Following widespread anger over an alleged N585 million scandal, President Bola Tinubu today suspended the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Betta Edu.
Revealing this in a statement signed by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President, Ajuri Ngelale, Tinubu said, “In line with his avowed commitment to upholding the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and accountability in the management of the commonwealth of Nigerians, President Bola Tinubu suspends the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Betta Edu, from office with immediate effect.”
Earlier, Tinubu directed a comprehensive inquiry into the alleged N585m scandal in the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, vowing to “decisively punish” those involved in any breaches and infractions unravelled during the investigations.
Several groups and individuals including the Peoples Democratic Party, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, Femi Falana, SAN; the Yoruba Youth Assembly and other civil society groups demanded an unfettered probe of the leaked memo by the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu, instructing the Accountant-General of the Federation, Dr Oluwatoyin Madein, to pay N585m into the private bank account of a project accountant in her ministry, Bridget Oniyelu.
