July 15, (THEWILL) – Betta Edu, the suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, remains suspended and has not been recalled to office, a senior Presidency official told THEWILL exclusively, following a news report by a leading newspaper suggesting she had returned to her office. The high-ranking official asked not to be identified in this report.
THEWILL recalls that President Bola Tinubu had in January 2024, suspended the Cross River State representative in the federal cabinet from office and directed 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,” the President’s spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, said in the statement.
Edu was summoned by the anti-graft agency shortly after she was suspended over the alleged disbursement of a N585 million grant into a personal account.
The grant meant for vulnerable groups in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Lagos and Ogun States, was allegedly transferred to a bank account controlled by Oniyelu Bridget Mojisola.
*** This is an exclusive report and can be reproduced or cited on the condition that credit is given to THEWILL as source of the original report.
