President Bola Tinubu has suspended the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Betta Edu, following widespread anger over an alleged five hundred and eighty-five million naira scandal.
The President also directed the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Ola Olukoyede, to investigate all financial transactions involving the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.
This was disclosed in a statement released on Monday by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President, Ajuri Ngelale, stating that the President in line with his avowed commitment to uphold the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and accountability in the management of the commonwealth of Nigerians, has suspended the minister with immediate effect.
“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,” the statement read.
It would be recalled that the President on Sunday directed a comprehensive inquiry into the alleged scandal in the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, vowing to decisively punish those involved in any breaches and infractions unravelled during the investigations.
The minister had claimed that the five hundred and eighty-five million naira payment was meant for vulnerable groups in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Ogun, and Lagos states, describing the allegations against her as baseless.
The minister in a statement through her Media Assistant, Rasheed Olarenwaju, also said that it was legal within the civil service for such payments to be made into private accounts of staff members, especially project accountants.
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