The Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation under the leadership of Betta Edu will be thoroughly probed, President Bola Tinubu has ordered.
The president issued the probe order of Edu’s ministry following the alleged disbursement of N585 million into a personal account, approved by the minister.
President Tinubu’s directive was made known on Sunday by his Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris.
According to the letter signed by Idris, Betta Edu had allegedly ordered the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF), Oluwatoyin Madein, to make a cash transfer of N585,198,500.00 to the account of one Oniyelu Bridget as a grant to carter for vulnerable groups in four Nigerian states.
The accountant general however explained that her office received the order to activate some payments, but did not act on it.
Betta Edu had responded to the allegation, saying that she would never mismanage government funds, adding that they were in a bid to tarnish her image.
It should be noted that the current humanitarian affairs minister is the youngest serving official in Tinubu’s cabinet, and aged 37.
Betta Edu’s immediate predecessor, Sadiya Farouq, is also being probed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over an alleged N37.1 billion embezzlement under the leadership of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Information Minister Idris reiterated that the federal government is determined to unravel the truth behind the allegation.
“In light of recent events, the President has directed that a thorough and comprehensive investigation be conducted to ascertain the accuracy and validity of the reported details,” he said concerning Betta Edu.
“The government is determined to unravel the truth as it relates to this matter, and assures that appropriate action will be taken to ensure that any breaches and infractions are identified and decisively punished, in line with the Administration’s commitment to public accountability and due process.”