Tinubu puts a temporary halt to the duties of Minister of Humanitarian Affairs Betta Edu
On Monday, President Bola Tinubu promptly suspended Betta Edu, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, due to a financial scandal involving N585.2 million.
President Tinubu's decision is aligned with his unwavering commitment to maintaining the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and accountability in the administration of the nation's resources.
In light of this, the President has instructed the Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to conduct a comprehensive investigation into all aspects of financial transactions involving the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, as well as any affiliated agencies.
According to a statement from Presidential spokesman Ajuri Ngelale, the suspended Minister is directed to hand over her responsibilities to the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation. Furthermore, she is urged by the President to fully collaborate with the investigative authorities during the course of their inquiry.
On Sunday, President Tinubu issued a directive for a thorough investigation into the purported N585 million scandal within the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, overseen by Edu.
He pledged to take firm action against individuals found responsible for any violations or infractions uncovered during the investigations.
The directive was conveyed in a statement released by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, as public discontent intensified over the alleged disregard for the Federal Government's financial regulations.
This development coincides with ministries gearing up for their inaugural performance assessment scheduled by the end of January.
Various groups and individuals, including the Peoples Democratic Party, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, Femi Falana, SAN, the Yoruba Youth Assembly, and several civil society organizations, have called for an impartial investigation into the leaked memo attributed to the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu. The memo allegedly instructs the Accountant-General of the Federation, Dr. Oluwatoyin Madein, to transfer N585 million into the private bank account of a project accountant in her ministry, Bridget Oniyelu.
The minister asserted that the N585 million payment was designated for vulnerable groups in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Ogun, and Lagos states, dismissing the accusations against her as groundless.
Rasheed Olarenwaju, the Media Assistant to the Minister, clarified in a statement that it is legally permissible within the civil service for such payments to be directed to the private accounts of staff members, particularly project accountants.
Leave A Comment