The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has asked President Bola Tinubu to fire Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Betta Edu.
Debo Ologunagba, PDP spokesperson, said in a statement issued on Sunday that the minister’s continued tenure in office despite corruption allegations against her is “provocative.”
Edu has come under fire after a memo surfaced in which she asked the federation’s accountant-general, Oluwatoyin Madein, to transfer N585 million to a private account.
The minister also authorised funds for flight tickets and airport taxis for ministry personnel travelling to Kogi, a state without an airport.
Nigerians have called for an investigation into the minister and her ministry amid the controversy.
The PDP demanded that the president fire the minister “immediately” and turn her over to security agencies for prosecution.
The statement reads:
The alleged “exposed fraud” in the ministry, according to the opposition party, is just the tip of the iceberg of “unprecedented corruption in government that has practically brought the nation’s economy to its knees.”
“Is it not tragic and heartbreaking that a minister entrusted with public funds to support millions of vulnerable Nigerians who have been impoverished by the APC, turned around to divert hundreds of millions of naira meant for the wellbeing of the vulnerable?”
“The continuing stay of Betta Edu as minister is, therefore, provocative.
“The lack of remorse by the minister especially in her corny attempt to justify the illegal diversion of funds meant for vulnerable Nigerians is insensitivity, heartlessness, impunity and criminal audacity.
“What Nigerians demand of President Tinubu at the moment is to demonstrate commitment to the fight against corruption by immediately sacking Betta Edu, hand her over for investigation, prosecution.”
The party also requested that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) question Edu and take additional steps to launch a “system-wide investigation into the alleged large-scale corruption” under the All Progressives Congress (APC).