By Zainab Atinuke Zakariyya
An Associate Professor at the Faculty of Law of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Dr Ibrahim Shehu has commended Federal Government’s resolve to investigate and unearth how N2.67bn school feeding funds were found in private accounts.
The University Don who described as scandalous the claim by the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Hajiya Sa’adiyya Umar Faruq that her Ministry spent the amount in question on feeding Unity School Students during the lockdown when all Students were at home, but only to discover that the claim was false, as the money was later found in a private account, called for the prosecution of the Minister.
“The Minister’s conduct of diverting public funds to private accounts is highly scandalous and criminal in all ramifications, and therefore constitutes gross misconduct, abuse of office and trust”, he said.
“It is highly regrettable that a Public Officer holding ministerial position in a government that pretends to fight corruption, will commit such kind of palpable lie and is not fired” , the Associate Professor of Law stressed.
Dr Shehu said in ideal situation when it was revealed that the Minister lied, following the discovery of the money in question in private account, and following the federal government’s constitution of a probe panel, she, and her cohorts, ought to have been suspended from office pending outcome of investigations.