Edugate: CISLAC kicks against Enitan’s take over of Humanitarian Ministry

  Edugate: CISLAC kicks against Enitan’s take over of Humanitarian Ministry 

Minister alerts Nigerians on fake humanitarian trust fund portal

Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu

ABUJA – AS investigation continues on the alleged fraud of N585.2 million at the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, CISLAC, weekend, kicked against running of the Ministry by the Permanent Secretary, Abel Enitan.

The Executive Director, CISLAC, Auwal Rafsanjani, in a statement made available to Vanguard, said that Enitan’s appointment to take over the affairs of the Ministry following the suspension of the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Beta Edu by President Bola Tinubu, is not proper, because he supposed to be on suspension and investigated as well, based on the fact that the N585.2 million fraud allegedly happened under his nose as the Permanent Secretary.

According to Rafsanjani who doubles as the Head of Transparency International in Nigeria, Ministers work on recommendations of civil servants led by the Permanent Secretary.

He said: “The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC)/Transparency International in Nigeria received with utter disappointment, the appointment of the Permanent Secretary the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Abel Olumuyiwa Enitan to run the Ministry.

“It is not acceptable that Mr Enitan, the accounting officer of the Ministry involved in such scandal should be allowed to supervise the Ministry.”

Meanwhile, he pointed out that there is possibility of compromising the ongoing Investigations by the EFCC, and cautioned that the action by appointing Enitan to run the affairs of the Ministry would erode the trust of Nigerians of the allegations, therefore accused the government of “planning a river of the heist and abuse of public trust.”

He pointed out that, “By our extant regulations and laws, the Permanent Secretary is the accounting officer who should have been suspended along with the Minister. 

“Ministers work on recommendations of civil servants led by the Permanent Secretary. There is no evidence that the Permanent did not participate in the matters being investigated. In any case, the Permanent Secretary did not object to what happened and should be a subject of investigations.

“We are seriously perturbed that top officers who are connected with approvals and sanctions of financial and procurement process within the Ministry like the Permanent Secretary are yet to be suspended or subjected to thorough investigation till their innocent is proven; instead they are promoted to sensitive positions, where the ongoing investigation could easily be hampered or sabotaged.

“Appointment of Enitan to head the Ministry will certainly undermine the credibility and respect accorded the current administration. 

“We call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to as a matter of urgency rescind his decision to appoint the Permanent Secretary and other persons who should as well be under serious investigation to occupy such a sensitive position, pending the conclusion of the ongoing investigation and scrutiny of the Ministry by anti-corruption agencies.

“We also call on the President to consider persons with integrity, track record and free of corruption background in future appointments to demonstrate the readiness for good governance in Nigeria. 

“We further call on Civil Society, media and other well-meaning Nigerians to remain vigilant and reject unjustified or secluded appointments, to ensure inclusive reform that will enhance transparency and accountability in governance.”