Behind the downfall of the flamboyant Betta Edu

Betta Chimaobim Edu was an extraordinary person with some societal influence. She was vivid, unstoppable, and dazzling in her pursuit of power.

Betta commanded the room and could turn heads with just a flash of her smile, she could be called a well-timed quip. To some, she is the embodiment of success, a symbol of what could be achieved with the right blend of charisma, ambition, and sharp intellect.

But for all her brilliance, her downfall was as spectacular as her rise and far more tragic than anyone could have predicted.

Probably, when William Shakespeare wrote in his book ‘Julius Caesar’, “A man of such a feeble temper should so get the start of the majestic world; and bear the palm alone”, he had the flamboyant lady in mind.

Betta, the suspended minister of humanitarian affairs and poverty alleviation got the start of the majestic world; but whether she would bear the palm alone is uncertain as issues surrounding her ₦585 million fraud allegations unfold.

Born on October 27, 1986, Betta like a tendril sprouted and swerved through the murky water of Nigeria’s life to become a medical doctor and politician.

As a teenager, Betta was a bright student proving her onus among her peers. She completed her secondary education at the Federal Government Girls College, Calabar in 2001, and obtained her first degree in medicine and surgery from the University of Calabar in 2009.

The ambitious Betta did not rest on her oars as she proceeded to obtain a postgraduate diploma in Public Health for Developing Countries from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, a master’s degree in Public Health in Developing Countries from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and Doctor of Public Health from Texila American University.

Armed with these qualifications, and experiences, Betta was ready to conquer her world and become the ‘primus inter pares’ in her fields.

For her outstanding qualities, in 2015, in her 20s, she became the youngest person to be appointed special adviser to Benedict Ayade, the former governor of Cross River State on community and primary healthcare.

Read also: EFCC keeps mum as Betta Edu allegedly stages return

In 2020, she became chairman of the Cross River State COVID-19 task force. Consequently, she was appointed the national health chairman of the Nigeria Health Commissioners Forum in August of the same year.

Betta was Cross River State commissioner for health until her resignation in 2022. Upon resignation, she was appointed as the national women leader of the All Progressive Congress (APC), making her the youngest national woman leader of the party.

In August 2023, Betta was sworn in as minister of humanitarian affairs and poverty alleviation making her the first female minister from Cross River State, and the youngest minister at the Federal Executive Council of Nigeria in the Fourth Nigerian Republic.

John Adams, a former president of America was probably referring to Betta when he wrote his timeless quote; “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader”, because that seemed to x-rayed her persona.

Betta was seen demonstrating traits that made some Nigerians believe that she could be entrusted with positions of responsibility and leadership.

Many of her acquaintances believe that the youthful, dynamic, energetic, and creative Betta is a round peg in a round hole, well-fitted and committed to driving President Bola Tinubu’s ‘Renewed Hope’ agenda to success.

The energy, diligence, and passion she brought to bear in her tasks and jobs, speaks to her dedication to service delivery and love for her country.

However, in the face of all these, Betta was weighed and found wanting in the jurisprudence of moral values and accountability going by the chronicles of her assumed perfidious acts.

In 2020, Edu was accused of posting fake photos of ventilators. The Cross River state chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association passed a vote of no confidence on her over accusations of professional misconduct in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. She was quick to claim the vote of no confidence on her person was political.

Again in 2022, during her campaign to become the national women leader of the APC, she was accused of procedural misconduct, raising doubts about her character and integrity as a public figure.

Once again Betta’s character was called to question on January 8, 2024, and was suspended from her position as the minister of humanitarian affairs and poverty alleviation by President Tinubu for allegedly diverting ₦585 million in ministry funds to a personal bank account.

President Tinubu asked the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for a thorough investigation. The investigation that followed suggested a theft of public funds many times larger.

Olanipekun Olukayode, the EFCC’s chairman in April 2024, wrote, “As it is now, we are investigating over 50 bank accounts that we have traced money into.”

The approximate average amount in each of Betta’s bank accounts that the EFCC had by then traced and seized seems to have been about ₦600 million, for a total, across her 50 or more accounts, of some ₦30 billion.

According to a BBC publication, the EFCC had recovered an equivalent of $ 24 million from accounts allegedly linked to the flamboyant Betta.

As of the EFCC’s April 2024 update, she has not been legally charged or fired from her position.

As a minister, many believe Betta gave an impressive account of herself as an advocate for the downtrodden, and one with a deep love for Nigeria.

She braved dangers and inconveniences as a minister to visit volatile areas such as IDP camps in Borno, Benue, and Niger States, Makoko, and Agboyi-Ketu in Lagos among others to interact with victims of humanitarian crises and the poor.

Nevertheless, Nigerians are wondering who the architect of Betta’s colossal fall is. Your guess is as good as mine!