The lawmaker representing Borno South Senatorial District, Ali Ndume, has warned the newly appointed Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Nentawe Yilwatda, to avoid pitfalls and a repeat of the circumstance leading to his predecessor, Betta Edu’s removal.
The lawmaker stated this 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.
Ndume said, “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?”
“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.
Last Wednesday, President Bola Tinubu appointed Yilwatda to replace Betta Edu who was suspended in January 2024.
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.
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