In a dramatic turn of events on Monday afternoon, the suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu, made a desperate attempt to seek an audience with President Bola Tinubu at the Aso Villa in Abuja following her suspension. Channels Television can confirm that her efforts proved futile, as she was denied access to the President.
Edu, who was embroiled in a N585 million disbursement scandal within her ministry, faced widespread criticism from rights groups and activists. The 37-year-old’s predicament deepened when the Accountant General of the Federation, Oluwatoyin Madein, revealed that despite receiving a request from the humanitarian ministry for certain payments, her office did not act on it.
Shortly after her suspension was announced, Edu was observed leaving the Villa, having been unable to secure a meeting with President Tinubu within the critical 30-minute window.
In response to the scandal, presidential spokesman Ajuri Ngelale stated on Monday afternoon that President Tinubu had suspended Edu with immediate effect. Additionally, the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, was directed to conduct a thorough investigation into all financial transactions involving the ministry and “one or more agencies thereunder.”
Coincidentally, the EFCC is presently investigating Edu’s predecessor, Sadiya Farouq, for alleged money laundering amounting to N37.1 billion during her tenure as a minister under the administration of ex-President Muhammadu Buhari.
Edu, the youngest member of the President’s cabinet before her suspension, had risen swiftly through the political ranks, holding both state and national offices at a young age. Prior to her ministerial appointment last August, she served as the Cross River State Commissioner for Health and the National Women Leader of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC). Edu played a prominent role in Tinubu’s presidential campaign, which ultimately led to his election as President.
Despite her initial promise, Edu’s ministerial tenure proved to be short-lived, lasting barely six months – one of the shortest ministerial tenures in recent memory.
The unfolding events surrounding her suspension and the subsequent investigation by the EFCC raise questions about the management of funds within the ministry and the potential implications for other officials involved in the disbursement scandal.