A public affairs analyst, Mr. Mohammed Sanusi, has advised President Bola Tinubu not to throw away his best hands based on fabricated allegations by detractors of his government.
Mr, Sanusi in a statement, alleged that many performing officials of the Tinubu Administration are being targeted by agents of the opposition, with the intention to destabilize the government.
He further alleged that the allegations made against suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Betta Edu, were brought up to hit back at her after exposing the rot in the ministry.
Sanusi noted that it will be strategically faulty for the Tinubu Administration to drop its best hands on allegations that are figments of imagination and sponsored against such officials.
He also alleged that those being targeted include Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila and Central of Nigeria for moving some departments to Lagos as part of its reform programme.
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Sanusi described Edu as one of the most active, innovative, responsive and result-oriented ministers.
He 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 Betta Edu over paid blackmail?”.
Sanusi further claimed that the young and passionate Betta Edu had responded swiftly on behalf of the Federal Government to humanitarian crises in all parts of the country.
He added: “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”.
The analyst alleged that the suspension of the Minister was orchestrated by those angry that she exposed the N44 billion fraud in National Social Investment Programmes Agency.
He said: “Those behind Dr. Edu’s travail believe that should an allegation be raised against top official of this administration, such a person would be suspended from office
“These negative media campaigns are succeeding heavily in distracting government from achieving Mr President’s Renewed Hope Agenda, by forcing it to constantly react to these media blackmails.
“A lot of government ministers have become weary in doing their work for fear of these organized social media hoodlums. The reluctance stemming from uncertainty as to whether their principal will see through the white noise and protect his “A” team, or give in to the paid propaganda”.
Sanusi explained further that: “These distractions are not actually targeted at the foot soldiers, but rather at the President himself. The game plan is to take down all the President’s best hands, ensure his government has no impact, and ultimately get him voted out for poor performance in 2027”.
He also stated that three weeks after the suspension of Betta Edu, it had become clear to all that it was one-week campaign of calumny against her to ensure she got suspended just because she exposed a N44billion transfer in an agency under her watch.
“The public now understands clearly that the Federal Government Financial Regulations in Chapter 14, 1402.iii, which talks of advances, states clearly that for disbursement of funds for Non-Personal Advances for projects/ special programmes, the leader of the Project/Special Programme shall be the accounting officer and shall approve all payments, while the Accountant of an appropriate grade shall be attached to each project/ special programmes and have responsibility for the disbursement as well as retirement of Non Personal Advances.
“The question is, was the money paid to the account of a project accountant of an appropriate grade? The answer is yes! Was the money disbursed to beneficiaries? The answer is yes! Did any funds go to Dr Edu’s account, or was any funds used by her? The answer is NO!
“If these are the facts, why would any strategic government suspend one of its best hands rather than reform its financial regulations if it is not comfortable with any aspect of it? Betta Edu didn’t write the Financial Regulations; she met it there. It is the same practice in all ministries with evidence to show to that effect”, Sanusi said.
He expressed his worries over sustained plot to distract the Tinubu administration.
“This is a young government of eight months and must be given the benefit of the doubt to bring reforms that will change things for the better.
“President Tinubu, who many believe would be one of the best Presidents Nigeria has ever produced, should immediately take charge of his government, reinstate his minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, restart his social protection programmes with better checks and balances, reform the Federal Government Financial Regulations and take control of the Media narrative”, he added.
Sanusi advised that the President should remain in the driver’s seat and not allow single narratives that verge on media propaganda to influence his actions.
He added that there is new directive being sponsored in the social media that the President had ruled out return of Dr. Edu whereas, Mr. President had only said he would wait for the report on the panel and the report of the investigation by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
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