President Bola Tinubu has directed a thorough investigation of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, which is run by Betta Edu.
Mohammed Idris, Minister of Information and National Orientation, announced this in a statement on Sunday.
Edu’s suspected role in the sanctioning of N585,198,500.00 to be disbursed into a personal account had sparked controversy.
In a letter reportedly signed by the humanitarian minister, she allegedly authorised the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF), Oluwatoyin Madein, to transfer the cash to one Oniyelu Bridget’s account as a grant for disadvantaged groups in four states.
Madein, on the other hand, indicated that while her office got a request from the humanitarian ministry to make specific payments, it did not act on it.
Edu, 37, the youngest minister in the President’s cabinet, subsequently said there were plans to tarnish her image, adding that she won’t embezzle government funds.
Incidentally, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is presently probing Edu’s predecessor, Sadiya Farouq, over alleged laundering of N37.1 billion during her tenure as a minister under the administration of ex-President Muhammadu Buhari.
In a statement on Sunday, the information minister acknowledged the uproar over the development in the humanitarian ministry under Edu, saying that the “government is determined to unravel the truth”.
Idris said, “In light of recent events, the President has directed that a thorough and comprehensive investigation be conducted to ascertain the accuracy and validity of the reported details.
“The government is determined to unravel the truth as it relates to this matter, and assures that appropriate action will be taken to ensure that any breaches and infractions are identified and decisively punished, in line with the Administration’s commitment to public accountability and due process.”
The information minister said Nigerians would be informed on the progress of the investigation.
“We urge Nigerians to exercise patience as the investigation unfolds. The government is focused on ensuring a fair and unbiased process, and the findings will be communicated duly and transparently to the public,” he said.