‘You know what led to relieve of your predecessor’, Ndume tells new humanitarian minister
Senator representing representing Borno South Senatorial District, Ali Ndume, has urged the newly appointed Minister of Humanitarian Affairs Minister and Poverty Reduction, Nentawe Yilwatda, to be above board and deploy technology to ensure that the efforts of the Federal Government get to vulnerable persons across the country.
The lawmaker, who has been in the National Assembly for more than 20 unbroken years, warned the new appointee to remember the circumstances that led to the removal of his predecessor, Betta Edu, and avoid any pitfall.
Ndume spoke on Wednesday alongside other lawmakers during the screening of the ministerial nominee from Plateau State.
Quizzing the nominee, Ndume said the humanitarian ministry is the most important because about 60% of Nigerians are living in poverty and the nominee is coming at a time when the whole world is concerned about the escalating humanitarian crisis in the country.
“You know the circumstance that led to the relief of your predecessor. My question now is that as the first man to be appointed as humanitarian minister. What would you do as a case of emergency to make sure that the humanitarian crisis that we are facing, and are likely to face more, will be addressed?” Ndume asked.
“Fortunately, you are an ICT person. How do you intend to do that? That will give us a lot of comfort.”
Replying Ndume, and his colleagues who posed questions to him, the nominee said he would deploy technology and innovation to tackle the humanitarian crisis in the country.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio subsequently asked the nominee to take a bow.
From Plateau State, Yilwatda is a registered Engineer with the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), a community developer and a lecturer with the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Benue State.
Yilwatda was appointed Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2017 and posted to Benue State as Resident Electoral Commissioner.
Last Wednesday, President Bola Tinubu appointed Yilwatda to replace Betta Edu who was suspended in January 2024.
Controversy had enveloped Edu’s alleged involvement in the approval of N585,198,500.00 to be disbursed into a personal account but denied the allegation and said there were plans to tarnish her image, and that she wouldn’t embezzle government funds.
Incidentally, Edu’s predecessor, Sadiya Farouq, was also probed over an alleged laundering of N37.1 billion during her tenure as a minister under the administration of ex-President Muhammadu Buhari.
With Nigeria’s wobbling economy, skyrocketing inflation and worsening security, Tinubu, former Lagos governor, has faced intense criticism over his ministers’ performance in the last 15 months since their appointment.
The President succumbed to the calls for him to shake up his cabinet on Wednesday, with the disengagement of five ministers, the reassignment of 10 others and seven fresh appointments.
