Humanitarian Affairs Minister, Betta Edu Defends Transfer Of Public Funds Into Private Account

In a letter obtained by SaharaReporters, Dr. Betta Edu, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, admitted that she had asked Mrs. Oluwatoyin Sakirat Madein, the Accountant General of the Federation, to transfer public cash to a private account.

Rasheed Zubair, the Minister’s Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, discussed the issue and said that the vulnerable group’s N585.198 million payment was made in accordance with the law.

The SA further stated that the fellowship recipient, Oniyelu Bridget, is the project accountant for grants for vulnerable groups, which is why the amount was paid to her account.

According to a report published by Gistlover on Friday, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Sakirat Madein, the Accountant General of the Federation, was requested by Edu, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, to transfer public cash to a private account of a minister named Oniyelu Bridget Mojisola

In a December 20, 2023, letter to Mrs. Madein, the Accountant General of the Federation, the minister requested that more than N585 million be deposited into a private account with reference number FMHAPA/HQ/OHM/S.208.

The minister, Dr. Edu, signed the paper titled “Mandate for Payment of Grant for Vulnerable Groups in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Lagos, and Ogun States Respectively.”

Speaking on the funding, the minister clarified through her SA that the N585.198 million award was intended for vulnerable populations in the states of Lagos, Ogun, Cross River, and Akwa Ibom.

 “For the avoidance, the said N585m was approved, and it is meant to implement grants to vulnerable groups in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Ogun, and Lagos states.

“We must note that GVG was first launched in Kogi State, where recipients testified. Akwa Ibom and Cross River were launched in December 2023. Kogi already happened in November, and others will be launched in the coming weeks.

“The general public is invited to note that the Renewed Hope Grant for Vulnerable Groups is one of the social intervention schemes of the Federal Government, which the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation is implementing.

“Oniyelu Bridget is the Project Accountant for GVG from the Department of Finance, and it is legal in civil service for a staff, the project accountant, to be paid and use the same funds legally and retire the same with all receipts and evidence after the project or programme is completed”, he stated.