Akin Akinola
The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Debo Ologunagba in a statement issued Sunday said the exposed fraud in the ministry was just a tip of the iceberg of the unprecedented treasury looting, unbridled stealing and plundering of resources going on in the President Bola Tinubu-led All Progressives Congress (APC) administration which has practically brought the nation’s economy to its knees.
He said: “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 the people and daring them to do their worst.”
The spokesperson said It further confirmed PDP’s position that the Tinubu-led APC government was a cesspit of corruption; a haven for thieves and treasury looters.
Ologunagba added thagt Nigerians were shocked by reports of how Edu and the suspended National Coordinator of NSIPA, Halima Shehu allegedly engaged in brazen looting of billions of Naira while Nigerians who the funds are meant for are deprived and abandoned to excruciating hardship and misery.
The party said equally disheartening was the reports of how 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.
Ologunagba noted that 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”.
He maintained that the apparent fraudulent intention by 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, was consistent with APC’s character and proclivity for plundering of public resources.
The PDP stressed that the lack of remorse by the minister especially in her lame attempt to justify the illegal diversion of funds meant for poor Nigerians was also consistent with the insensitivity, heartlessness, impunity and criminal audacity inherent in the APC administration.
He added that a very disturbing information in the public domain indicated that the minister was 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.
Ologunagba noted: “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.”