Betta Edu: Villa Rivals and Opposition Plot to Link Gbajabiamila to Scandal

• The presidency has responded to the claims linking the chief of staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, to the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs scandals
• A leaked memo surfaced on social media showed that the former lawmaker approved N3bn on behalf of the president for the ministry
• This development sparked a controversy on whether the president was aware of the approval

Legit.ng journalist Segun Adeyemi has over 9 years of experience covering political events, civil societies, courts, and metro

State House, Abuja - An emerging report has confirmed that there is a scheme to link the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, to the ongoing scandal involving the suspended minister of humanitarian affairs, Dr Betta Edu.

More leaked memos are emerging from the humanitarian affairs ministry and its affiliated agencies after the suspension of Edu, who is currently under investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

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Notably, a leaked memo dated December 18, 2023, from the President's Chief of Staff's office disclosed that President Tinubu had authorised the utilisation of N3 billion from the COVID-19 Palliative Fund to verify the National Social Register.

The memo triggered anger among certain Nigerians on various social media platforms that have transformed into yet another scandal.

Response from presidency

In response, the president's spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, countered earlier suggestions by stating that the approval of N3 billion was directly sanctioned by the President and not by Gbajabiamila, as implied before.

A presidential aide addressing the situation remarked that similar communications would persist in the upcoming days, emphasising that Gbajabiamila was the primary focus of these memos.

As quoted by Daily Trust, the president's aide said:

“The latest memo that came out was just an attempt by some persons within and outside the Villa to tie Gbajabiamila to the Betta Edu investigation.

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"Thankfully, One of the official spokesmen of the President, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, has clarified that, indeed, the N3bn was approved by the President himself and not by Gbajabiamila.

“For the sake of clarity, it is not out of place for the President via his chief of staff to raise a memo to approve N3bn for verification of 11 million people inherited from the social register of the last administration based on official request from the minister."

No mercy for Betta Edu, Halima Shehu, others if found guilty - Tinubu

In the latest development, the presidency issued a recent report regarding the ongoing probe into corruption within the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs.

The investigation has reportedly escalated, with anti-corruption agencies making significant progress.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has explicitly instructed that no wrongdoers should be exempted from accountability.

Source: Legit.ng