By Kolawole Ojebisi
The Presidency has officially put paid to the possibility of immediate past Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Betta Edu, returning to President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet.
The disclosure came from presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga during his appearance on Sunday’s edition of Channels Television’s Politics Today.
This declaration has put paid to months of speculation, fuelled by Tinubu’s silence, that she might be reinstated to her former position or reassigned to another ministry to preside over its affairs.
Onanuga made this known while reacting to a question on Edu’s fate in a live interview, adding that her her close is closed.
He also announced that her position has been permanently filled by one of the newly appointed ministers, Dr Nentawe Yilwatda, a former Plateau State governorship candidate.
He stated: “I think there is another person from Cross River in the cabinet. Betta Edu is gone. Don’t forget that she was suspended in January, and this is October.
“No, she is gone. Her position has been taken over by someone else — that’s the man from Plateau (Nentawe) who is now assuming the role. For this government, there is no place for her in the cabinet.”
Onanuga noted: “The EFCC has not shared whatever they have, but if you consider the president’s action, it suggests that the EFCC may have submitted something that justified the president’s decision.”
Recall that Tinubu suspended the Edu in January following a national outcry over an alleged ₦585 million scandal.
The president ordered a comprehensive inquiry into the alleged fraud within her ministry, pledging to “decisively punish” any individuals involved in breaches and infractions uncovered during the investigations.
