Sleaze at Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and matters arising

Precisely on May 29, 2023, Nigeria witnessed another successful transition from one civilian administration to another. This is, no doubt, a milestone as it marks the 5th successful transition since the return to civilian rule in 1999. Perhaps, signaling that democracy, despite its imperfections, has come to stay in Nigeria.  But this is a conversation […]

Precisely on May 29, 2023, Nigeria witnessed another successful transition from one civilian administration to another. This is, no doubt, a milestone as it marks the 5th successful transition since the return to civilian rule in 1999. Perhaps, signaling that democracy, despite its imperfections, has come to stay in Nigeria. 

But this is a conversation for another day. 

Since the advent of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, the country has had to contend with new realities as seen firstly, in the removal of petroleum subsidies and the reform in the country’s forex market.  

With specific to the latter, the newly sworn-in president and many others have insisted that provisions for petroleum subsidy had not been made by the departing administration of President Buhari in the 2023 Appropriation. The pronouncement by President Tinubu, while taking oath of office, that petroleum subsidies have been removed, can be taken as the official pronouncement that conveys to Nigerians, that the government has effectively removed subsidies, as far as petroleum products are concerned. Interestingly, this had severe implications as seen in the changing fortunes in all sectors of the economy and in the lives of teeming Nigerians.  

The climax was, however, the reform in the forex sector, which had seen the new administration floating the naira. The thrust of the argument for embarking on this action is that such a step was necessary in addressing the challenges of foreign exchange, as it will help to allow market forces to determine the exchange rate. This action saw the dollar exchange rate at the unofficial market moving from N700 to N1000 and now to N1200 plus, while that of the official rate moved to N850 from a relative N500. 

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The forex reform, rendered the dollar scarce in the forex market. It concomitantly affected the country’s inflation rates and thus, compounded an already bad situation.  

Worried by the hardship and the declining economic fortune inflicted by the new economic and policy direction, President Tinubu, thus deployed the country’s social intervention schemes to mitigate the hardship. Expectedly, the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and the National Social Insurance Programme, headed by Minister Betta Edu and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Halima Shehu respectively, were to provide leadership in this direction. 

However, less than a year into the life of the new administration, the two agencies seem already marred by crisis of corruption, with fingers pointed at the minister and the head of NSIPA. But since details of these infractions are already in the public domain and investigations are ongoing, I refrain from further dwelling into the details. But it suffices to say, if these infractions were confirmed, the action of both the minister and the head of NSIPA were indeed a fundamental breach of the country’s financial procedure. 

However, it is pertinent to ask, how did we get here and what implication does this portend to our polity, Nigeria? 

While contending views have seen the actions of the minister and the head of NSIPA, as driven largely by inordinate greed, an important and fortuitous mix to the issue is that, it could be the result of contestation, or for use of a better term, ego-flexing that is usually associated in and amongst relations between female folks. This, nonetheless, has further brought to the fore two important issues. 

First, Betta Edu’s age, barely 39 years, entrusted with such enormous influence and power. This, no doubt, could be in fulfilment of President Tinubu’s campaign promise of including the youth in the processes of governance. It was also perhaps, the culmination of the clamour under the ‘Not too Young to Run Bill’ as passed by the 8th National Assembly and later assented to by President Buhari. 

There is no doubt Edu was not the first to assume a top-class public position at such a relatively young age in Nigeria. Several others before her, such as General Yakubu Gowon, Nigeria’s Head of State at 39, had done so before her. But the conversation on Edu and her generation appears different as they more often than not, have been associated with the mismanagement of public office. These tendencies have been largely ascribed to a lack of exposure, coupled with their inability to manage the trappings that come with holding public office. But more to this, could also be the factor of wrong mentoring. But this also is a conversation for another day. 

Secondly, there is the argument that sees the Nigerian corruption landscape is changing, with more women brazenly taking centre stage. However true this might sound, most disturbing is the methodology with which the perpetrators committed their act and the figures involved. 

Be that as it may, President Tinubu followed the reported case at the ministry with the suspension of Halima Shehu, CEO of NSIPA. Following further public outcries Betta Edu, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs was also suspended. This action appears to have redefined the fight against corruption, in addition to re-focusing governance and politics in Nigeria in a number of ways. 

Interestingly, is the manner and the firmness with which Shehu’s suspension was carried-through without, as Nigerians were used to, the setting up of a committee whose reports hardly see light of the day. This, to many, symbolises a renewed hope and a determination to save this country from the ills associated with the problem of corruption.  

Betty’s suspension, even more so, represents a bold statement by government to the various outcries by Nigerians that: ‘yes, we have heard you. Yes, your voices matter. We are responsive and have, therefore, accordingly acted’. This to my mind is the new lexicon. Going forward, this needs to form the new template of governance and politics that must characterize the renewed hope and the agenda of President Tinubu’s administration. 

 

 Ahmed, Ph.D, wrote from Abuja