A youth leader in the Niger Delta region, Richard Akinaka, has called on President Bola Tinubu to take a second look at the rationale and motive behind the project account initiative used by the suspended minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Beta Edu.
In a statement made available to newsmen in Port Harcourt yesterday, Akinaka called on the president not to allow public emotions and social media guide his decision on the alleged corruption case against Edu.
“While I commend the timely suspension and investigation of the minister, the president should re-examine the motive of the suspended minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Beta Edu, when executing her tasks, rather than focusing solely on its account itself,” he said.
The youth leader argued that the decision by the suspended minister to authorise a payment of about N585 million of the ministry’s funds into the private account of a civil servant might have stemmed from the desire to reduce the bureaucratic and red-tape nature of the government in releasing funds.
Akinaka emphasized the necessity for President Tinubu to conduct due diligence in investigating the matter.
“If it becomes clear that the funds released for the project were judiciously used and not siphoned or embezzled, then the minister should be allowed to continue her work at the ministry,” he added.
Expressing regret for the potential error made by the suspended minister based on rules and regulations governing funds for projects, the youth leader suggested that the timing of project execution might outweigh any wrongdoing regarding separate accounts.
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