Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu, has revealed that plans to tarnish her image will amount to nothing.
The minister’s comment is coming after document recently emerged showing that she allegedly disbursed N585,198,500.00 into a personal account.
The instruction for the payment is contained in a leaked letter dated December 20, 2023.
In the letter signed by the minister and titled: “Mandate for Payment of Grant for Vulnerable Groups in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Lagos and Ogun States Respectively”, Edu instructed the accountant-general to transfer the sum above to the UBA account of one Oniyelu Bridget Mojisola.
Despite the public outcry, Edu denied any wrongdoing in a post on X.
“Integrity and accountability are our watch word! Under my watch in the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation no one will embezzle Government funds as before.
“The plans to tarnish the image of this administration, my person or the Ministry will amount to nothing,” she stated.
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According to the viral document signed by Edu and directed to the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, the minister instructed the disbursement of N585,198,500.00 to a private account.
Integrity and accountability are our watch word! Under my watch in the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation no one will embezzle Government funds as before. The plans to tarnish The image of this administration, my person or the Ministry will amount to nothing
— Betta Edu (@edu_betta) January 4, 2024
The document also showed that the payment of the N585.198 million grant was meant for vulnerable groups in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Ogun, and Lagos states,