BettaGate: A Mirror Beyond Betta Edu

Dear Readers

Let us today reflect on the ongoing saga that is amusing most and upsetting few Nigerans in the second week of January 2024.

No prize for guessing, it is of course the story around the now investigated and suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Betta Edu.

On a personal note, I first got the news, before it went public, from someone connected to the embattled suspended minister and the call started with the line “there is fire on the mountain”, yes, my instinct too was to say “run run”, but I did not do so due to the sombre tone of the voice of the caller.

Rather I silently and attentively listened to the caller and digested all that had happened, together we analysed what had been done and went on to project what might happen next.

The conversation with my Betta Edu-connected caller brought back to mind a wish and prayer introduced to me by my late grandma, Abigail Kila.

Mama taught me that we should always hope and pray that “anyone’s whose circumstances will affect our own circumstances should be affected by good only”.

Ignore my caller for now, and just think of all those that were planning to work with Betta Edu as contractors, consultants, vendors etc.

Think of those Chief Executive Officers and Managing Directors of Zenith Bank, Providus Bank, and Jaiz Bank whose lives are taking a new turn due to what is happening in the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.

Think of the Minister for Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, who on the day he was meant to parade his achievement as “Mr Automated Passport Process” had to explain how he did not influence the money earned by a company he founded and wherein he is a shareholder and how such earning does not benefit him.

Whilst Bettagate is the story of the richest and most powerful members of the society stealing money earmarked for the poorest and weakest amongst us with Betta Edu as the leading character, who comes across as a starlet, the scandal is in reality a mirror of the Nigerian system and it goes beyond Betta Edu.

The money at stake is a lot by all standards, the sector involved and the process are shocking by any measure but what has left me jolted is how many (too many) people in the country are not surprised by Bettagate.

For many, it is just business as usual and they in fact saw it coming.

Ibadan based flowery pen and docile member of the League of Nigerian Columnists, Lasisi Olagunji, lead the way of reflection by showing us that corruption in the country is as old as the country itself and it has always been a case of the kettle calling the pot black.

On Tuesday (9th January 2024), I sent out a very informal questionnaire to some contacts online to find out if people thought Dr Betta Edu, as a minister, was unlucky, incompetent, fraudulent or a combination of more of these options.

Of all the answers I received, this one from an attentive and very active reader speaks for most: “In my humble opinion, the list of options provided presupposes that Betta Edu’s behaviour is an anomaly in the Nigerian society. Nigeria is a kakistocracy and a dystopian society where incompetence, fraud and luck are sociocultural values and norms that are highly valued.

Betta Edu is the quintessential Nigerian who went to Daddy Oyedepo’s to prophesy becoming a Minister into her life. Shout out to Peter Obi. Societal norms and values are the standards of conduct and the levels of behaviour to which people aspire. Nigerian leaders, families, communities, religions, public and private corporate organisations have internalised incompetence, fraud and luck as the way to success. This is who we are. This is Nigeria. Don’t catch Betta Edu slippin’ now/ Betta just wanna party/ Party just for Betta/ Money just for Betta/ Party just for free/ Dance and shake the frame/ Betta just wanna party (yeah). Apologiesto Childish Gambino’s “This is America”.

The Hidden Meanings Behind Childish Gambino’s “This Is America” speaks to Betta Edu and Nigeria’s value system.

In all these and lest we become guilty of what we accuse others of doing, we need to commend President Tinubu for acting swiftly in his decision to suspend Betta Edu and allowing her to be investigated. One that knows how to think will also know how to be thankful. In that same Villa from where this President suspended and allowed investigation, before him, there was a President who simply kept mum and looked away when suspicions and real scandals were shouting “look at us”.

To get things right, we need to yes understand that we have a historical and even systemic problem of corruption, value and incompetence to deal with but unlike others I argue that if we want a society that works, we all need to look at the Bettagate mirror and opt for deciding to consciously change things, for we cannot continue to sin and expect for grace to abound. Let us be very clear, the change must start from leadership not followership.

There needs to be a new elite consensus that agrees that for our system to work for most, diversification and separation are needed in our values, recognition and reward system. We must pragmatically agree that those that go into business should be the ones to be known as rich, this as their reward for creating wealth and jobs, those who dedicate themselves and their talents to ideas, arts and science should be the ones to get respect as reward for the solutions, knowledge, and joy they give to society, those that go into politics should gain fame and power for keeping the society safe and making sure everyone can learn, trade, love and pray without fear or need to beg, bribe or prostitute their body or mind. It is important we understand and agree that a system wherein public power, fame, respect and money are or can be concentrated in the hands of any group, be it political, ethnical, professional or religious is a system prone to abuse and oppression.

Yes, we must investigate Betta Edu and similar characters as much as possible, yes, we need to recover as much looted funds as possible but to build a sustainable society we need to look at ourselves in the mirror called Bettagate, such look should make us realise that merchants and thieves will continue to rule if politics gives access to money.

We need to understand that for merchants and thieves to get their way into power, they will buy votes and bribe regulators for what matters to them is money not fairness.

Join me if you can on twitter @anthonykila to continue these conversations. Anthony Kila is Institute Director at CIAPS. www.ciaps.org.