Breaking: Tinubu Seals Beta Edu's Fate, Appoints Yilwatda As New Humanitarian Affairs And Poverty Reduction Minister

Ndifereke BASSEY 

At last, President Bola Tinubu has dashed the hope of former Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction Minister, Dr. Beta Edu, replacing her with Dr. Nentawe Yilwatda who has been appointed substantive Minister of the Ministry with Dr. Yusuf Tanko Sununu to serve as Minister of state. Sununu was former minister of state for Education.

This is coming barely ten months after Edu was suspended from office. 

The appointment has laid to rest media hype and speculation by some social media handlers that the former minister will soon be brought back, saying she has been cleared by EFCC. 

Dr. Beta Edu was suspended from office as Minister on January 8, 2024 for alleged malfeasance.

Her suspension was announced in a statement signed by the then Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President, Ajuri Ngelale. 

The state read in part: “In line with his avowed commitment to uphold the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and accountability in the management of the commonwealth of Nigerians, President Bola Tinubu suspends the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Betta Edu, from office with immediate effect. 

According to the statement, "Tinubu directed a comprehensive inquiry into the alleged N585m scandal in the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation."

 He had also vowed to “decisively punish those involved in any breaches and infractions unravelled during the investigations."