The Presidency says the dismissal of Betta Edu, the suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, by President Bola Tinubu from his cabinet is probably based on findings by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
She was also implicated in the release of N3 billion to verify the National Social Register under the former administration of Muhammadu Buhari, following public outrage over the scandal.
Speaking on Channels TV Sunday Politics, Bayo Onanuga, presidential spokesperson, insisted that Edu has been dismissed, even though there was no official announcement that she has been sacked.
He said, “Betta (Edu) is gone. She was suspended in January and this is October. She is gone. Her position has been taken over by somebody else.
“As far as this government is concerned, there is no place for her in that cabinet. The EFCC has not shared whatever they have but if you go by what the President has done, it shows that maybe the EFCC has submitted something that actually justified that suspension. If you go by what the President has done, it means the EFCC has said something, has revealed something that formed the basis for the President’s action.”
Similarly, last Wednesday, another presidential aide, Tope Ajayi, explained in a phone interview: “Since the President did not bring her back, it is as clear as it is.
“If she’s not coming back to the cabinet, it means she’s not part of it, especially if you didn’t see her name in the reshuffled cabinet yesterday.”
“The President has the power to hire and fire, to appoint and reappoint whoever he wants to reappoint. If her name is not there, that means she’s not there. I don’t think there is anything to argue about,” he added.
In January, a memo from the Chief of the Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, revealed that President Tinubu had given approval to Edu, for the release of N3 billion to verify the National Social Register under the former administration of Muhammadu Buhari.