A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Delta State, Chief Sunny Onuesoke, has urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to probe deeper into the allegations of corruption levelled against the National Coordinator and Chief Executive Officer of the National Social Investment Programme Agency, NSIPA, Halima Shehu, and the Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu.
He said the duo should be prosecuted to serve as deterrent to others if found wanting in a competent court of jurisdiction.
“As far as this matter is concerned, there are more questions than answers. All eyes are now on the EFCC to conduct a thorough investigation into the activities of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation to boost public confidence in the programme that has received more complaints than commendations,” he said.
Onuesoke explained that the general belief is that men intrinsically have a greater tendency for corruption than women, pointing out that the recent happenings have shown that the women folks are not as innocent as people perceive them to be.
“In just one week, two women of substance have been de-robed of their toga of piety for allegedly fiddling with a staggering sum of money belonging to the public. One is the National Co-ordinator and Chief Executive Officer of the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA), Halima Shehu accused of laundering ₦44billion and the other is the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu fingered in alleged attempt to divert over N585 million to a private account,” he added.
He said if President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government is going to fight corruption, then its officials must also be under proper scrutiny to safeguard against the pilfering of public funds.
He stressed that if his government does not check, pick, and sanction its corrupt officials, then it is condoning corruption, and creating a lawless society.
According to Onuesoke, “The government must hang them out to dry, and send a proper message that those that were fingered to be corrupt in the previous government, along with those of the present day government, would be punished according to the dictates of our laws. Otherwise, a selective justice approach will not only deprive the government of its citizens’ confidence, but of the much sought after investors confidence.”
It would be recalled that the NSIPA boss, Halima Shehu, was accused of laundering N44 billion while Betta Edu was fingered in series of fraud allegations involving the minister and her ministry including the alleged attempt to divert over N585 million to a private account.
