President Bola Tinubu on Monday suspended the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu, following controversies about financial transactions she authorised in her ministry.
The suspension according to a statement by presidential spokesperson Ajuri Ngelale is with immediate effect.
Mrs Edu has come under criticism from Nigerians for ordering the transfer of N585.2 million into the private bank account of a civil servant, who is the accountant in charge of grants for Vulnerable Nigerians.
The minister had issued a memo to the Accountant General of the Federation in December 2023 ordering the said amount to be paid into the civil servant’s private bank account.
According to Mr Ngelale’s statement, the suspension is in line with the president’s avowed commitment to upholding the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and accountability in the management of the commonwealth of Nigerians.
“The President further directs the Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) 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 one or more agencies thereunder,” Mr Ngelale said.
Mrs Edu was directed to hand over to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry.
The president also tasked a panel led by the Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance to, among other functions, conduct a comprehensive diagnostic of the financial architecture and framework of the social investment programmes.
The purpose of this is 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.
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