Nigerian Minister of Poverty Suspended.
A minister in Nigeria has been placed under suspension by the president due to allegations that over 585 million naira (£640,000; £500,000) in public funds were transferred to a personal bank account.
Betta Edu, the minister of humanitarian affairs and poverty alleviation, was suspended on Monday as a result of the scandal’s widespread outcry.
President Bola Tinubu ordered a probe into Dr. Edu’s ministry, according to a statement from his office.
Dr. Edu has refuted any misconduct.
Although the transfer into a personal account was not in her name, her office stated that she had approved it and that it was for the “implementation of grants to vulnerable groups”.
Being the youngest minister in President Tinubu’s cabinet at 37 years old, Dr. Edu is seen as a close ally of the head of state.
In Nigeria, it is unusual for a minister to be suspended; Dr. Edu is the first to lose their position since President Tinubu took office in May of last year.
During his eight years in office, his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari, only dismissed two ministers.
The money was allegedly sent by Dr. Edu to a senior treasury official’s personal account of Bridget Oniyelu, the government’s accountant for the Grants for Vulnerable Groups initiative, according to a leaked document that was reported on by local media last week.
Outrage erupted upon hearing reports that Dr. Edu had requested the money be transferred from the government account to a personal one.
On Sunday, Mr. Tinubu demanded that the move be looked into.
According to a statement made public on Monday, he requested a “thorough investigation into all aspects of the financial transactions involving the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation” from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Dr. Edu was invited to cooperate with the investigation by Mr. Tinubu. The president emphasised the need to “win back lost public confidence in the initiative” and urged for reforming government agencies in charge of social development.