N585m Palliative Paid into Private Account: Betta Edu Should Stop Insulting Nigerians’ Sensibilities, Says Falana

Foremost human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mr. Femi Falana, told the Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation Edu to stop insulting the sensibilities of Nigerians with her response to the allegations of corruption against her.

Edu was alleged to have recently directed the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation to pay a whopping sum of N585.18 million to a private account owned by one Oniyelu Bridget.

The ministry claimed Bridget currently served as the Project Accountant, Grants for Vulnerable Groups in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Lagos and Ogun states.

But the Accountant-General of the Federation, Dr. Oluwatoyin Madein, rejected Edu’s directive and refused to pay the said sum of N585.18 million to the agent of the minister.

In addition to this infraction of extant public financial rules, the minister was also said to have approved air tickets for trips to Kogi State, including airport taxi, when the state has no known or functional airport, an allegation that had since been exposed with the approval memo now flying about on the social media.

It was for this reason that the president appointed the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, to head a panel to investigate the alleged fraud in the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.

Reacting to Edu’s response on the allegations made against her, Falana said, “It is public knowledge that the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Betty Edu, recently directed the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation to pay a whopping sum of N585.18 million to a private account owned by one Oniyelu Bridget, who the ministry claimed currently serves as the Project Accountant, Grants for Vulnerable Groups in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Lagos and Ogun states.

“Happily, the Accountant-General of the Federation, Dr. Oluwatoyin Madein, rightly rejected the illegal directive and refused to pay the said sum of N585.18 million to the agent of the minister.

“It is interesting to note that the minister has not denied that she gave approval for the payment of the over half a billion Naira to a private account in contravention of the extant Public Service Rules as well as the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Offences Act and the Penal Code applicable in the Federal Capital Territory.

“Instead of apologising to the federal government and people of Nigeria and calling it quits for betraying the confidence reposed in her, the minister has arrogantly said the N585.18 million fraud allegation is a mere fabrication by her detractors and an alleged attempt by mischief makers to undermine her ministry’s effort in fighting corruption and uplifting the needy.

“However, notwithstanding that the Accountant-General of the Federation has successfully frustrated the criminal diversion of the said sum of N585.18 million from public treasury, it is crystal clear from the leaked memorandum of the minister that the offence of an attempt to commit a felony has already been completed.

“There can be no legal justification for the criminal diversion of the said sum of N585.18 million for disbursement to vulnerable people in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Lagos and Ogun states since the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs has collated the individual bank accounts of all the vulnerable people

“Having regard to the facts and circumstances of this extremely embarrassing drama, we commend the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for the recovery of the sum of N37 billion meant for vulnerable people in Nigeria.

“We also call on the commission to speed up the ongoing investigation of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs with a view to charging all indicted persons before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory as soon as possible.”

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