The suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu, may not return to her ministerial duties following allegations of misappropriation.
Anonymous sources from the presidency suggest that the scandal surrounding Edu goes beyond what has been publicly disclosed.
The scandal involves a comprehensive inquiry directed by Bola Ahmed Tinubu into the misappropriation of N585 million within the ministry. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is investigating Edu for authorizing the funds to be transferred into a private account.
An official, unauthorized to comment publicly, mentioned to Punch, “What we have in that ministry is more than what we have seen. I can tell you that Edu may not return to the ministry or even return as a minister.
“She may not be the only one involved. But as it stands now, she should forget the idea or dream of her returning to the Federal Executive Council. In fact, she is gone.”
The investigation also extends to former Minister Sadiya Umar-Farouq, who is under scrutiny for alleged N37.1 billion money laundering, and Halima Shehu, the suspended National Coordinator and CEO of the National Social Investment Programme.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) reportedly recovered over N50 billion from the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs in 2023. This sum, initially intended for vulnerable citizens, was blocked by the ICPC during a naira scarcity period. Attempts to transfer the funds into private bank accounts were thwarted, and the recovered funds were subsequently deposited into the Central Bank of Nigeria.
An anonymous source shed light on the recovery, stating, “During the naira scarcity between late 2022 and 2023, the ICPC under Prof Owasanoye blocked and recovered the sum of N50 billion from the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs.
“The money was meant for the vulnerable and the poor people in the country, which the ministry could not distribute due to the scarcity of currency during the naira redesign period.”
As investigations unfolds, EFCC detectives continue to question senior civil servants connected to the financial scandals within the ministry.
Credit: Newsdesk