Ndume says certain difficult choices must be made and some misdeeds of the administration must be reduced for President Tinubu to be successful and carry out his renewed hope agenda.
Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume (APC, Borno South) has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to immediately restrict the misconduct of a newly formed political cartel which is threatening to escalate if left unsupervised.
Ndume, who is presently performing the Hajj in Saudi Arabia however, praised President Tinubu for the swift suspension of the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu, which according to him, shows Tinubu’s seriousness in combating corruption in the country.
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Ndume, the Chief Whip of the Senate, in a telephone conversation with journalists on Monday, 8th January 2024, stated that the minister’s alleged fraud might not be unusual, warning that if left unchecked, the growing political cartel might topple President Tinubu’s government.
“What President Tinubu has done is very timely. The suspension of the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs is a welcome development. It will allow the relevant agencies to conduct a proper investigation.
“Some people in the same position as Tinubu would not have acted. But as a leader who is in charge, he acted swiftly and the minister has been suspended. We should commend the President. This is something Nigerians should commend.
“But the President should not stop there. There is an emerging political cartel within the corridors of power. The President must act swiftly and dismantle the cartel.
“If they’re not stopped, they’ll be stronger and worse than the cabal. The President must not allow that to happen. I don’t think what the minister did was an isolated case. I don’t think she acted alone.
“The President needs to look deep and flush out those involved in mismanaging the funds meant for humanitarian assistance. We’re hopeful that the President will take more decisive actions in the future,” he said.
Meanwhile, Ndume also called on President Tinubu to equip, empower, and motivate security agents especially members of the armed forces to enable them to carry out their responsibilities decisively.
He expressed concern about their inadequate pay and other benefits, emphasising that President Tinubu should reconsider the welfare of the men and officers fighting insecurity nationwide, particularly in the north east, given that he has publicly warned heads of security agencies that he will not tolerate failure.
“President Tinubu has made it clear that he won’t accept excuses from heads of security agencies. And I agree with him. We need to win this war. But we need to do more. Those soldiers and other members of the armed forces fighting to protect the country are not properly motivated.
“I’m urging the President to do more and revisit these issues I’ve listed-equip them; motivate them; and revisit their salaries and allowances.
“This move will go a long way in changing the tide of war in favour of the government. But currently, what they’re getting is too small to even take care of their daily needs in the field while fighting.
“I’m optimistic that if the right things are done, we’ll see a different outcome in the ongoing insurgency war in various parts of the country. Let’s equip and motivate them and we’ll see drastic changes,” he said.
One comment
Aladeokomo Babatunde Sunday
January 9, 2024 at 10:52 am
Honestly it is disheartening this is coming from one of the “not too young to run” generation of Nigerians. Dr. Betta been the youngest in the cabinet and getting her hands trapped in the cookie jar cast some terrible aspersion on the youth advocacies for inclusion in leadership in our nation. I laud the C-in-C for his swift response in suspending the Minister and sending her to the EFCC for investigation. This action will send a very strong signal to other members of the cabinet.