Halima Shehu Cleared by EFCC, Edu’s Fate in Limbo as EFCC Reportedly Recommends Prosecution

Months after the suspension of Dr. Betta Edu, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, both the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Presidency have kept Nigerians in suspense regarding the next steps. Daily Trust reports that the EFCC, after Edu’s January 8 suspension, conducted a thorough investigation and submitted an interim report to the presidency.

Sources indicate that the EFCC recommended prosecuting Edu following its investigation into allegations against her. However, influential figures, including Senate President Godswill Akpabio, are allegedly lobbying President Bola Tinubu for a “soft landing” for Edu, considering her contributions to the APC’s success.

Meanwhile, the suspended coordinator of the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA), Halima Shehu, is said to have been cleared by the EFCC in its interim report. The EFCC reportedly found that the expenses under Shehu’s administration followed standard procedures and were released for their intended purposes.

However, a source revealed that a strong personality in the Villa was dissatisfied with the EFCC’s report and requested a review. When contacted, the EFCC’s spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, stated that the investigation is ongoing and declined to comment further.

In response to allegations that Akpabio was working to secure a soft landing for Edu, Eseme Eyiboh, the spokesman of the Senate president, clarified that Edu was suspended by her appointer, not the president of the Senate. He emphasized that the president of the Senate does not influence the fate of ministers.

Investigations by our correspondent at the EFCC show that neither Edu nor Shehu have been listed for prosecution, which is part of the EFCC’s responsibilities according to its establishing act. Edu faced scrutiny after a memo surfaced online, revealing questionable financial transactions, leading to her suspension by the president.

In addition to the EFCC probe, Tinubu directed a panel led by the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, to conduct a comprehensive diagnostic on the social investment programmes. The panel recommended transferring the suspended programmes to the federal ministry of finance.

Edun hinted at plans to relaunch direct cash transfers to about 12 million vulnerable Nigerians amid the high cost of living. He stated that the current hardship has increased the number of potential beneficiaries from the initial 3 million to 12 million households.

When contacted, Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, declined to comment on whether the interim report had been submitted to the president. The fate of the suspended officials and the social investment programmes remains uncertain pending further developments.

Daily Trust