Aso Rock tag withdrawn • EFCC begins grilling today
Barely an hour after she was suspended as Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Beta Edu, on Monday, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), was yesterday, barred from seeing President Bola Tinubu at the Villa.
The suspended minister, who arrived Aso Rock, shortly after her suspension over alleged misappropriation of funds was announced with the intention of meeting with President Tinubu, was prevented from doing so.
She had scaled through all security checks up to the president’s office before she was blocked from seeing him in his office.
Edu, who was seen walking out of the president’s office with some of the president’s aides and security personnel and protocol officials escorting her out, appeared sober.
Sources disclosed that apart from being unable to have an audience with President Tinubu, her access tag to the Villa was immediately withdrawn from her by the president’s security.
Edu, who had arrived at the Villa in an official car, was whisked out in a Toyota Hilux truck belonging to State House security.
It was not immediately clear whether she was later allowed to use her official vehicle out of the presidential villa premises.
Meanwhile, she has been invited by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for questioning.
A source at the EFCC confirmed last night that she had been summoned and would be at the commission’s office today. The invitation was sent to her less than 30 minutes after news of her suspension was made public.
According to the source, the EFCC had earlier recommended her suspension to pave the way for thorough investigation. The source said the minister’s suspension would give the commission the liberty to do its job thoroughly as directed by the president.
Though spokesman for the anti-graft agency, Dele Oyewale, did not respond to a series of calls, sources in the EFCC said Edu is expected to face a team of interrogators today.
“An official invitation by the commission has already been sent to her. We expect her to honour the invitation and come to the commission on Tuesday to give proper insight into the issue at hand.”
President Bola Tinubu had relieved her of her duties with immediate effect over the transfer of N585.2 million from public account into a private account of an official in her ministry, Oniyelu Bridget Mojisola.
Edu had admitted approving the December 20, 2023 memo which showed that she requested the Accountant General of the Federation, Oluwatoyin Madein, to transfer public funds – N585.2 million – into a private account of an official in her ministry.
The transfer contravenes various sections of Nigeria’s Financial Regulations 2009, which are meant to prevent fraud and other forms of corruption.
She had admitted further that the fund transferred from the National Social Investment Office account was meant for disbursement to vulnerable people in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Lagos, and Ogun states, under the Federal Government’s poverty intervention project called Grants for Vulnerable Groups.
She explained that Oniyelu, whose private account with the United Bank of Africa the N585.2 million was paid into, is the project accountant.
