January 7, 2024

Press Statement

N44bn Fraud: @OfficialPDPNig Demands Betta Edu’s Sack, Prosecution
…Alleges Involvement of Two Top @OfficialAPCNg Leaders

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) demands the immediate sack and prosecution of the embattled Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, @edu_betta 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 exposed fraud in the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs is just a tip of the iceberg of the unprecedented treasury looting, unbridled stealing and plundering of resources going on in the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led All Progressives Congress (APC) administration which has practically brought the nation’s economy to its knees.

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 a people and daring them to do their worst. It further confirms our Party’s position




Betta Edu allegedly directed the transfer of the N585.2 million NSIPA money into the private account of one of her fronts in clear violation of Chapter 7, Section 713 of Nigeria’s Financial Regulations, 2009 which expressly prohibits the payment of public money into a private account.

For emphasis, Section 713 of Nigeria’s Financial Regulations, 2009 provides that “Personal money shall in no circumstances be paid into a government bank account, nor shall any public money be paid into a private bank account. An officer who pays public money into a private account is deemed to have done so with a fraudulent intention”.

The apparent fraudulent intention by Betta Edu in diverting public funds into a private account; an action which was appropriately declared illegal by the Accountant General of the Federation, Oluwatoyin Madein, is consistent with APC’s character and proclivity for plundering of public resources.

The lack of remorse by the Minister especially in her lame attempt to justify the illegal diversion of funds meant for poor Nigerians is also consistent with the insensitivity, heartlessness, impunity and criminal audacity inherent in the APC administration.

A very disturbing information in the public domain indicates that the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs is allegedly working with two prominent APC officials in the Presidency and the National Assembly, who are alleged to be using Ministers and other officials of government to divert billions of naira to personal accounts.

Additional information reveals that there are moves to use the suspended National Coordinator of NSIPA, Halima Shehu as a scapegoat so as to sweep the involvement of the Minister and the said APC leaders under the carpet.

What Nigerians demand of President Tinubu at the moment is to demonstrate commitment to the fight against corruption by immediately sacking Betta Edu, hand her over for investigation, prosecution and take steps to recover the stolen N44 billion and channel the fund recovered towards the wellbeing of Nigerians

The PDP also demands that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) @officialEFCC immediately invite Betta Edu @edu_betta for questioning and take further steps to commence a system-wide investigation into the alleged large-scale corruption and treasury looting pervading in Ministries, Agencies and Departments (MDAs) under the APC @OfficialAPCNg administration.

Signed:

Hon. Debo Ologunagba
National Publicity Secretary

https://twitter.com/OfficialPDPNig/status/1744055447244431430

PDP with their Mickey mouse response. Not a serious opposition.

They should use this opportunity to demand accountability from APC. There is more abt this scandal rocking that ministry

Betta is Better, enemies will labour in vain.
-kiss the truth!

Nlfpmod, fear women.

Pdp/APC all birds of the same feathers!

Jking20:
Pdp/APC all birds of the same feathers!

APC do pass Anini and Osunbor.

Zeus123:
PDP with their Mickey mouse response. Not a serious opposition.

They should use this opportunity to demand accountability from APC. There is more abt this scandal rocking that ministry

Peter Obi still never give account of the money he stole from LP under presidential campaign disguise?

He promised an audited report, We still dey wait Oga.

Pandora Smooth Criminal.

ogododo:

APC do pass Anini and Osunbor.

Lucky Igbinedion done join APC Edo State?

TimeManager:
Betta is Better, enemies will labour in vain.

-kiss the truth!

Better hard Labor, like Peter Gringory labored in vain for Aso Rock vacancy.

This PDP statement is why I wonder if Nigeria would ever have an opposition party.
Assuming and I concede to the PDP that the Minister indeed paid over 500million to the personal account of the project manager, who should be used as a scapegoat.
Is it the madam secretary who allegedly diverted over 44 billion to her cronies or the one who paid over 500 million with paper approval and documented electronic trails that should be made a scapegoat.
That's what PDP has been doing for the last 9 years of being in the opposition,leaving the elephant in the room and always going after the cockroaches.
That's one of the one reasons they lost the presidential election of 2023,the party was obsessed with siding with Ayu,a man who could only influence the election in one state at the expense of 5 Sitting state governors.
It was one of the worst decisions I have ever seen any politician make since the army handed over to Politicans in 1999.
They have started this absurd politicking again in 2024.
At least we have paper trail showing the Minister indeed approved the disbursement of the money,but Madam secretary who allegedly diverted 44 billion can't show who,when and how her own money was approved and disbursed yet the PDP expects us to leave the 44 billion and go after the 500 million.
Seriously It would have been better if the PDP just asked the security agents to go after both women instead of this press statement that tried to exonerate the bigger alleged mover of money and focus on the smaller one.
PDP refocus your strategy in 2024....
God bless PDP,we really do need an opposition in Nigeria
God bless Nigeria........

favor914:
Lucky Igbinedion done join APC Edo State?

Ask Oshio.

Faiththatworks:
This PDP statement is why I wonder if Nigeria would ever have an opposition party.
Assuming and I concede to the PDP that the Minister indeed paid over 500million to the personal account of the project manager, who should be used as a scapegoat.
Is it the madam secretary who allegedly diverted over 44 billion to her cronies or the one who paid over 500 million with paper approval and documented electronic trails that should be made a scapegoat.
That's what PDP has been doing for the last 9 years of being in the opposition,leaving the elephant in the room and always going after the cockroaches.
That's one of the one reasons they lost the presidential election of 2023,the party was obsessed with siding with Ayu,a man who could only influence the election in one state at the expense of 5 Sitting state governors.
It was one of the worst decisions I have ever seen any politician make since the army handed over to Politicans in 1999.
They have started this absurd politicking again in 2024.
At least we have paper trail showing the Minister indeed approved the disbursement of the money,but Madam secretary who allegedly diverted 44 billion can't show who,when and how her own money was approved and disbursed yet the PDP expects us to leave the 44 billion and go after the 500 million.
Seriously It would have been better if the PDP just asked the security agents to go after both women instead of this press statement that tried to exonerate the bigger alleged mover of money and focus on the smaller one.
PDP refocus your strategy in 2024....
God bless PDP,we really do need an opposition in Nigeria
God bless Nigeria........

Make u write about de bigger thieve as you said.

Nawa oo.

This indeed is a very big scam, 44 billion can pay a total of 4.4M Nigerian N10000