Dr. Betta Edu, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, has been removed from office by President Bola Tinubu.
The President further orders the Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to carry out a comprehensive investigation into all facets of the financial transactions involving the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, as well as one or more agencies thereunder, according to a statement made public by the president’s spokesperson, Ajuri Ngelali.
‘’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 Economic and Financial Crimes Commission invited the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu, to its headquarters located in Jabi, Abuja in less than an hour after Tinubu suspended her from office.
It has been alleged that the Minister approved the disbursement of N585,198,500.00 into a personal account.
The President’s cabinet’s youngest minister, Edu, 37, later said that attempts were being made to damage her reputation and emphasised that she would never misuse public monies.
