APA – Lagos (Nigeria)
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has suspended the country’s Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Betta Edu, over alleged financial misconduct.
The minister was also directed to hand over to the Permanent Secretary of the ministry and “fully cooperate with the investigating authorities as they conduct their investigation”.
The presidential spokesman, Mr. Ajuri Ngelale, said in a statement on Monday in Abuja that President Tinubu ordered the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, “to conduct a thorough investigation into all aspects of the financial transactions” involving the ministry and “one or more agencies thereunder”.
The minister was enveloped in alleged involvement in the approval of N585,198,500.00 to be disbursed into a personal account.
In a letter allegedly signed by the humanitarian minister, she instructed the Accountant General of the Federation, Oluwatoyin Madein, to transfer the sum to the account of one Oniyelu Bridget as grants for vulnerable groups in four Nigerian states.
Madein confirmed that although her office received a request from the humanitarian ministry to make certain payments, her office did not act on it.
However, the minister has said that it was a plan to tarnish her image, and that she won’t embezzle government funds.
Meanwhile, local media reports said that the EFCC was presently probing Edu’s predecessor, Sadiya Farouq, over alleged laundering of N37.1 billion during her tenure as a minister under the administration of ex-President Muhammadu Buhari.
GIK/APA
Nigerian leader suspends minister, directs probe of alleged financial misconduct
