EduGate: They're planning to rope Gbajabiamila, expect more memo leaks - Source

Edu is currently under investigation by the EFCC following her suspension by Tinubu over allegations of intent to commit financial fraud.

The Cross River State-born politician was accused of approving the payment of ₦585m into a private account, a development that blew open the scandal rocking her ministry.

However, a leaked memo that surfaced online recently showed how Gbajabiamila may have been remotely connected to the alleged financial improprieties.

The memo in question, purportedly emanating from the Office of the Chief of Staff and dated December 18, 2023, indicated that the President released ₦3 billion from the COVID-19 Palliative Fund to Edu to verify the National Social Register.

In the memo, Tinubu instructed Gbajabiamila to approve the release of the said fund to the now-suspended minister on September 14, 2023.

The social register compiled during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari was created for cash transfers and other social investment programmes by the federal government.

However, the conversation has taken a different turn, especially on social media, where Gbajabiamila is being pilloried for being complicit in the alleged scandal in the Humanitarian ministry.

Shedding further light on the development, the presidential source said the mischaracterisation of the matter was a deliberate attempt by some elements to indict Gbajabiamila, per Vanguard.

The anonymous source also hinted that more such memos would continue to fly around in the coming days, primarily to target the Chief of Staff.

“The CoS did not convey his approval. He conveyed approval of his boss, it’s the practice with Abba Kyari and others, that the Chief of Staff conveys approval or otherwise of the President to Cabinet members and institutions that might have requested one or two things from the President. The current Chief of Staff has not faced twenty per cent of the attacks one of his predecessors, Abba Kyari got over wrong allegations. President Tinubu’s verdict on his Chief of Staff’s integrity is known to the public.

“The latest memo that came out was just an attempt by some persons within and outside the Villa to tie Gbajabiamila to the Betta Edu investigation. Thankfully, one of the official spokesmen of the President, Mr Bayo Onanuga has clarified that indeed, the N3 billion was approved by the President himself and not by Gbajabiamila.

“For the sake of clarity, it is not out of place for the President via his chief of staff to raise a memo to approve N3bn for verification of 11 million people inherited from the social register of the last administration based on official request from the minister. N3bn divided by 11 million means each person was verified at about N273 only. So the media trial of the President and his Chief of Staff is of no effect.

“It is left for the humanitarian affairs ministry to prove the exercise was indeed conducted. However, the intention of those who released the memo was to soil Gbajabiamila’s name. The President will rely solely on the outcome of the investigation team he already set up on the Humanitarian ministry,” the presidential source reportedly said.