Governance

Group Faults Calls for Betta Edu’s Reinstatement

By Web News 367

By Olusegun Folarin

The Muslim Media Watch Group of Nigeria, MMWG, has appealed to President Bola Tinubu not to spare any public office holder found guilty of financial misconduct or economic crimes.

The Group maintained that any form of indulgence or politicisation of criminal offences and economic crimes was capable of undermining the President’s renewed efforts at combating corruption in the country.

In a joint statement by the National Coordinator, Alhaji Ibrahim Abdullahi and the Ogun State Coordinator of the group, Alhaji Kamaldeen Akintunde, the Muslim Media Watch Group of Nigeria urged the President not to succumb to the pressure being mounted on his office to pardon public office holders currently under investigations for financial impropriety.

The Group emphasized that a recent call, reportedly made by the Arewa Unity Front, for the reinstatement of the suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Dr. Betta Edu was rather hasty, noting that such intervention ought to come after the conclusion of ongoing investigations of the officials concerned.

It urged the investigation panel to live up to expectations and avoid doing the hatchet job, but to uphold standard practice and conventional process of unraveling the truth and ensuring credible outcomes.

While encouraging public office holders and other officials to be guided by their ‘oath of office and allegiance’ and avoid actions capable of tarnishing their image or erode the people’s confidence in them, the Muslim Media Watch Group of Nigeria also called on those at the helms of affairs to embrace the rule of law and promote good governance.

Crime

President Tinubu Suspends Humanitarian Affairs Minister, Betta Edu

By Web News 702

By Bello Wakili

President Bola Tinubu has suspended the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Betta Edu, from office with immediate effect.

In a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale said the President further directed the Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to conduct a thorough investigation into all aspects of the financial transactions involving the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, as well as one or more agencies thereunder.

The statement said further that the suspended Minister has been directed to hand over to the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, and she is further directed by the President to fully cooperate with the investigating authorities as they conduct their investigation.

Furthermore, the President has tasked a panel that is headed by the Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance to, among other functions, conduct a comprehensive diagnostic on the financial architecture and framework of the social investment programmes with a view to conclusively reforming the relevant institutions and programmes in a determined bid to eliminate all institutional frailties for the exclusive benefit of disadvantaged households and win back lost public confidence in the initiative.

Edited by Olaolu Fawole

Politics

APC Presidential Nomination, Expression Forms to Cost 100m

By Web News 745

The All Progressives Congress, APC, has pegged its presidential nomination and expression of interest forms at 100 million naira.

The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, disclosed this shortly after the 11th National Executive Meeting held on Wednesday in Abuja.

The nomination form would go for 70 million naira while expression of interest forms would go for 30 million naira.

Opposing an earlier announcement by the party’s National Women Leader, Betta Edu, that the women will get free forms, Morka said women are entitled to free nomination forms but will pay for their expression of interest forms.

Ridwan Fasasi

Politics

2023: APC Declares Nomination Forms Free For Female Aspirants

By Web News 615

Women aspiring for political positions on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, will no longer pay for nomination and expression of interest forms.

Addressing newsmen in Abuja, the National Women Leader of the APC, Dr. Betta Edu said the decision was in fulfilment of the promise made by the National Chairman of the party, Senator Abdullahi Adamu that women would be carried along.

Dr Edu urged women at all levels to join the APC to take full advantage of the opportunity and mobilise themselves for elective offices stressing that the era of groaning over financial implication of running for political office was over.

While appreciating the National Leadership of the party for the grace, Dr Edu appealed to women to further use the 35% affirmative action to support their fellow women and make the difference in 2023 general election.

FRCN Abuja/Olaolu Fawole