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.
