By Adedapo Adesanya
President Bola Tinubu has suspended the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Mrs Betta Edu, from office with immediate effect.
The suspension of the Minister was announced by the presidential spokesman, Mr Ajuri Ngelale, in a statement on Monday afternoon following a controversy involving the diversion of public funds worth N585,198,500.00 to a personal account.
In a letter allegedly signed by the Humanitarian Minister, she instructed the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF), Mrs Oluwatoyin Madein, to transfer the sum to the account of one Oniyelu Bridget as grants for vulnerable groups in four states.
However, Mrs Madein explained that although her office received a request from the Humanitarian Ministry to make certain payments, her office did not act on it.
The suspension of the 37-year-old Minister is coming after 84 days since she was sworn in by President Tinubu for the position. Before her suspension, she was the youngest in the President’s cabinet.
She has continuously denied the allegations against her.
President Tinubu also directed the EFCC Chairman, Mr Ola Olukoyede 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 other affiliate agencies.
The President also directed the suspended Minister to hand over to the Permanent Secretary of the ministry and “fully cooperate with the investigating authorities as they conduct their investigation”.
“Furthermore, the President has 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 to conclusively reform 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,” Mr Ajuri said in the statement today.
