President Bola Tinubu immediately suspended the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu, from her position. The announcement came from the presidential spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, in a statement released Monday afternoon.
The president's decision to suspend Edu follows his order to investigate the ministry's affairs under her leadership thoroughly. The controversy arose from allegations surrounding Edu's approval of N585,198,500.00 to be disbursed into a personal account. A letter purportedly signed by the minister instructed the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF), Oluwatoyin Madein, to transfer the sum to the account of Oniyelu Bridget as grants for vulnerable groups in four states. However, Madein clarified that her office received a payment request but did not take any action on it.
Edu, who, at 37, was the youngest member of the president's cabinet before her suspension, countered the allegations, claiming there were plans to tarnish her image, and she vehemently denied any intention to embezzle government funds. Coincidentally, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is investigating Edu's predecessor, Sadiya Farouq, for alleged money laundering during her tenure as a minister under the administration of ex-President Muhammadu Buhari.
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In a statement on Monday, the President directed the EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, to thoroughly investigate all financial transactions involving the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation and its affiliated agencies. The suspended minister was instructed to hand it over to the ministry's permanent secretary and cooperate fully with the investigating authorities during their inquiry.
Furthermore, the President appointed a panel led by the Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance to comprehensively diagnose the financial architecture and framework of social investment programs. The aim is to reform relevant institutions and programs, eliminate institutional frailties to benefit disadvantaged households, and restore public confidence in the initiative.
