Nigerians across the social media have reacted variously to the suspension of the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu.
Betta earned national opprobrium after a leaked memo revealed that she had instructed the Accountant-General of the Federation Dr Oluwatoyin Madein, to pay N585m into the private bank account of a project accountant in her ministry, Bridget Oniyelu.
Several groups and individuals, including the opposition Peoples Democratic Party; civil society organisation Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project [SERAP]; human rights lawyer Femi Falana, SAN; the Yoruba Youth Assembly and other civil society groups demanded an unfettered probe of the leaked memo.
The minister had claimed that the N585m payment was meant for vulnerable groups in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Ogun, and Lagos states, describing the allegations against her as baseless.
See Nigerians’ reaction to Betta’s suspension:
What even annoyed me about this whole Betta Edu thing is that she booked flight ticket that she is going to Kogi State. A State where only the Governor and 4 other people have been inside a plane. Using the poor people of Kogi to lie. Grave injustice
— Kelvin Odanz (@MrOdanz) January 8, 2024
I must commend President Bola Tinubu for having the courage to suspend the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Betta Edu, from office with immediate effect and for going further to direct the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to investigate her.…
— Reno Omokri (@renoomokri) January 8, 2024
Almost as if Betta Edu’s corruption resumé wasn’t all over the place before her appointment.
Clowns!
— Demola Of Lagos 𓃵 (@OmoGbajaBiamila) January 8, 2024
BREAKING:
Bola Tinubu has finally suspended Betta Edu for fraud.
Too little too late! For a government whose mandate is illegitimate, Bola should have at least purchased a fairly used emotional intelligence.
Why did it take a public outcry for Asiwaju to do the barest minimum?
— NEFERTITI (@firstladyship) January 8, 2024
Betta Edu was once the Chairperson of the Commissioners of Health Forum.
She denied the existence of COVID-19 but didn’t reject the COVID-19 funds.Peak fooling of 2020 and 2024
— Deborah Tolu-Kolawole GenZ (@DeborahToluwase) January 8, 2024
All we wanted was a justice, you can’t suspend one person for something without investigation and overlook the same thing by another person, it needs to be fair.
Now that Betta Edu is suspended too, let’s see how the investigation goes, I believe both of them were explaining… pic.twitter.com/f5rEqJisFv
— F A A R E E S 💫 🇵🇸 (@MFaarees_) January 8, 2024
All we wanted was a justice, you can’t suspend one person for something without investigation and overlook the same thing by another person, it needs to be fair.
Now that Betta Edu is suspended too, let’s see how the investigation goes, I believe both of them were explaining… pic.twitter.com/f5rEqJisFv
— F A A R E E S 💫 🇵🇸 (@MFaarees_) January 8, 2024
Woman Down. Dr. Betta Edu suspended. Was always a tricky ministry that shouldn’t exist IMO. Barely a year into the job she’s gone
— Ayobami (@dondekojo) January 8, 2024
