A statement released on Wednesday by Femi Pedro, a former deputy governor of Lagos state, calls for Nigerians to forgive Dr. Betta Edu, the suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation. Pedro urged Nigerians to give Dr. Edu a second chance, saying she will learn from her mistakes and conduct herself better in the future. Pedro first met Dr. Edu when she was introduced to him in early 2022 as a candidate for Women Leader of their party in Abuja.
He immediately liked her style, carriage, and comportment. According to Pedro, Edu exuded confidence, was articulate, knew what she wanted, and appeared focused, determined, and ambitious. She later won the election and became the Party’s Women Leader. Pedro acknowledged Dr. Edu’s wrongdoings and suspension by the President, as well as her questioning by the EFCC. He hopes and prays that she will learn a hard lesson on how to conduct herself as a public officer and navigate the murky waters of public office.
Pedro sees Dr. Betta Edu as a promising bright star who could have served Nigeria in higher capacities. He advises Nigerian youths appointed into public offices to get a mentor with credibility to guide them. Pedro believes that the nation needs more young people to serve in public offices and hopes that Dr. Edu’s misadventure will not discourage others in her age bracket.
He encourages young people to seek out a mentor a public officer with a good pedigree who will guide and mentor them on how to navigate the murky waters of public office.