From Laide Raheem, Abeokuta
The Yoruba Youth Assembly has called for the sack of the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Beta Edu over the allegation of asking the Accountant General of the Federation, Mrs Oluwatoyin Madein, to pay the sum of N585m into a private account
Edu, in a document that has gone viral on social media, personally signed the letter and addressed it to the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, authorising the disbursement of the funds to one Oniyelu Bridget Mojisola.
The minister added that the payment was meant for vulnerable groups in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Ogun and Lagos States
Reacting to the development at the weekend, YYA in a statement signed by his President, Odunuga Babatunde, faulted this alleged corruptive move of the Minister, pointing out that the laws of the country forbid that government money should be deposited into personal account.
The group also expressed displeasure and indignation against the Accountant-General of the Federation, Mrs Oluwatoyin Madein for waiting till now to speak up on the alleged financial infraction.
It said that President Bola Tinubu must quickly rise up to the occasion and suspend Dr Edu to allow for proper investigations while ensuring that no one found wanting in this shameless acts goes unpunished.
The YYA stressed that “this is a good litmus test for the commitment of President Tinubu to fight corruption”.
“The financial law unequivocally prohibits the deposit of personal funds into government bank accounts and vice versa, deeming such actions fraudulent. Any officer involved in depositing public money into a private account is presumed to have acted with fraudulent intent.
“These revelations raise serious concerns about the administration’s commitment to financial regulations.
“As an Assembly of youth that staunchly emphasizes zero tolerance for corruption in our dear country, we are no doubt saddened by this inappropriate act and we therefore demand for the suspension of Dr Beta Edu.
“We urge President Tinubu to order for proper investigation of this unpatriotic act to serve as deterrent for others”.
“The call for suspension resonates as a demand for transparency, accountability, and the restoration of public trust, with far-reaching implications for the administration’s commitment to ethical governance,” the statement submitted.