President Bola Tinubu has ordered an investigation into the alleged transfer of N545 million belonging to the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation on the instruction of the minister, Dr. Betta Edu, into a private account.
Mohammed Idris, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, disclosed this on Sunday, January 7, in a statement.
The minister said the government was determined to unravel the truth as it relates to the scandal and assured that appropriate action will be taken.
He, therefore, urged Nigerians to be patient as government investigates the allegation and establishes the truth.
A document widely circulated on the social media over the weekend showed that a whopping N585.198 million designated as grants for vulnerable Nigerians in four States of the federation, was paid to the account of an individual, Oniyelu Bridget Mojisola.
Dr. Edu confirmed through her spokesperson, Rasheed Zubair, that she ordered the payment.
According to the document, Edu made the request to the Accountant General of the Federation, Dr. Oluwatoyin Madein, to transfer public funds to the private account.
Zubair, the Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the Minister, however, said the N585.198 million payment followed due process.
The SA added that the payment of the grant to the account of an individual, Oniyelu Bridget, was because the fellow currently serves as the Project Accountant of Grants for Vulnerable Groups.
The letter from the minister with reference number: FMHAPA/HQ/OHM/S.208 to the Accountant General of the Federation, Mrs. Madein dated December 20, 2023, had asked that over N585 million should be sent to a private account.
Betta Edu’s request was ignored because bulk money can’t be paid to private accounts, says Accountant-General
The letter signed by the minister is titled ‘Mandate for Payment of Grant for Vulnerable Groups in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Lagos and Ogun States Respectively’.
Speaking on the money, the minister through her SA explained that the payment of the N585.198 million grant was meant for vulnerable groups in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Ogun and Lagos states.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the said N585m was approved, and it is meant to implement grants to vulnerable groups in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Ogun, and Lagos states.
“Oniyelu Bridget is the Project Accountant for GVG from the Department of Finance, and it is legal in civil service for a staff, the project accountant, to be paid and use the same funds legally and retire the same with all receipts and evidence after the project or programme is completed,” the minister claimed.
But on Saturday, Dr. Madein, the Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF), disowned the minister.
She said she did not honour the request of Betta Edu because no bulk money “is supposed to be paid to an individual’s account in the name of Project Accountant”.
But wading in on the back and forth on Sunday, Mohammed Idris said Tinubu had ordered a probe into the messy affair.
A statement which the minister personally signed reads in part: “The Ministry of Information and National Orientation acknowledges the concerns raised by the public regarding the alleged payment of funds into a private account by the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.
“We are aware of the narratives circulating widely and wish to assure Nigerians that the Government takes these issues most seriously.
“The federal government, under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is transparent and accountable to the people, and committed to ensuring that public funds are allocated and utilized effectively and efficiently to address the needs of Nigerians.
“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 public is advised to note, against the backdrop of various unverified narratives circulating on the Internet, that the Ministry of Information and National Orientation, under the leadership of Minister Mohammed Idris, is the primary source for verified information about events and actions of the Federal Government of Nigeria.
“Only accurate details will be shared with the public. The Ministry is committed to providing timely updates to keep Nigerians informed about 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.”
