The recently suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu, has arrived the headquarters of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Her appearance at the office of the anti-graft agency is for the investigation of the N585 million fraud allegation levied againt the minister.
President Bola Tinubu had issued an order to the EFCC to thoroughly investigate the ministry, after suspending Minister Betta Edu with immediate effect.
Her suspension makes her the first minister to get suspended from the current cabinet after they were sworn in in August, 2023.
Last December, a memo addressed to the Accountant General of the Federation, requesting the disbursement of N585 million budgeted for Grants for Vulnerable Groups to a personal account was leaked.
Although Minister Betta Edu did not deny requesting the transaction to the account of Oniyelu Bridget Mojisola, she claimed it was due process because the intending recipient also serves as Project Accountant for Grants for Vulnerable Groups
According to Chapter 7, Section 713 of Nigeria’s Financial Regulations 2009, “Personal money shall in no circumstances be paid into a government bank account, nor shall any public money be paid into a private account.”
The president in the wake of the latest happening, instructed a thorough probe of the ministry and suspended Minister Betta Edu with an order to hand over to the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.
She has also been directed to fully cooperate with the investigating authorities as they conduct their investigation.
Reports say the embattled minister Betta Edu has recently made several efforts to reach President Tinubu but was prevented.