According to a viral online document, Minister Edu Betta faces accusations of disbursing a staggering N585,198,500.00 into a personal account. The document, allegedly signed by Edu and directed to the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, reveals instructions for the disbursement to one Oniyelu Bridget.
The funds, intended for vulnerable groups in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Ogun, and Lagos states, were reportedly paid into Oniyelu's account.
The Minister's Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Rasheed Zubair, defended the payment, asserting due process and clarifying Oniyelu's role as the Project Accountant for Grants for Vulnerable Groups.
Nevertheless, the substantial payment to an individual's account has sparked public concern and social media uproar. This revelation comes after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu suspends the National Coordinator of the National Social Investment Programme Agency, Halima Shehu, over alleged financial misappropriation, further intensifying scrutiny over financial practices within the ministry.
