‘Serious procurement offence’ — group calls for disciplinary measures against Betta Edu

A group known as the Network for the Actualisation of Social Growth and Viable Development (NEFGAD) says President Bola Tinubu should discipline Betta Edu, minister of humanitarian affairs and poverty alleviation, for authorising the payment of N585 million into a private account.

There was outrage on Friday when a memo surfaced wherein Edu asked Oluwatoyin Sakirat Madein, accountant-general of the federation, to transfer the aforementioned sum to Oniyelu Bridget Mojisola, said to be project account for the Renewed Hope Grant for vulnerable groups.

In a statement on Friday, Akingunola Omoniyi, NEFGAD’s head of office, said what the minister did was “serious procurement and fiscal malfeasance that attracts serious penalties”.

Omoniyi said the treatment meted to Halima Shehu, suspended chief executive officer (CEO) of the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA), should also be handed to Edu.

“The recent development in the Humanitarian office has provided President Tinubu a golden opportunity to tell Nigerians and the whole world that he is ready and willing to tackle corruption in a fair, just and impartial manner by also applying same disciplinary measure (suspension) meted on NSIP CEO, Mrs Halima Shehu on the Minister for Humanitarian affairs and poverty alleviation, Mrs Beta Edu,” the statement reads.

“Apart from the fact that Dr Edu and Mrs Halima Shehu are from different geographical divides of the country, the tendency and pattern of the allegations involving the duo are too identical and should not have attracted different approaches and measures in dealing with them by the president.

“Directing payment of public fund into private account by a public officer is a serious procurement and fiscal malfeasance that attracts serious penalty under extant laws, regulations and rules including the public procurement, Fiscal Responsibility, Independent Corrupt Practices and other offences (ICPC), Code of Conduct Acts and the Anti-money Laundering (prevention and prohibition) Act.”

Akingunola added that the minister has serious questions to answer by instructing payment of public funds into a private account other than that of a legal entity.

In her reaction, the minister said through an aide that the payment followed due process.