In response to a financial scandal involving N585.2 million, President Bola Tinubu on Monday promptly suspended Betta Edu, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs.
President Tinubu said the decision aligns with his commitment to uphold the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and accountability in managing Nigeria’s commonwealth.
The President has ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to conduct a comprehensive investigation into financial transactions involving the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation and its agencies.
The suspended Minister has been directed to hand over to the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, and to cooperate fully with investigating authorities, according to a statement by Presidential spokesman Ajuri Ngelale.
President Tinubu on Sunday ordered a thorough investigation into the alleged N585 million corruption scandal in the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, promising to punish those involved.
The directive was contained in a statement issued by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris amid growing anger over alleged financial regulations breach by the Federal Government. It came just as ministries prepare for their first performance assessment by the end of January.
Several groups and individuals including the Peoples Democratic Party, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, Femi Falana, SAN; the Yoruba Youth Assembly and other civil society groups have demanded an investigation into a leaked memo by Betta Edu, instructing the Accountant-General of the Federation, Dr Oluwatoyin Madein, to pay N585 million into the private bank account of a project accountant in her ministry, Bridget Oniyelu.
The minister claimed the N585 million payment was for vulnerable groups in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Ogun, and Lagos states, claiming allegations against her are baseless and legal within civil service for such payments to be made into private accounts of staff members, especially project accountants.