Abuja-based rights activist and constitutional lawyer, Adeyanju, has urged President Bola Tinubu to suspend the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Abel Olumuyiwa Enitan, along with all directors in the ministry.
This call comes in the wake of a financial misappropriation scandal involving the ministry.
The ministry was placed under Enitan’s control after the suspension of the Minister in charge, Betta Edu, who was implicated in the approval of a payment of N585 million in social intervention funds into a private account.
President Tinubu, upon discovering the scandal, suspended Edu and ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to conduct a thorough investigation.
Adeyanju has criticized Tinubu’s decision to entrust the ministry to Enitan, suggesting that the permanent secretary might have been aware of the corrupt practices within the ministry.
He questioned how such large sums of money could have been transferred to private accounts without Enitan’s knowledge, given the seniority of his position.
In a statement, Adeyanju emphasized the need for a comprehensive investigation and called for the suspension of Enitan and all directors in the ministry to ascertain their involvement, if any, in the scandal.
He urged President Tinubu to assign the affairs of the ministry to another permanent secretary from a different ministry to ensure an unbiased investigation.
Adeyanju’s plea underscores the demand for accountability and transparency in government operations, especially in matters concerning public funds.
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