Has Betta Edu quietly returned to her position? What became of the probe against her? Or was it just another deceptive move by the Federal Government to protect her from “public scrutiny”?
On January 8, 2024, Betta Edu, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management was relieved of her position amid widespread outrage over an alleged N585 million scandal.
Betta Edu found herself at the centre of controversy following her involvement in the approval of N585,198,500.00, which was allegedly disbursed into a personal account.
According to a letter purportedly signed by the minister, she instructed the Accountant General of the Federation, Oluwatoyin Madein, to transfer the funds to the account of one Oniyelu Bridget, a private account of a civil servant as grants for vulnerable groups in four states.
Amid growing public outrage over a disbursement scandal, Bola Tinubu suspended Betta Edu, marking the first removal of a member from his 48-man cabinet and ordered a thorough investigation into the theft.
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Betta Edu, who was suspended and investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), was released on bail.
However, Betta Edu secretly returned to her official duties last July, as she performed her duty, as the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation by sending an official “condolence message to the victims of the recent Jos building collapse,” with the official letterhead and seal of her ministry.
Since that time, her job seems to have been very much intact as she’s said to have continued her duty as the head of the Humanitarian Ministry and no one has bothered to raise eyebrows.
This raises some pressing questions: When did Tinubu reinstate Betta Edu, allowing her to resume her official duties? And what became the conclusion of the EFCC investigation into her alleged actions, apart from disclosing that it has recovered a staggering N30 billion and has initiated investigations into 50 bank accounts connected to the scandal. Was it simply a ploy by Tinubu to create the illusion among Nigerians of his intent to fight corruption?
Delving into these questions points to one clear conclusion: There must be a reason for the silence by government authorities surrounding her suspension, probe and secret comeback.
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