 2019 to prove this.”

In its reaction, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has justified why President Tinubu acted swiftly on allegations of fraud against the suspended minister.
The party said there are processes information undergoes before it gets to the president.

APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, stated this in an interview with Arise Television on Tuesday.
Morka said: “We are talking about the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, you don’t expect that every act that happens in a ministry is something that is mirrored in the presidency or that there is a board where the president is seeing everything happening in every ministry.

“When there is a problem, that problem works its way up through the channels of information of vetting and filtering to present information to the president for his assessment and decision.

“I don’t think the timeline that you are talking about is less swift because people discussed it first. My point is that the president responded as swiftly as can be and appropriately on this matter.”

Morka also said no one can regulate the actions of humans, adding that there is no mechanism available for a party to modulate the conducts of its members. He added that the only thing that can be done is to set standards and consequences for those who take those actions.

“You are expecting super-humans to be members of the APC and therefore people who are high above reproach and will do no wrong. That is not the standard of any democracy or any political party because people populate the parties. The question is not whether people do wrong, there is no mechanism available for a party to modulate human conduct.

“You can set standards and parameters for imposing consequences for when those actions are taken. That is what this president has done. Whether people choose to do what they do is beyond the control of the president.

“The question is, has the president responded as expected in a democracy? Yes. He swiftly responded to the appearance that something wrong was done,” he said.