The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, has commended President Bola Tinubu on the suspension of the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu.

In a statement by his Special Assistant, Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, on Tuesday, Atiku noted that the suspension of the minister was commendable but not enough.

Recall that President Bola Tinubu, on Monday, directed the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ola Olukoyede, to investigate all financial transactions involving the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.

Edu came under criticism after a leaked memo on December 20, 2023, revealed that she directed the Accountant-General of the Federation, Oluwatoyin Madein, to transfer N585 million to a private account owned by one Oniyelu Bridget, who the ministry claimed currently serves as the Project Accountant, Grants for Vulnerable Groups.

The former Vice President noted that it was unfortunate that a programme that was designed to lift over 100 million Nigerians out of extreme poverty had allegedly become a cash cow for successive All Progressives Congress governments.

He said, “While Tinubu deserves commendation for suspending Edu, we believe this is a belated move. First, 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 Betta 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 Betta Edu’s referee during her clearance at the Senate?”

Atiku who called for reform of the ministry, alleged that it was not only Betta Edu that was involved in the transactions.

“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.

“There is a need for the government to reform the humanitarian affairs ministry and other interventionist programmes that had become an ATM and POS for those in power,” he said.

He noted that the fact that the previous Humanitarian Affairs Minister, Sadiya Umar Farouq, is also being probed for N37bn fraud was evidence that immediate and urgent actions need to be taken to reform the ministry.

The statement added, “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, Betta 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 Betta Edu, nor about Halima Shehu, or any other person 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.

“The APC has weaponised poverty and hunger to control the minds of the vulnerable masses, and it is even worse that they have devised a method to use poverty as an instrument of official corruption.”

LAGOS ASSEMBLY PASSES N2.267TRN AS BUDGET FOR 2024

The Lagos State House of Assembly on Friday passed a total of N2,267,976,120,869 as the 2024 budget size of the State at a plenary session presided over by the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa.

The budget representing 58 percent Capital Expenditure and 42 percent Recurrent Expenditure was approved following a unanimous voice vote by all the lawmakers present at the sitting.

“A bill for a law to authorise the issuance and appropriation of N952,430,566,998 from the Consolidated Revenue Fund for Recurrent Expenditure and N1,315,545,553,871 from Development Fund for Capital Expenditure thereby totaling a budget size of N2,267,976,120,869 for the year ending 31st December, 2024 be passed into law,” the Speaker had raised on the floor as the budget report was read a third time.

Dr. Obasa, thereafter, commended the lawmakers for their dedication and cooperation at ensuring a quick passage of the Appropriation Bill while directing the Clerk of the House, Barr. Olalekan Onafeko, to forward a copy of the approved budget to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for assent.

Prior to its passage, Hon. Sa’ad Olumoh, chairman of the joint-committee on Budget and Finance, had presented a report containing some recommendations to the House.

Among the recommendations is that the Public Works Corporation, the Water Corporation and the state-owned tertiary institutions be placed on first-line charge to enable them perform optimally.

Governor Sanwo-Olu had on Wednesday, December 13, 2023, presented the 2024 budget proposal of N2.246 trillion to the House of Assembly saying that the state anticipated internally generated revenue of N1.251 trillion and federal government allocations of N596.629 billion.

Recall that Obasa, during the presentation of the budget by the governor, urged the government should ensure a functional budget.

“It is highly important for us to apply the right indices towards ensuring a performing and functioning budget that would lift our people out of poverty and reposition the state towards infrastructural growth and renewal.

“Palliatives should move from just giving people garri, rice, beans or even money. We should have a direction that is focused, impactful and deeply backed up by effective policy implementations.

“For instance, in the name of palliative care, let there be provision of drugs at all public hospitals in the state at subsidised rates. At the same time, focus should be on a downward review of treatment costs in these hospitals,” the Speaker said during the budget presentation.

A Nollywood actor, Dejumo Lewis, is dead.

The veteran actor died at the age of 80.

Actor, Saidi Balogun, confirmed his passing in a post shared on his Instagram account on Saturday.

Sharing the photo of the late veteran, Saidi wrote, “Good night DEJUMO LEWIS, may your soul rest in perfect peace. RIP.”

While the specific details surrounding Lewis’ passing remain undisclosed, Balogun’s tribute has ignited an outpouring of condolences from fans and other actors and actresses.

Lewis is a Nigerian film and television actor, famous for the Kabiyesi role in The Village Headmaster, Nigeria’s longest-running television soap opera shown on NTA from 1968 to 1988 that stared Justus Esiri and Femi Robinson and many others.

Lewis is also known for his memorable performances in acclaimed films such as “A Place in the Stars” (2014), “Crossroads” (2020), and “Power of 1” (2018).

Mubarak Akadiru, the son of a housemaid who was arrested by police detectives for the murder of a 62-year-old grandmother and former head teacher, Mrs Sidikat Adamolekun, in Arigidi Akoko, Ondo State, has told an Akure Magistrate Court why he killed her mother’s benefactor.

The defendant, who was 18 at the time, told the court that he repeatedly beat the deceased’s skull with a wooden stool when she caught him while attempting to steal her phone.

He said, “As usual, I went to the house to work and I later came back to steal her Samsung phone. “Unfortunately, the deceased caught me after I’d stolen the phone.”

Simon Wada, a police prosecutor, told the court that the defendant committed the crime on November 14, 2023, at 11:30 am, at Simiileolowa Quarters in Arigidi Akoko.

Wada said the defendant allegedly killed the deceased by striking her on the head with a wooden stool while stealing her Android Samsung phone worth N66,000.

According to the prosecution, the offence violates Section 319 of the Criminal Code, Cap. 37, Vol. 1, Laws of Ondo State of Nigeria, 2006.

Magistrate Damilola Sekoni granted the remand application and ordered that the accused be confined at the Olokuta Correctional Centre until the conclusion of the DPP’s advice.

Sekoni then adjourned the case to March 15, 2024, for further consideration.