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N585m diversion scandal: Tinubu’s suspension of Betta Edu justified based on information — APC
The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has justified President Bola Tinubu’s action to swiftly order the suspension of Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Betta Edun over recent allegations of diversion of funds into private accounts.
The party said there are processes information undergoes before it gets to the president.
The National Publicity Secretary of the All progressives Congress, Felix Morka stated this in an interview with Arise Television on Tuesday.
Morka said, “We are talking about the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, you don’t expect that every act that happens in a ministry is something that is mirrored in the presidency or that there is a board where the president is seeing everything happening in every ministry.
“When there is a problem, that problem works its way up through the channels of information of vetting and filtering to present information to the president for his assessment and decision.
“I don’t think the timeline that you are talking about is less swift because people discussed it first. My point is that the president responded as swiftly as can be and appropriately on this matter.”
Morka also said no one can regulate the actions of humans, adding that there is no mechanism available for a party to modulate the conducts of its members.
He added that the only thing that can be done is to set standards and consequences for those who take those actions.
“You are expecting superhumans to be members of the APC and therefore people who are high above reproach and will do no wrong. That is not the standard of any democracy or any political party because people populate the parties. The question is not whether people do wrong, there is no mechanism available for a party to modulate human conduct.
“You can set standards and parameters for imposing consequences for when those actions are taken. That is what this president has done. Whether people choose to do what they do is beyond the control of the president.
“The question is, has the president responded as expected in a democracy? Yes. He swiftly responded to the appearance that something wrong was done,” he said.
Recall that Edu, according to the report, had asked the Accountant General of the Federation, Mrs Oluwatoyin Sakirat Madein to send public funds to a private account that belonged to Oniyelu Bridget Mojisola, identified as a project manager by the minister.
The Minister had approved that N585,198,500.00 should be disbursed into a personal account.
The ministry approved funds for flight tickets and airport taxis for her team from Abuja to Kogi State, even though the latter has no airport.
President Bola Tinubu on Monday suspended Edu and ordered an investigation into the alleged fraudulent activities of the minister.
A 27-year-old employee of KAM Steel Integrated Company, Yahaya Ibrahim, was crushed to death by an engine roller at the company’s factory along the Sagamu-Ogijo Expressway in Ogun State.
The incident occurred at 4:50 am on Sunday, July 7, 2024, when the deceased slipped and fell on the machine while working at the company’s plant.
It was gathered that efforts by other staff members to rescue the victim were unsuccessful, as the roller crushed him to death.
The spokesperson of the State Police Command, Omolola Odutola, who confirmed the incident on Sunday stated that the deceased’s body had been taken to the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital morgue.
“Our men on traffic inspection visited the scene when we received a distress call. It was an industrial accident. The body has been deposited at the OOUTH morgue in Sagamu,” Odutola stated.
Obasa said this in an interview with the newsmen on the sidelines of the launch of the Ibile Muslim Community Zakat and Sadaqah Foundation in Lagos.
He said that there was need for such legislation.
The foundation was launched at a public presentation sponsored by Lotus Bank in Lagos.
It aims to empower less privileged Muslims and alleviate poverty by promoting Zakat, Sadaqah, and Waqf.
Obasa explained that the proposed law would empower the state government and foundations like the Ibile Muslim Community Zakat and Sadaqah Foundation to regulate aid soliciting.
According to him, the law will also ensure donations reach the needy without them having to beg on the streets.
He noted that the rising number of beggars in Lagos necessitated this regulation.
“We are looking at how we can manage such situations to stop beggars from parading the streets of Lagos begging for alms.
“Following such legislation, anyone caught begging on the streets or aiding such, particularly among children, would also be sanctioned according to the law,” Obasa said.
Speaking on the foundation’s launch, Obasa highlighted the benefits of Zakat, which helps both payers and beneficiaries by eradicating poverty.
“It is important for anyone blessed by God to reach out to the less privileged.
“This should start from the immediate family and extend to every other member of society.
“The essence is to make everyone equal, or at least to move people from poverty and make them feel comfortable,” he added.
Sheikh Sulayman Nolla, Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Ibile Muslim Community Zakat and Sadaqah Foundation, emphasised the foundation’s goal of unifying all Muslims in Lagos.
Nolla, also the Grand Chief Imam of Lagos, noted that the foundation serves all, regardless of religious background, and aims to bridge the gap between the rich and the poor by pooling resources.
Mrs Kafilat Araoye, Managing Director of Lotus Bank, stated that the bank is supporting the foundation financially, technically, and administratively, ensuring adherence to Sharia and Islamic finance principles.
Araoye stressed the need for permanent solutions to poverty rather than temporary palliatives, given the country’s current economic realities.
Zakat is the third pillar of Islam, requiring eligible Muslims to donate a portion of their wealth annually to aid the poor.
It is typically 2.5 per cent of a Muslim’s total savings and wealth above a minimum amount, or “nisab,” each lunar year.
Sadaqah is a voluntary charitable act, while Waqf is an Islamic endowment of property for charitable or religious purposes.
The Major Energies Marketers Association of Nigeria (MEMAN) on Sunday advised Nigerians not to engage in panic buying of fuel for stockpiling purposes.
Its Executive Secretary, Mr Clement Isong, gave this advice in an interview with the newsmen due to the ongoing queues at filling stations across Lagos.
Isong explained that the shortfall of product in most stations was due to adverse weather and hunderstorms that delayed ship-to-ship (STS) trans-loading, among others.
Others, he said, included berthing at jetties, truck load-outs and transportation of products to filling stations, creating a disruption in station supply logistics.
He noted that the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) had also warned that the loading of petrol should be avoided during rainstorms and lightening.
Isong emphasised that petroleum products were flammable and required transportation, dispensation, consumption and storage in strictly controlled and regulated manners.
“Any deviation from these regulations poses significant danger and risks, including fatalities.
“We wish to reiterate that there is no cause for alarm. We strongly urge Nigerians to avoid panic buying or stockpiling of petrol.
“This behaviour not only creates artificial scarcity but also poses a significant safety hazard,” Isong said.
He added that the delay in loading petroleum products at depots due to storms contributed to the shortfall of stocks in filling stations.
“Many trucks could not load product for over 48 hours during the storm.
“Now that the weather is clear, marketers have begun loading, and all trucks have commenced distribution of fuel to all stations across the country.
“We want to assure Nigerians that there is no scarcity, and they should not stock petrol at home,” he said.
He recalled that Malam Mele Kyari, the Group CEO, NNPC Ltd., had said that the Customs had inaugurated a team named, “Operation Whirlwind” to combat the smuggling of petroleum products to neighbouring countries.
He quoted Kyari as saying that the the team would protect the nation’s economy from the adverse effects of smuggling petroleum products.
Isong also mentioned that illegal smuggling of the product to neighbouring countries had increased the country’s consumption to between 58 to 60 million litres per day.
To address this, he noted that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd. (NNPCL), had tightened up the supply chain to avoid illegal smuggling.
According to Isong, NNPCL is buying and importing petrol at international prices and selling at a considerably domestic price. newsmen who monitored the situation in Lagos, reported that queues for petrol have resurfaced in parts of the city, with fuel stations packed with vehicles waiting to fill their tanks.
The long queues extended to road networks, causing gridlock in some areas.
Some consumers were also seen queuing at closed filling stations in hopes of accessing the product.
Long queues were observed at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) stations on Ikorodu Road, Fadeyi, Bariga, and the Ogba axis of Lagos.
Similar situations were seen at NIPCO stations in Fadeyi, Surulere, and Ago Palace Way.
In Epe, queues for petrol were prevalent at T-Tap, TotalEnergies, Enyo and Petrocam.
In Ikorodu Town, vehicles were lined up at Mobil, TotalEnergies, NIPCO, and Malo stations at Odogunyan First Gate.
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