Legacy: CNPP urges Tinubu to reduce corruption, abuse of office

The Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) says President Bola Tinubu must reduce cases of corruption and abuse of office among ministers and civil servants for the masses to breathe.

The group, in an open letter addressed to the President and dated January 8 and released in Lagos on Monday, said the CNPP listened to Tinubu’s New Year message and observed the various responses from Nigerians to all promises.

The letter, titled “Reduce Corruption in Your Administration," was signed by Oloye Adegboyega-Adeniji, the Secretary General, South-West CNPP.

Adegboyega-Adeniji urged the President not to forget years of struggle as a veteran activist and opposition leader from the days of the Gen. Ibrahim Babangida transition process that culminated in the annulment of the June 12, 1993, general elections.

The letter read in part: “We members of the CNPP in the South West admonish you not to forget the years of struggles, in the company of our national chairman, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, of blessed memory, to foster and sustain our nascent democracy.

“Now that you have achieved your life ambition to be the President of Nigeria, it is not an end to your legacy.

“It is a natural challenge that you must use the opportunity to foster and sustain our democracy for posterity and generations hereafter to appreciate your service to humanity.

“To this end, anything or action that doesn’t promote national interest for the development of human and natural resources should be expunged from your administration.

“We have over the years confirmed that nepotism, the mother of all indices of corruption, has always stood against the national interest for fundamental change in our interpersonal and intergovernmental relationships for positive development in Nigeria.”

The CNPP chieftain admonished Tinubu to set a worthy example to reduce corruption while also compelling civil and public servants to step aside from public office pending the outcomes of all investigations.

"Such a decision shall go a long way towards preventing any official from committing misdemeanours while in service.

“Nigerians have lost hope in probes and investigations by committees and the security agent because many of such investigative reports seldom come out for public use nor sanction erring officials in service.

“It will be your Nov legacy if Nigerians imbibe the internationally accepted standards of behaviour by leaving office once misdemeanours are established against them.

"I look forward to your swift action in the case of Minister Betta Edu and others. We shall continue to engage your administration constructively,” the letter further read.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that President Bola Tinubu took decisive action on Monday by suspending the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Betta Edu.

Edu’s suspension on Monday was in response to her involvement in the approval of a disbursement of N585 billion into private accounts.

The Presidential Spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, said that Edu’s suspension had immediate effect.

Ngelale said the suspension was in line with Tinubu’s commitment to upholding the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and accountability in governance.

He added that the President directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to conduct a thorough investigation into all aspects of the financial transactions involving the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.