 Joining us live is Mohamed Abdulai, Public Affairs Analyst. Good evening Mr. Mohamed. Good evening Nigerians, it's my pleasure. Thank you for joining us on News 9. Now the minister's suspension is coming in the wake of scandals rocking not just the ministry but her predecessor. So what does this say of a ministry that is supposed to be in charge of helping vulnerable Nigerians being enmeshed in these infractions? Very many Nigerians remember what a 19 million living below poverty line. Even though it's like we mentioned a very minute fraction of that number would have been impacted for a very long while but money is meant to at least cushion the effects of that subsidy removal and then all other things that are affecting ordinary Nigerians being misappropriated you know. So it's not a good one. Remember the fact that this ministry I mean this used to be a department under the precedence but then I think four years ago a full-fledged ministry headed by I mean the former minister and then perhaps we'll say women are more you know in terms of empathy and so on and so forth. Perhaps that's why women have been heading this ministry but I think it's not really arguing well from the I mean the allegations with I mean of 37.7 billion being misappropriated perhaps in the last dispensation. I mean the last administration and now less than three or four months that we have new minister we also have another allegation of uh money's being misappropriated and money's being paid into practical account yeah. All right so also the civil society legislative advocacy center since that had asked the federal government and anti-growth graft agencies to fish out the alleged accomplices of Edu and her predecessor it claimed that with the fraud allegedly perpetrated by both the previous minister Sadia and the current one that it definitely worked with some people what are your thoughts do you think in this line? Yeah definitely I mean definitely I mean the ministers couldn't have you understand that these monies I mean whether it's invoices or uh whatsoever must have been raised by civil servants so I mean I'm part of the uh people that is clamoring for the fact that not only the minister should be at the brunt people in that same ministry must have raised such you know drafted such document for the minister to sign so whether it is the permanent secretary whether it is a director or something I think there's there should be other people that are also bearing the brunt I mean bearing the sack like I mean or whether suspension like the minister so it's not just the minister just to append her own signature even though she leads the the ministry but there are other people I'm sure who should understand career civil servant who should also begin to feel uh this brunt where there is a one-ton misappropriation and then perhaps they are even the ones leading the ministry are strict okay we never can tell so I think the investigation should go beyond just the minister uh and uh immediate it the this investigation should be told it should it should include whether it permanent secretary and other directors that have have hand I mean in the search mess okay now shouldn't the president carry out a sweeping reforms within ministries departments and agencies because with these developments diversions of funds may not be restricted to the humanitarian ministry alone do you agree definitely I agree but I want to talk about reforms the the I think is really on call for at the moment because there I just I mean the minister just I mean got into the office less than four months ago so what other reform are we talking about what I think is commendable is the fact that the president is acting people are talking about cabal I mean in this new government which is not far from the truth but the I think the difference between now and what we used to have during Boar's era is the fact that the president is acting the president is aware of what is going on and even though you might play a major role in his campaign which brings him to office he is saying by his action that if you people in dealt with accordingly I mean according to the law so I think that's the reform that we'll talk about people I mean the minister should be hired accountable you understand we'll survive it is no matter how powerful the minister is always so ever you know as much as you're serving the public in Nigeria you should be accountable and then do I mean the the rule of law should reveal but do you think this is peculiar to women alone because I I mean a lot of people are saying that it is women that are actually being dealt with when they are in government down their male counterparts do you think in this line as well no I don't think I don't think it's true I don't think it's true the past government didn't really do well even though it's came into power with the mantra of you know dealing with corruption and change you didn't really do well in terms of the area but I think we want to give President Unibu the benefit of the doubt you understand I perhaps you don't want to mention but there is a brewing case I mean this evening I mean since this afternoon since the I mean suspension of the minister of humanitarian affairs there's also a brewing case of the minister of interior who whom everyone has been seen as the shining minister of this administration so far there's a brewing case that his company even though he said he has resigned but he's still a director according to a document by uh released by a uh online publication that his company received our phone and got something million as a consultancy fee from the humanitarian ministry you understand and it's I'm trying to connect the dots because you know when the the woman at and see power was relieved of her position the document from bed to a bed to uh do resurface online so now that uh you know madam humanitarian minister has been relieved the document for I mean the alleged conflict of interest I think that's the phrase conflict of interest of the interior minister is also surfacing online so I think there is a thought there's a connection of the thoughts in those three things so yeah let's see what the presidency will also do with the uh I mean the male minister of interior like you want me to use that uh phrase so let's see if there will be investigation if if despite the fact that has been he's been the shining star of uh I mean in terms of ministerial jobs uh if the government will also I mean suspend him he's found wanting so let's let's wait and see now the very last question before we let you go do you think anything will come out of this probe what should Nigerians be expecting? Yes I think it's commendable that at least the first step has been taken um the people have heard I mean what I think in CPAC coordinator the minister has been suspended and if you look at the statement from the presidency uh uh the EFCC have been uh you know directed to take charge I think that's that's a good one that's a very commendable one seriously because it's not just suspended people who have been found wanting I think what is also important in our country uh nation is that you know people are heard accountable and this means whether it's the police or the EFCC has been directed to take you know carry out thorough investigation not just the minister not just these people there are so many people involved so you know people should be investigated and if they are found wanting they are brought to justice I think it's as simple as that so I I want to like say uh give the I mean this new administration the benefit of doubt that things will be different we are seeing uh that at least currently so even if it's a pretense I keep saying this less it's commendable uh and then hopefully we'll see this to the latter. Thank you so much for joining us tonight and here's now we'll have to let you go now thank you so much hello hope you enjoyed the news please do subscribe to our youtube channel and don't forget to hit the notification button so you get notified about fresh news updates