Tinubu under pressure to suspend Betta Edu as another financial scandal hits humanitarian ministry

Few days after the former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs Sadiyat Umar Farouk was invited by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC over financial misappropriation, the current Minister Betta Edu is battling to clear her name in a fresh scandal that has hit the ministry.

This follows a leaked memo titled ‘Mandate For Payment’ which Edu sent to the office of the Accountant General of the Federation seeking the transfer of the sum of N585, 189, 500 (Five Hundred and Eighty Five Million, One Hundred and Eighty Nine Thousand, Five Hundred Naira) for “payments for programmes and activities of the Renewed Hope Grant for Vulnerable Groups”.

However, the beneficiary’s account name for the payment is a private account of one Onlyelu Bridget Mojso, domiciled in UBA.

Already the office of the Accountant General of the Federation has faulted the request, clarifying that such payments are ordinarily made to the vulnerable beneficiaries of the programme, clarifying that it does not process bulk government payments to an individual’s private account.

It noted that the Ministries are self-accounting entities, directing that due process should be followed.

Meanwhile Betta Edu has described the scandal as baseless, blaming it on mischief makers seeking to undermine her ministry’s effort in fighting corruption.

Earlier this week, the National Co-ordinator and Chief Executive Officer of the National Social Investment Programme Agency, NSIPA, Hajia Shehu was a guest at the EFCC over similar allegations.

Shehu is said to have moved the sum of N44bn from NSIPA’s accounts into some private and corporate accounts.