Dr. Betta Edu, the suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, recently requested the Accountant General of the Federation to warehouse over N66 billion unspent funds for the ministry in 2023.
This request, made close to the end of the financial year, aimed to address challenges faced by the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP) in disbursing payments to beneficiaries.
In a letter dated December 20, 2023, exclusively obtained by SaharaReporters, Edu outlined the unspent balances and requested the funds be warehoused to fulfill the ministry’s obligations.
However, on January 8, 2024, President Bola Tinubu suspended Edu from office and directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate financial transactions involving the ministry and its agencies.
Edu’s suspension followed allegations of misappropriation of funds, including a request to transfer over N585 million to a private account belonging to Oniyelu Bridget Mojisola, identified as a project manager by the minister.
Additionally, documents revealed the movement of N226,188,500 million to Kogi, Bayelsa, and Imo states ahead of the November 11, 2023 governorship elections under the guise of providing palliatives for vulnerable people.
The disbursement of funds just days before the elections raised suspicions of vote-buying. Despite these allegations, Edu personally approved the transfer of funds to the states.
Furthermore, the Nigerian House of Representatives summoned Edu to provide details on the conditional cash transfer program to 15 million households, citing concerns over transparency and potential fraudulent practices.
