CSOs Condemn Beta Edu’s Reappearance Without EFCC Clearance

A Coalition of Civil Society Groups led by the Empowerment for Unemployed Youth Initiatives (EUYI) has condemned what they termed systematic relaunch into public by the sacked Minister of Humanitarian and Poverty Reduction Affairs, Dr Betta Edu without being cleared by and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC).

The groups also decried her public appearances around the presidency, especially with the First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu in recent times.

Betta Edu was shamefully suspended over an alleged diversion of more than 585 million naira ($640,000; £500,000) and many more of public money into a personal bank account, by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2024, following outrage by Nigerians, a move that brought shame to the nation.

Addressing a press conference Thursday in Abuja, the groups led by the Convener, Coalition of Civil Society Groups, Chief Kennedy Tabuko and Co-Convener, Empowerment for Unemployed Youth Initiatives (EUYI), Danesi Momoh, discribed the development as worrisome, adding that President Tinubu, who is aware of all the corruption cases against Beta Edu by EFCC since 2024, should have prevented his wife from publicly interacting in the public space with someone whose corruption cases are still pending.

According to Tabuko who read the text of the press conference, it is rather unfortunate that Nigeria is fast becoming a nation of no justice and no consequence for wrong action taken by public officials. We note that abnormality is fast becoming normal while our norms and all that we hold dear are gradually giving way to mediocrity.