Minister Betta Edu Explains N585m Payment to Individual Account

A financial controversy has emerged in the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, with allegations that Minister Betta Edu approved a payment of N585 million into a private account.

According to a document circulating online, Minister Edu instructed the disbursement of N585,198,500.00 to an individual named Oniyelu Bridget, who is the Project Accountant for Grants for Vulnerable Groups.

The payment, intended for vulnerable groups in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Ogun, and Lagos states, has raised concerns about the use of public funds for individual accounts.

In response, the Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the Minister, Rasheed Zubair, clarified that the payment followed due process. He explained that Oniyelu Bridget, as the Project Accountant, is authorized to receive and manage the funds legally, with proper documentation.

Despite this clarification, the situation has sparked discussions on social media, with Nigerians questioning why such a significant sum of government money would be directed to an individual's account.

This controversy follows the recent suspension of the National Coordinator of the National Social Investment Programme Agency, Halima Shehu, by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Shehu is under investigation for alleged financial misappropriation, including an N44 billion fraud. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has frozen N30 billion linked to the National Social Investment Programme Agency's accounts.

Former Minister Sadiya Umar-Farouq has also been invited for questioning in connection to a financial scandal involving a contractor named James Okwete.