President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered a thorough investigation of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation led by Betta Edu.
He vowed to “decisively punish” those involved in any breaches and infractions unravelled during the investigations.
The President gave the directive in a statement issued by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, as anger grew over the alleged breach of the Federal Government’s financial regulations.
The development comes just as ministries prepare for their first performance assessment by the end of January.
Controversy had enveloped Edu’s alleged involvement in the approval of N585,198,500.00 to be disbursed into a personal account.
In a letter allegedly signed by the humanitarian minister, she allegedly instructed the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF), Oluwatoyin Madein, to transfer the sum to the account of one Oniyelu Bridget as grant for vulnerable groups in four states.
However, Madein explained that although her office received a request from the humanitarian ministry to make certain payments, her office did not act on it.
The 37-year-old is 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 N37.1billion during her tenure as a minister under the administration of former 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.
