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- Orders finance to conduct diagnostic investigations
From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
President Bola Tinubu has suspended the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu, from office with immediate effect over the transfer of N585.2 million from public account into a private account of an official in her ministry, Oniyelu Bridget Mojisola.
Edu had admitted that the 20 December 2023 memo which shows that she requested the Accountant General of the Federation, Oluwatoyin Madein, to transfer public fund – N585.2 million – into a private account of an official in her ministry.
The transfer contravenes various sections of Nigeria’s Financial Regulations 2009, which are meant to prevent fraud and other forms of corruption.
She had admitted further that the fund transferred from the National Social Investment Office account was meant for disbursement to vulnerable people in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Lagos, and Ogun states, under the federal government poverty intervention project called Grants for Vulnerable Groups.
She explained that Oniyelu, whose private account with the United Bank of Africa the N585.2 million was paid into, is the project accountant.
In a statement issued by Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, the suspension is in line with President Tinubu’s avowed commitment to uphold the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and accountability in the management of the commonwealth of Nigerians.
The President further directed the Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to conduct a thorough investigation into all aspects of the financial transactions involving the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, as well as one or more agencies thereunder.
He ordered Edu to hand over to the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, and to fully cooperate with the investigating authorities as they conduct their investigation.
President Tinubu also tasked a panel that is headed by the Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance to, among other functions, conduct a comprehensive diagnostic on the financial architecture and framework of the social investment programmes with a view to conclusively reforming the relevant institutions and programmes in a determined bid to eliminate all institutional frailties for the exclusive benefit of disadvantaged households and win back lost public confidence in the initiative.
“These directives of the President take immediate effect,” the statement read.
