Edu asks EFCC to investigate allegations of corruption against Halima

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has been urged to look into the allegations of corruption made against National Coordinator and Chief Executive Officer of the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA), Halima Shehu, and Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu. Chief Sunny Onuesoke, a prominent member of the PDP in Delta State, is spearheading this effort.

Should a competent court of jurisdiction find the two lacking, he argued, they ought to face legal action as a warning to others.

It seems like there are more questions than answers on this issue. All eyes are now on the EFCC to undertake a thorough investigation into the activities of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation to boost public confidence in the scheme that has received more complaints than commendations,” he said.

As Onuesoke pointed out, recent events have demonstrated that women are not as innocent as people think they are, refuting the widespread idea that men are inherently more prone to corruption than women.

“In just one week, two women of substance have been de-robed of their toga of piety for allegedly fiddling with a staggering sum of money belonging to the public. The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu, is accused of trying to transfer more than N585 million to a private account. The National Coordinator and Chief Executive Officer of the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA), Halima Shehu, is accused of laundering ₦44 billion.

According to him, in order to prevent the embezzlement of public monies, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration must ensure that its officials are properly vetted and monitored.

He made it clear that his government is supporting corruption and fostering anarchy in society if it does not select, veto, and punish its dishonest officials.

Onuesoke states, “The government needs to hang them out to dry and send a proper message that those involved in the previous administration, as well as those in the current administration, will be punished in accordance with our laws.” If not, an approach to selective justice will rob the government of the faith of its constituents as well as that of highly desired investors.

You may recall that Betta Edu was named in a number of fraud accusations against the minister and her ministry, including the purported attempt to transfer more than N585 million to a private account, and that Halima Shehu, the head of NSIPA, was accused of laundering N44 billion.