Edu Gate: Abuja Lawyer Explains Why Tunji – Ojo Deserves Suspension

… Warns against scaring youths away from politics

Paschal Emeka, Abuja / Posted January 12, 2023

An Abuja based legal practitioner, Barrister Amobi Nzelu has faulted the suspension of the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Dr Betta Edu, saying that the person who should be suspended is the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji – Ojo, even as he warned against the danger of the old brigades in politics, scaring innocent youths like Edu away from politics.

Dr Betta Edu was suspended by President Bola Tinubu and was subjected to investigation by the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), for requesting that about N585 million be paid into a private account for disbursement of palliatives to the poor Nigerians masses in some states of the federation.

Addressing Journalists recently in his chamber, Nzelu, popularly known as the Apo Six Lawyer, (as a result of the role he played when some youths were murdered by the police in 2005 in Apo, Abuja) however said that since the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF) confirmed that she didn’t carry out the request made by the Minister, with the reason that the law is against it, he is yet to see the reason why she should be suspended from office.

He said that if anybody should be suspended, it is the Minister of Interior, Tunji – Ojo for the role a company he was a director before played in the whole saga.

He was of the opinion that the fact that Tunji – Ojo resigned as the director of the company in 2019 was excusable at law, but was quick to wonder why should the consultancy go to the same company.

He said: “I don’t see the offence she committed which warrants her suspension. She made an innocent request and the Account General of the Federation (AGF) who had the superintendent power, told her that it can’t be done. And the she didn’t put pressure on her to do that. I don’t see the essence of suspending her from office.

“If the AGF said that she refused her request, on the ground that it is undone, I don’t see the justification for her suspension. It is an innocent error which shouldn’t attract any form of punishment. She shouldn’t be sacrificed for political exigencies, either in form or manner or guise.

“But the Minister of Interior can’t pretend to be unaware of the contract awarded to the company. It is under the law that the man can be protected, having resigned as the director of the company in 2019, but as far as this contract is concerned, he can’t say that he is ignorant of the contract.

“So if Edu should be suspended, Tunji – Ojo should be suspended too.

He continued: “Edu made the request for transferring N548 millon into a private account and she should have known that career civil servants, sometimes like to develop blind eyes to put political office holders into trouble. For that, this 38 year old shouldn’t be sacrificed on the alter of transparency, or whatever you might call it.

“Are there no Permanent Secretary, Director of Finance, Special Assistant in that ministry to advise her properly. They shouldn’t draw her name to the mud. They shouldn’t use her as a guinea pig to experiment on the sincerity of purpose of the government in question. My heart bleeds for that young girl because she has made a name to be a minister, not for people to cut her good intension for this country.”

Amobi Nzelu therefore observed that it is the Permanent Secretary, the Director of Finance, her Special Assistant and all those who should have given her advice properly that deserve punishment, even as he added that investigation would show that she wasn’t the author of the letter.

Reiterating that the old brigades in politics shouldn’t dent the names of the youths, he maintained that if all these people, including the AGF warned her and she insisted, let it be.

Calling for the proper investigation of the former minister, Sadiya Umar-Farouk, he wondered why somebody saddled with the responsibility of sharing palliatives to the people did that without data. For that, he said that the government hasn’t told Nigerians the essence of the ministry.