President Bola Tinubu on Monday suspended the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu, for her alleged involvement in the approval of N585,198,500.00 to be disbursed into a personal account.
Betta Edu, 37-year-old is the first member of President Tinubu’s 48-man cabinet to be suspended.
In a statement, presidential spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, said 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”.
Controversy had enveloped Edu’s 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 states.
However, Madein confirmed that although her office received a request from the humanitarian ministry to make certain payments, her office did not act on it.
Edu subsequently said there were plans to tarnish her image, adding that she won’t embezzle government funds.
Incidentally, the EFCC is presently probing Edu’s predecessor, Sadiya Farouq, over the alleged laundering of N37.1 billion during her tenure as a minister under the administration of ex-President Muhammadu Buhari.
Meanwhile, the suspended minister was seen in a video posted on TVC’s official X page leaving the Villa after she was unable to see President Tinubu hours after her suspension.
CHANNELS TV/THE NATION
