*As leaked official memo shows Tinubu’s approval of N3b to verify Buhari’s social register
By OUR REPORTER
Indications have emerged that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu may have indeed directed Femi Gbajabiamila, his Chief of Staff, to sign the President’s memo, authorising Betta Edu, the suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, to spend from the COVID paliative fund, contrary to speculation that the funds were diverted.
A memo circulated in the media, copy which has been sighted by The DEFENDER, from the Chief of Staff to the President has revealed that President Bola Tinubu gave approval to the now suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Betta Edu, for the release of N3 billion to verify the National Social Register, which was initially compiled under former President Muhammadu Buhari.
The leaked memo showed that Edu did not act alone as the President gave his ascent on the 14 of September , 2023 for her action for which she is now going down alone.
The social register had been created for cash transfers for the poorest of the poor during the Buhari administration and other social investment programmes.
This online newspaper recalls how the then N5,000 monthly stipend – at a time fuel pump price was N145/N185 and forex N165/N341 to $1 – administered by Buhari’s Deputy, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and later ministry of humanitarian affairs – had been applauded to have been of immense benefits to the direct beneficiaries.
On a national televition it was once dhown how a beneficiary havested farm products worth N300,000 as a result of the N5,000 poorest of tge poor Nigerians abd she explained how.
Suddenky, Presidebt Bola Ahmed Tinubu, popularly called the “national leader of the party” while this direct cash transfer of the social investment programmes of thevruling All Progressives Congress (APC) took over power eight months ago and found that programme an area through which yhe immediate past govetmment of same party coukd be criminalised, some observers noted.
Tinubu’s attempt to therefore go after his predecessor by presenting him to Nigerians as a looter may have bounced back on him as, in effort to find fault with a social investment programme that was generally applauded in the life of an administration, he may have shot himself in the foot.
It will be recalled how Tinubu, assisted by his government members including Nuhu Ribadu, had accused Buhari of looting the economy that there was nothing left for him to run the Nigeria he inherited on May 29, 2023
In the latest revelations, it has been gathered that several firms were awarded contracts from the N3 billion given out to the suspended minister (Betta Edu) and which official memo has now shown has Tinubu’s approval – a release which has now generated controversies and is a subject of probe by presidential investigators and anti-graft agencies.
The leaked memo signed by the President’s Chief of Staff, had indicated that the “President has approved the expenditure of N3,000,000,000.00 (Three Billion Naira) only, from the Covid-19 Palliative Fund for verification of the National Social Register.
”Please accept the assurance of my highest regards.”
It was not immediately clear how this latest discovery will affect the fate of the suspended Minister.
