President Bola Tinubu has taken swift action by suspending the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Dr. Betta Edu, in the wake of a public outcry over an alleged N585 million scandal. The suspension was confirmed by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President, Ajuri Ngelale, in a statement released to journalists.
The statement read, “In line with his avowed commitment to uphold the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and accountability in the management of the commonwealth of Nigerians, President Bola Tinubu suspends the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Betta Edu, from office with immediate effect.”
President Tinubu had initiated a comprehensive inquiry into the alleged scandal within the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation on Sunday. He expressed determination to decisively punish those found involved in any breaches and infractions uncovered during the investigations.
The scandal came to light through a leaked memo by Minister Betta Edu, instructing the Accountant-General of the Federation, Dr. Oluwatoyin Madein, to transfer N585 million into the private bank account of a project accountant in her ministry, Bridget Oniyelu. The payment was purportedly intended for vulnerable groups in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Ogun, and Lagos states.
Several groups and individuals, including the Peoples Democratic Party, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, Femi Falana, SAN, the Yoruba Youth Assembly, and other civil society groups, had called for an unfettered probe into the matter.
In response to the allegations, Minister Betta Edu insisted that the payment was legally made into the private account of the project accountant, asserting that it was a common practice within the civil service.
Details on the unfolding situation are expected to emerge as the investigation progresses.