By Ahmed Ajikobi
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has invited the suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu over alleged N585 million scam.
Edu was suspended by President Bola Tinubu on Monday to pave way for her investigation by the EFCC.
It was gathered that the EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede had invited Edu after she was suspended by the president on Monday.
Edu was accused of asking the Accountant General to pay the N585.189 million grant meant for vulnerable groups in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Ogun and Lagos states into a private account.
The Punch quoted an EFCC source as saying that Edu was being expected to appear at the EFCC’s office, Abuja for questioning after she had been served with the letter to appear.
Earlier, the president, in a statement by his spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale suspended Edu from office with immediate effect in a bit to uphold the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and accountability in the management of the commonwealth of Nigerians.
The President directed the EFCC to conduct a thorough investigation into all aspects of the financial transactions involving the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, as well as one or more agencies thereunder.
“The suspended Minister is hereby directed to hand over to the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, and she is further directed by the President to fully cooperate with the investigating authorities as they conduct their investigation
“Furthermore, the President has tasked a panel that is headed by the Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance to, among other functions, conduct a comprehensive diagnostic on the financial architecture and framework of the social investment programmes with a view to conclusively reforming the relevant institutions and programmes in a determined bid to eliminate all institutional frailties for the exclusive benefit of disadvantaged households and win back lost public confidence in the initiative. These directives of the President take immediate effect,” Ngelale said.
