Dr. Betta Edu.
The Presidency may have started investigation into the payment of ₦585.189 million grant approved by the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Betta Edu.
A leaked document revealed that Edu directed the payment of ₦585 into the private account of one Oniyelu Bridget Mojisola.
Edu is currently under fire following the emergence of the said document showing that she directed the payment of ₦585.189 million meant for vulnerable groups in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Ogun, and Lagos States into a private account.
In the leaked memo, dated December 20, 2023, the Minister instructed the Accountant-General of the Federation to transfer the sum to the UBA account of one Oniyelu Bridget Mojisola.
The development sparked criticisms from various quarters, with many Nigerians suspecting foul play in the approval process.
Some civil society organisations also called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu not to condone impunity while demanding that the Minister should be sacked and made to face interrogation by anti-corruption agencies.
Said Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, while reacting to the calls: “The matter is under investigation, appropriate Alaction will be taken thereafter”.
In a statement by her Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Rasheed Zubair, on Friday, January 5, 2023, Edu said the payment followed due process.
Zubair also stressed that the corruption allegation against the Minister was a smear campaign by disgruntled elements to stain her integrity.
He further explained that Bridget was the project accountant for the Renewed Hope Grant for Vulnerable Groups, which was why the money was paid into her account.
He insisted that in civil service, it is legal to pay the funds for a project into the account of the project accountant.
