TheCable

Betta Edu, suspended minister of humanitarian affairs and poverty alleviation, has arrived at the headquarters of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for grilling.

Edu reportedly arrived the EFCC office, located in the Jabi area of the federal capital territory (FCT), at about 12:00 noon.

Edu has been under fire after a memo surfaced wherein she asked Oluwatoyin Madein, accountant-general of the federation, to transfer the sum of N585 million to a private account.

On Monday, President Bola Tinubu suspended her from office and directed the anti-graft agency to probe all the financial transactions in her ministry.

Subsequently, her pass to the presidential villa was withdrawn.

“In line with his avowed commitment to uphold the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and accountability in the management of the commonwealth of Nigerians, President Bola Tinubu suspends the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Betta Edu, from office with immediate effect,” Ajuri Ngelale, presidential spokesperson, had said in a statement.

“The President further directs the Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (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.”

The president also directed Wale Edun, coordinating minister of the economy and minister of finance, to “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”.