There are indications of a concerted effort by certain individuals, described as hawks within and outside the Presidential Villa, to implicate the Chief of Staff to the President, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila, in the transactions of the suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu.
Following the suspension of Minister Betta Edu and the subsequent leakage of memos from the Humanitarian Affairs Ministry, a plot has allegedly been uncovered to link Gbajabiamila to the transactions. The leaked memos, including one dated December 18, 2023, revealed President Bola Tinubu’s approval of N3 billion from the COVID-19 Palliative Fund for the verification of the National Social Register.
In response to the leaked memo, the Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to the President, Bayo Onanuga, clarified that the N3 billion was directly approved by President Tinubu and not by Gbajabiamila, as initially suggested.
An anonymous aide to the President disclosed that such memos aimed at implicating Gbajabiamila would continue circulating. The aide emphasized that the Chief of Staff conveys the President’s approval or disapproval to Cabinet members and institutions, following established practices.
The source defended Gbajabiamila’s integrity, stating that the recent memo was an attempt to tie him to the Betta Edu investigation. President Tinubu, according to the aide, relies on the outcome of the investigation team he set up for the Humanitarian ministry.
It was reiterated that the President had expressed confidence in Gbajabiamila during a Federal Executive Council meeting on October 30, 2023, and denounced the ongoing campaign to tarnish his image.
