The Ohanaeze Ndi-Igbo Youth Wing has advocated justice and fairness in the case of Betta Edu, the suspended Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.
Daily Trust reports that President Bola Tinubu suspended Edu from office last Monday and ordered the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate the approval she gave for the payment of N585 million of the ministry’s funds into a private account, following a public outrage expressed on the issue.
Briefing journalists Sunday in Abuja, Chukwuma Okpalaezeukwu, National Youth Leader, Ohanaeze Ndi-Igbo Youth Wing, cautioned Nigerians to stop the media trial of the minister.
“We wish to rally support for the suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Edu, by calling on Nigerians to allow her fair hearing and let the ongoing investigation run its course without media trial. Nigerians should give her the benefit of the doubt until the series of investigations into her involvement in the alleged N583m financial wrongdoing have proved her to be complicit.
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“Judging by the actions of some persons in the media, it is obvious that there is too much media trial around Dr Edu and those who wanted her out of favour with the federal government are sustaining the spins to her disadvantage.
“Media trial is unfair. An allegation has been levelled against her, and President Bola Tinubu, in his wisdom, had suspended her to allow for transparent and unimpeded investigation. The best thing to do in this circumstance is to allow the investigation to conclude instead of crucifying her as if she had been found to be guilty,” Okpalaezeukwu said.
