A group known as the Youths Vanguard for Democracy and Good Governance has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to reinstate the suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Social Welfare, Dr. Betta Edu, News About Nigeria reports.
They made this call in an open letter to the President, signed by the National President and National Secretary, Abdulkadir Abubakar, and Comrade Adelola Poju.
The group noted that weeks after the suspension of the embattled minister, the National Social Investment Programmes and Humanitarian Response are still shut down in Nigeria, despite the nerve-racking hardship, insecurity, and humanitarian crises faced by a vast majority of Nigerians.
They also stated that one of the major spinoffs and accelerants of the many humanitarian issues bedevilling the country remains the suspension of the Minister for Humanitarian Affairs, Betta Edu.
Recounting the stampede that happened at the Nigeria Customs Zonal Office, Yaba Lagos, and the Nasarawa State University, which led to the loss of several lives, the group maintained that the whole situation is insensitive to the plight of the nation, where kidnapping, banditry, and social tension can be directly linked to deep rooted poverty.
“Few weeks ago, we woke up to a disturbing news of a stampede at the Nigeria Customs Zonal Office, Yaba Lagos, that led to the unfortunate demise of many innocent Nigerians.
“While we were yet to recover from that experience, we were again greeted by another tragic incident in Nasarawa State University, following a stampede that occurred during the distribution of palliatives by the state government.
“Most of these could have been better handled by a ministry that has a formal structure all the way to the grassroots in every village or community in Nigeria,” they stated.
The group, therefore, urged the President to act swiftly and reconsider the subsisting suspension of Betta Edu, and also make public the report of the EFFC investigation, in order to clear the name of the Minister, who, according to them, is an exceptional lady and whose passion for work is unrivalled.
