President Tinubu and Betta Edu.
Newsone Nigeria reports that the Nigerian media has been awash with reports of an alleged N585 million scandal by Betta Edu, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu‘s presidency in the last 48 hours.
This online news platform understands that Betta Edu’s scandal started when a leaked memo dated December 20, 2023, to the Accountant General of the Federation requesting the disbursement of N585 million meant for Grants for Vulnerable Groups to a personal account surfaced online.
When the scandal emerged, Tinubu Minister Betta Edu didn’t deny paying N585 million into a private account, rather the Minister confirmed that she authorized payment of N585 million into a private account owned by one Oniyelu Bridget Mojisola.
In defense, the Minister claimed the payment followed due process. According to her, she currently serves as the Project Accountant for Grants for Vulnerable Groups.
Reacting to the development, the Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the Minister, Rasheed Zubair said N585.198 million payment for the vulnerable group followed due process.
He stated that the payment of the grant to the account of an individual, Oniyelu Bridget, was because the fellow currently serves as the Project Accountant of Grants for Vulnerable Groups.
The Special Assistant explained that the payment of the N585.198 million grant was meant for vulnerable groups in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Ogun and Lagos states.
“For the avoidance, the said N585m was approved, and it is meant to implement grants to vulnerable groups in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Ogun, and Lagos states.
“We must note that GVG was first launched in Kogi State, where recipients testified. Akwa Ibom and Cross River were launched in December 2023. Kogi already happened in November, and others will be launched in the coming weeks.
“The general public is invited to note that the Renewed Hope Grant for Vulnerable Groups is one of the social intervention schemes of the Federal Government, which the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation is implementing.
However, the action of the Minister was against Chapter 7, Section 713 of the Federal Government’s Financial Regulations 2009, which notes, ‘Personal money shall in no circumstances be paid into a government bank account, nor shall any public money be paid into a private account’.
The Accountant General of the Federation, Oluwatosin Madein, faulted Edu’s payment of N585 million into a personal account.
AGF confirmed receiving the request from Edu for an N585 million payment but did not carry out the payment.
It also clarified that the OAGF does not make payments on behalf of MDAs for projects and programmes implemented by the MDAs.
In a statement by the Director of Press, Bawa Mokwa, on Saturday, the AGF was reacting to media reports concerning a request from the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation for N585 million payment of grants to vulnerable groups in some states of the federation.
The AGF explained, “Although her office received the said request from the Ministry, it did not pay. The Ministry was, however, advised on the appropriate steps to make such payments in line with the established payment procedure”, she said.
Madein noted that allocations are released to self-accounting MDAs in line with the budget, and such MDAs are responsible for the implementation of their projects and payments for such projects.
On Sunday, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ordered a probe into the allegation and vowed to punish those found guilty.
President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said appropriate action would be taken after the investigation.
“The matter is under investigation.
“Appropriate Action will be taken thereafter,” he told Daily Trust.
Falana, Kperogi, Adeyanju and SERAP call for Betta Edu’s sack
There has been nationwide outrage, with many Nigerians calling for Edu’s sack and prosecution.
Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, on Sunday, urged the Minister to resign her position and stop insulting Nigerians sensibility.
“There can be no legal justification for the criminal diversion of the said sum of N585.18 million for disbursement to vulnerable people in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Lagos and Ogun States since the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs has collated the individual bank accounts of all the vulnerable people”, he said in a statement.
Also, Farooq Kperogi, a Nigerian-American professor and renowned writer, has asked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to sack Betta Edu over an alleged N585,198,500.00 corruption scandal.
On his part, a human rights activist, Deji Adeyanju, has said actions like Edu’s were the reason the military truncated Nigeria’s democracy.
Consequently, he called for her immediate sack.
On the other hand, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, threatened to sue President Bola Ahmed Tinubu if he failed to probe the alleged payment of N585,189,500.00 into a private account by Edu.