Former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu, who was disgraced and forced out of office following allegations of financial misconduct, has declared that President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms have moved Nigeria from difficult times into prosperity.
Edu, who was suspended by Tinubu in January 2024 over allegations involving the transfer of public funds into a private bank account, made the declaration in Jos, Plateau State, on Saturday, while campaigning for the President’s re-election.
Her comments come amid persistent economic hardship across the country, with millions of Nigerians struggling with rising food prices, transportation costs, inflation and declining purchasing power following the removal of petrol subsidy and the floating of the naira by the Tinubu administration.
The former minister’s declaration also comes against the backdrop of growing public discontent with the President, who has faced boos and stone-throwing incidents during recent outings in Abuja and Jos.
Tinubu had suspended Edu on January 8, 2024, after allegations emerged that she authorised the transfer of N585 million meant for vulnerable Nigerians into a private bank account belonging to one Oniyelu Bridget Mojisola.
The development triggered public outrage and prompted the President to order an investigation into the allegations.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) subsequently invited Edu for questioning and placed her under investigation. She was later released on administrative bail.
Edu denied any wrongdoing in the controversy, which centred on the alleged transfer of public funds into an individual’s private account, contrary to public financial regulations.
The EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, later said the commission had recovered more than N30 billion in connection with the investigation involving Edu.
“Moreover, with respect to this particular case, we have recovered over N30 billion, which is already in the coffers of the federal government,” Olukoyede said.
He explained that the investigation involved several financial transactions and would require time to establish the facts.
“It takes time to conclude investigations. We started this matter less than six weeks ago.
“There are cases that take years to investigate. There are so many angles to it and we need to follow through some of the discoveries that we have seen,” he said.
Olukoyede also disclosed that the EFCC was investigating more than 50 bank accounts into which funds had allegedly been transferred.
“As it is now, we are investigating over 50 bank accounts that we have traced money into. That is no child’s play. That’s a big deal,” he said.
However, over two years down the line, the EFCC has not presented the findings of its investigations and has rebuffed all questions until Edu was appointed into the president’s campaign council to public condemnation.
Meanwhile, the economic reforms Edu praised have continued to attract criticism over their impact on the living conditions of Nigerians.
Tinubu announced the removal of petrol subsidy during his inauguration on May 29, 2023, while his administration subsequently adopted a floating foreign exchange regime, allowing the naira to find its value in the market.
The policies, which the government has defended as necessary to address structural economic problems and stabilise public finances, were followed by sharp increases in petrol prices and significant depreciation of the naira.
The resulting increase in transportation and production costs, alongside rising food prices, has put pressure on household incomes and businesses.
The hardship arising from the subsidy removal has also been acknowledged by the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, who admitted that Nigerians had experienced difficulties following the policy.
The administration has repeatedly defended the reforms as necessary measures whose benefits would become more evident over time. However, the continuing cost-of-living crisis has fuelled public dissatisfaction.
The discontent has also been reflected in reactions to Tinubu during his recent public appearances.
On Friday, the President faced boos and stone-throwing incidents in Abuja while attending Jumat prayers at the Shehu Shagari Mosque.
He encountered a similar reception on Saturday in Jos, Plateau State, where some residents booed and threw objects at his convoy during his campaign visit.
Against this backdrop, Edu, now a Co-Director of the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council Women Mobilisation Directorate, said at the APC Women’s Directorate Stakeholders’ Engagement and Town Hall Meeting with Plateau women at the Rayfield Government House in Jos that Nigeria is now into prosperity.
The meeting was organised as part of the APC presidential campaign activities in Plateau State.
Speaking with journalists on the sidelines of the event, Edu said the women’s mobilisation team had been directed by the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, to combine a data-driven campaign with empowerment programmes.
“We have been sent here by Her Excellency, the wife of the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, our First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, and she has asked that we should not only run a data-driven campaign or all the different ways by which we communicate our achievement of the government, and that we should also run an empowerment-driven campaign,” she said.
Assessing the impact of the Tinubu administration, the former minister said Nigerians had passed through a difficult period of economic reforms but were now entering an era of prosperity.
“For Nigerians, we have gone through a bend, a bend of reform, of transformation and what we may call tough times but right now, we are into prosperity,” she said.
“So those were the foundations that were necessary for our nation to move forward,” she added.
Edu said the engagement was designed to communicate the administration’s achievements and inform women in Plateau State about its empowerment initiatives.
She disclosed that at least 1,000 women were empowered at the meeting to recapitalise their businesses and support their families.
“Today, we have empowered at least one thousand women in this hall and we have done that for them to go back and recapitalise their businesses,” she said.
