Human Rights Lawyer Femi Falana, on Sunday, urged the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Betta Edu, to stop insulting Nigerians following her claims that the allegations of a N585 million fraud were baseless.
The embattled minister came under heavy criticism on Friday after a memo surfaced where she directed the Accountant-General of the Federation, Oluwatoyin Madein, to transfer N585 million to a private account owned by one Oniyelu Bridget, who the ministry claimed currently serves as the Project Accountant, Grants for Vulnerable Groups.
The instructions for the payment are contained in a leaked memo dated December 20, 2023.
The Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation said on Friday that the N585.18 million grant for vulnerable groups in four states was approved and followed the stipulated due process of government.
Speaking on the matter, which has since gone viral, the minister noted that the allegation is a mere fabrication by her detractors, who seek to frustrate her efforts in her fight against corruption and uplifting the needy.
But Falana in a statement on Sunday said that while the Minister has not denied that she approved 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,” she refused to, “apologise to the Federal Government and people of Nigeria and calling it quits for betraying the confidence reposed in her, the Minister has arrogantly said that 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.”
Speaking further, Falana noted that though the Accountant-General of the Federation, Oluwatoyin Madein, has successfully frustrated the criminal diversion of the said sum of N585.18 million from the 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,” Falana said.
In the same vein, the Peoples Democratic Party has charged President Bola Tinubu to immediately sack and prosecute the embattled Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Betta Edu over the alleged money laundering.
Edu, came under heavy criticism last week after a memo surfaced where she directed the Accountant-General of the Federation, Oluwatoyin Madein, to transfer N585 million to a private account owned by one Oniyelu Bridget, who the ministry claimed currently serves as the Project Accountant, Grants for Vulnerable Groups.
The instructions for the payment are contained in a leaked memo dated December 20, 2023.
Reacting, the PDP, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, Sunday, described it as tragic and heartbreaking that a minister entrusted with public funds to support millions of poor Nigerians turned around to allegedly divert hundreds of millions of naira meant for the wellbeing of the poor.
“The continuing stay of Betta Edu as Minister is therefore provocative and amounts to stealing from a people and daring them to do their worst. It further confirms our party’s position that the Tinubu-led APC government is a cesspit of corruption,” Ologunagba stated.
The opposition party expressed shock that Edu and the suspended National Coordinator of NSIPA, Halima Shehu, allegedly engaged in the looting of billions of naira while Nigerians, whom the funds are meant for, are deprived and abandoned to excruciating hardship.
The statement read in part, “Equally disheartening are the reports of how Betta Edu allegedly directed the transfer of the N585.2 million NSIPA money into the private account of one of her fronts in clear violation of Chapter 7, Section 713 of Nigeria’s Financial Regulations, 2009, which expressly prohibits the payment of public money into a private account.
“For emphasis, Section 713 of Nigeria’s Financial Regulations, 2009, provides that personal money shall under no circumstances be paid into a government bank account, nor shall any public money be paid into a private bank account. An officer who pays public money into a private account is deemed to have done so with a fraudulent intention.
“The apparent fraudulent intention by Betta Edu in diverting public funds into a private account; an action which was appropriately declared illegal by the Accountant General of the Federation, Oluwatoyin Madein, is consistent with APC’s character and proclivity for plundering of public resources.
“The lack of remorse by the Minister especially in her lame attempt to justify the illegal diversion of funds meant for poor Nigerians is also consistent with the insensitivity, heartlessness, impunity, and criminal audacity inherent in the APC administration”.
The opposition party charged “President Tinubu to demonstrate commitment to the fight against corruption by immediately sacking Betta Edu, hand her over for investigation, prosecution and take steps to recover the stolen N44 billion and channel the fund recovered towards the wellbeing of Nigerians”.