A group, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Forever Initiative has accused President Bola Tinubu of nepotism after replacing the sacked National Coordinator /CEO National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA), Halima Shehu, a northerner with Dr. Akindele Egbuwalo, a Yoruba Man from the South-west.
It added that the sacking of Shehu didn’t come as a surprise as but a manifestation that the federal government through the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Betta Edu was attempting to cover up some misdoings in government.
It insisted that was undeserving that President Bola Tinubu would approve the suspension of his appointee without investigation or setting up an investigative panel to unravel the allegations that must have led to the suspension.
The group insisted that If the government was sincere, the minister should have been suspended alongside the National Coordinator and CEO of NSIPA to pave way for effective investigation.
The President of the group, Obande Gideon, while addressing a press conference on Wednesday in Abuja maintained that it was wrong for Mr President to approve the suspension of Shehu and immediately replaced her with a Yoruba man instead of the most senior civil servant in her agency who is from the North.
The group, therefore, called on Tinubu to quickly intervene and address Nigerians if truly there were missing funds and how the funds got missing, adding that investigation would reveal the real culprits who are stealing or trying to steal public funds.
It further called on the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to look to reverse the suspension of Shehu.
It stated: “As opposition coalition, we raised alarm toward the end of 2023 that the Minister Betta Edu may have connived with some highly placed persons to undermine the Tinubu’s administration of Renewed Hope Agenda which was evident in the manner fictitious names were been enrolled in the National social register and sub-change Nigerians who are to be the direct Beneficiary of the social investment program.
“Today, the Minister is enjoying her holiday while the National Co-ordinator and CEO of NSIPA is being sacrificed.
“It is wrong for Mr President to approve the suspension of Ms Hailma Shehu and immediately replace her with a Yoruba man instead of the most senior civil servant in her agency which is from the North.
“It is also very undeserving that Mr President would approve a suspension of his appointee without investigation or setting up an investigative panel to unravel the allegations that must have led to the suspension.
“However, information at our disposal revealed that the Honourable Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation may have questions to answer as Ms Halima had worked with her for three years when she was the APC National Woman Leader and possibly influenced her appointment at NSIPA. What must have gone wrong?”
