Daud Olatunji
Betta Edu, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, has found herself in hot water as leaked documents reveal the transfer of N585 million from the ministry to a private account.
The leaked letter, dated December 20, 2023, and titled “Mandate for Payment of Grant for Vulnerable Groups in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Lagos, and Ogun States Respectively,” instructs the Accountant-General of the Federation, Oluwatoyin Sakirat Madein, to transfer the funds to the UBA account of Oniyelu Bridget Mojisola.
According to the document, the funds were allocated as follows: N219,429,750 for Akwa Ibom, N73,828,750 for Cross River, N219,462,250 for Lagos, and N72,468,750 for Ogun.
The payment was to be deducted from the National Social Investment Office account.
The letter’s circulation on social media sparked public outrage, with many questioning the minister’s decision to transfer public funds to a private account.
Public sector financial regulations from 2009 strictly prohibit such transactions, deeming them as having a “fraudulent intention.”
In response to the controversy, Rasheed Zubair, the media adviser to the minister, defended the N585 million fund transfer, claiming it followed “due process.”
Zubair argued that Bridget, the designated recipient, serves as the project accountant for grants for vulnerable groups schemes, emphasizing the legality of project accountants receiving payments.
Zubair dismissed the document’s circulation on social media as an attempt to smear the minister, attributing it to “sponsored disgruntled elements.”
He asserted that the minister’s recent efforts to expose a N44.8 billion fraud in NSIPA had triggered these attacks.
Despite the media adviser’s defense, the leaked document and allegations against Minister Betta Edu have raised concerns among Nigerians, prompting calls for a thorough investigation into the matter.
The minister’s integrity and adherence to financial regulations are now under scrutiny as the controversy unfolds.
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