The suspension of the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu, over suspected illegal financial transactions, on Monday, has sparked reactions among Nigerians.
PREMIUM TIMES reported the scandal, which includes the approval of payment of N585.2 million into a private account of a civil servant.
Mrs Edu came under criticism from Nigerians for authorising the transfer of the N585.2 million into the private bank account of a civil servant, who is the accountant in charge of grants for vulnerable Nigerians.
In response to the public outrage, President Tinubu suspended the minister on Monday, and directed a thorough investigation of the scam by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The commission has since summoned her to appear for questioning at its headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday.
The revelation and subsequent suspension of Mrs Edu coincide with ongoing probe of her predecessor, Sadiya Umar-Farouq, over alleged corruption in the handling of N37.1 billion social intervention funds during her tenure.
Reactions
Commenting on the development, many Nigerians have hailed President Tinubu for his response to the scandal. They also called for an impartial probe into the allegations, which they noted wad the essence of the suspension of the official.
Reacting via his X handle, D. H Bwala, a spokesperson for the presidential candidate of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party in the February 2023 election, said, “Again @officialABAT is showing that when there is a credible substance in an allegation he will act in the public interest. He has suspended the beauty pageant minister. Give it to him.”
Aliyyu Abubakar similarly praised President Tinubu’s decision, saying, “BAT is the best leader Nigeria needs at this critical time.”
John Iyanu also expressed his support for the president. “Good! Now investigation can come up,” the X user wrote.
Also hailing the suspension of the minister, Auwal Skinny wrote on X that, “As expected, if it wasn’t done we’ll question the president.”
Tweeting via @Aliyu_turare, another user on the platform stated, “Group of thieves Make you send them to prison with immediate effect nonsense. Now it’s time to pay Npower beneficiary stipends then.”
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An X user also tweeted via @kaurday applauding Mrs Edu’s suspension. “He who comes into equity must come with clean hands. Betta Edu exposed fraud but overlooked the need to maintain her integrity in the process. Betta Edu Beta Edu.”
Some former participants of the N-Power, a work-for-cash social assistance scheme under the social intervention programme during the President Muhammadu Buhari administration, who believed they were shortchanged, also demanded the prosecution of all individuals involved in the misappropriation of social intervention funds in the ministry.
“Remain, Mr Hamza Director of Fund and other Directors, all they are Scammers. Justice for N-power Batch C2 9 months Stipend,” Muhammed Bello wrote.
@EXCELLENCE_FG tweeted, “God will expose all those behind the delay in Npowerians Stipends. God bless TINUBU. ”
“Group of thieves. Make you send them to prison with immediate effect nonsense. Now it’s time to pay Npower beneficiary stipends then,” stated Musa Aliyu.
@Akinrinleola stated that, “As many as those behind our unpaid stipends, they’ll never know peace.”
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, on Monday, former spokesperson for then Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Laolu Akande, said the suspended minister expressed surprise over the humanitarian affairs’ admission of making the transfer of the money into a private account.
“I was surprised when I saw the ministry’s statement saying it transferred money into a private account. It is an infraction of financial regulations,” he said.
He said many government officials had gone with impunity for so long. He stated that the transaction was a departure from the financial regulations guiding the conduct of public officers.
Issues
A few days after Mrs Edu ordered the suspension of an official for alleged financial impropriety, documents leaked to the public showed that she ordered the payment of N585.2 million into the private bank account of a civil servant, who is the accountant in charge of Grants for Vulnerable Nigerians.
A leaked memo showed that the minister had in December, requested Oluwatoyin Madein, the accountant general of the federation, to transfer the money from the account of the National Social Investment Office to the private account of Bridget Oniyelu, the accountant of a federal government poverty intervention project called Grants for Vulnerable Groups, a project under Mrs Edu’s ministry.
The request contravenes various sections of Nigeria’s Financial Regulations 2009 meant to prevent fraud and other forms of corruption in government business.
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