By Safiu Kehinde
Human rights lawyer and senior advocate of Nigeria Femi Falana on Sunday asked for the resignation of the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs Minister, Betta Edu.
His call got her resignation is on the heels of the allegations that she requested for the payment of over N585m belonging to the Ministry into a private account.
Falana called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to arrest the Minister over the allegation.
In a statement on Sunday, he urged the EFCC to speed up the ongoing investigation of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and charged all indicted persons to court.
Describing the action of the Minister as extremely embarrassing, Falana said Edu can never legally explain her decision to divert public funds into private account.
However, Falana said Edu should stop insulting Nigerians, adding that she failed to deny that she gave approval for the funds to be paid to a private account instead of direct transfer to the beneficiaries’ accounts from the ministry’s.
He said, “It is interesting to note that the minister has not denied that she gave approval for the payment of the over half a billion Naira to a private account in contravention of the extant Public Service Rules as well as the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Offences Act and the Penal Code applicable in the Federal Capital Territory.
“Instead of apologising to the Federal Government and people of Nigeria and calling it quits for betraying the confidence reposed in her, the Minister has arrogantly said that the N585.18 million fraud allegation is a mere fabrication by her detractors and an alleged attempt by mischief makers to undermine her ministry’s effort in fighting corruption and uplifting the needy.
“However, notwithstanding that the Accountant-General of the Federation has successfully frustrated the criminal diversion of the said sum of N585.18 million from public treasury, it is crystal clear from the leaked memorandum of the Minister that the offence of an attempt to commit a felony has already been completed.
“There can be no legal justification for the criminal diversion of the said sum of N585.18 million for disbursement to vulnerable people in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Lagos and Ogun States since the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs has collated the individual bank accounts of all the vulnerable people.”