Suspended Minister Edu Faces Another Tough Time Today After Tinubu’s Directive
Suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Betta Edu, will today face another phase of tough time following the directive of President Bola Tinubu.
Edu who has been in the centre of alleged fraud controversy is scheduled to face questioning by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) today over an alleged N585 million fraud in her ministry.
Edu, suspended by President Tinubu, is accused of transferring the Humanitarian Fund into a private account, intended for grants to vulnerable groups in Akwa Ibom, Lagos, Cross River, and Ogun states.
Before her ministerial appointment, Edu served as the Health commissioner in Cross River State and the National Women Leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). She becomes the first minister suspended from office since the swearing-in of members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) in August last year.
President Tinubu directed a thorough investigation into the financial activities of the ministry and its agencies, instructing a panel led by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, to probe the financial structure and operations of the social investment programmes. The directives were outlined in a statement by the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale.
The statement reads: “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 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.
“The suspended Minister is hereby directed to hand over to the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, and she is further directed by the President to fully cooperate with the investigating authorities as they conduct their investigation.
“Furthermore, the President has tasked a panel that is headed by the Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance to, among other functions, conduct a comprehensive diagnostic on the financial architecture and framework of the social investment programmes, with a view to conclusively reforming 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.
“These directives of the President take immediate effect.”
