#BettaGate: Allow EFCC to work, says Arabinrin Aderonke

The Executive Director of FAME Foundation, Arabinrin Aderonke Ogunleye-Bello, has urged Nigerians to refrain from gossip and allow the EFCC to conduct a proper investigation into Betta Edu’s humanitarian ministry regarding the N585m scandal.

President Bola Tinubu suspended Betta Edu, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, following an alleged scandal involving the transfer of funds worth N585m to Oniyelu Bridget Mojisola’s personal account. The controversy began with a document signed by Edu and sent to the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.

While under investigation by the EFCC in Abuja, some media outlets speculated that Edu’s suspension may have been related to the case of Halima Shehu, the former National Coordinator and CEO of the National Social Investment Program Agency, who was sacked by the president over alleged financial malfeasance.

Arabinrin Aderonke, a member of the Presidential Transition Council during Tinubu’s election in 2023, stated that only the EFCC could confirm whether Edu had indeed stepped on toes in relation to the alleged scandal.

“The question is this, how do they know it’s a trap, and who could have set a trap for her and what has she done for anybody for them to have set that kind of trap for her,”? Aderonke asked.

She continued: “It’s subjective. The issue is about Betta not possibly following the laws, so to me, the concept of setting a trap is something that I don’t believe in.

“It’s about following the extant rules and due process. Making requests for travel and others, are we going to say it’s the permanent secretary or other staff that set a trap? It’s not a matter of trap.

“Of course, she revealed the fraud of her predecessors, but over time, that would play out after the investigation. The only person that we learned she reported was the NSIPA lady, Halima. And no one knows the actual truth of the matter. The best bet is to wait for the outcome of the investigation before making any insinuation.”

The Multiple Award-winning Investigative Journalist and former editor said despite the allegation against one of the women at the top level of government, does not mean Nigerians have not gotten the right women to lead in government.

“Women abound everyone. So, because of the mistake of one person who is yet to be validated, we will sacrifice other women?”

“She can’t be the only good woman in Nigeria. We still have a lot of women who are doing excellently well, and we will always have the ones who will excel wherever they’re placed. Because of an unfortunate incident that happens to one person or a couple of others, we can’t write other women off.”

She further extolled the suspended minister for being a wonderful person and believes that the ongoing investigation would favour her to return as minister irrespective of obstacles at the moment.

“In human anatomy, no human being will walk without head shaking. There’s no way you will not offend people or step on toes because no man is perfect, but in this case, it has not been established that she has stepped on any toes, it’s still subjective and I would not like to act on mere speculation and media trial. “

“Betta Edu has been a wonderful person with a high level of determination to excel in this current administration. She’s always motivated to deliver. She had been active in the community and Nigeria before now and if you’re active and doing well, you’re likable and energetic. On a general scale, if you’re doing well, you will have haters.”

The Director of Fame advised other women in top positions or aspiring to be in her position to be more vigilant and follow due process to avoid unnecessary embarrassment.

“They should pay attention to all details, rules, and regulations laid down by the civil service to avoid an embarrassing situation in the future. It’s not only women, other government officials, or people in high places should always do the right thing and be careful. No perfection anywhere, but they should try as much as possible to deliver to the people.

Aderonke hinted that the media team responsible for managing Betta Edu’s public image has failed in their efforts to effectively position her in the public eye. It is evident that both individuals are struggling to achieve their desired level of visibility and influence, underscoring the need for more effective public relations strategies.

“I think her media team didn’t do enough. They could have been more sensitive and more professional by dwelling on facts and figures only. Attracting enemies to her makes the matter worse. They could have from the get-go passed through the right channel by explaining properly and in simple terms, telling the truth about the situation. That someone belongs to 100 WhatsApp groups and has over 200k social media followers doesn’t mean they can do media and PR jobs.

“I will conclude by saying that we should wait for the outcome of the investigation. The president has done the right thing by asking her to step aside while investigations are ongoing. This could pave the way for more sincere fact findings. Therefore, instead of amplifying propaganda and lies, it’s better to wait for the outcome of the investigation where the truth will be unveiled,” she concluded.