Apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide has asked President Bola Tinubu to sack the embattled Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu and her counterpart, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo of the Interior Ministry.
The youth group said this on Wednesday during a press briefing in Enugu by its National President, Mazi Okwu Nnabuike.
Okwu said the avowed promise by President Tinubu to cut the cost of governance and rid the country of corruption must be demonstrated through the immediate sack of Edu and Tunji-Ojo.
It could be recalled that Tinubu suspended Edu earlier in the month after a memo surfaced wherein she asked Oluwatoyin Madein, accountant-general of the federation, to transfer N585 million to a private account.
On his part, the interior minister is under scrutiny over allegations that his company, New Planet Project got paid hundreds of millions of naira as consultancy fees for some work done for the scandal-ridden Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs.
Speaking at the press briefing, the Ohanaeze Youths President, who re-called the group’s support to President Tinubu during the 2023 general elections, said Nigerians were going through excruciating pains whereas a few individuals were living in opulence.
He said, “we are alarmed, like many other Nigerians, over the level of rot in the Humanitarian Ministry ever since it was established. It is clear that it was set up simply as a drain pipe.
“The Nigerian youths are appalled that while they languish in unemployment and abject poverty, a few individuals are living large with our common patrimony.
“Mr President, during his visit to Imo State on Monday re-echoed his determination to fight corruption. He identified this as one of the major reasons he removed fuel subsidy.
“While we hail his promise, we believe that he should convince Nigerians that there are no sacred cows by outrightly sacking the Humanitarian Affairs Minister, Beta Edu and the Interior Minister, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo.
“Even though Tunji-Ojo is one of the best hands in this administration with the reformations he has carried out in the passport process, we cannot but say that the payment of millions of Naira to a company he has interest in is a great dent to his reputation.”
“We, therefore, urge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to wield the big stick by sacking the two ministers.
“This will send a clear signal to other of his aides and head of government agencies and MDAs,” Okwu stated.
