A public affairs commentator, Mohammed Sanusi has appealed to President Bola Tinubu not to pander to “heavily sponsored blackmail and media trial” against the suspended minister of humanitarian affairs and poverty alleviation, Dr Betta Edu and sack her from his cabinet.
Sanusi said no strategic leader would lose a selfless and zealous cabinet member like Betta Edu in response to sponsored blackmail and campaign of calumny.
He described Edu as one of the most active, innovative, responsive, and result-oriented ministers in President Tinubu’s administration.
The commentator said: “Many Nigerians have watched from the sidelines as she deployed her selfless zeal in bringing succor to those in need.
“In under 140 days, she had visited and successfully initiated various grassroots interventions that had significantly touched the lives of the poor and vulnerable in over 15 Northern states, and some in the southern part of Nigeria as well.
“She has brilliantly represented Nigeria in many national and international fora, successfully attracting donor support to the humanitarian and poverty alleviation ministry.
“For once, the poor and vulnerable across the country can testify to the fact that they are actually benefiting from the federal government’s various programmes.
In the context of the above, why would any strategic leader lose a Betta Edu over paid blackmail?”
Sanusi further claimed that Edu had responded swiftly on behalf of the federal government to humanitarian crises in all parts of the country.
“Little wonder that due to her absence from office when the Ibadan explosion occurred, the federal governments’ humanitarian assistance had scarcely been felt by the victims till date. The same goes for the victims of the renewed Plateau crises. God forbid another crisis should occur, without her at her post,” he said.
Sanusi alleged that the suspension of the minister followed a well-coordinated week-long negative media campaign, coordinated by several known influencers, and heavily sponsored to the tune of over a million dollars from within and outside government circles.
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