It has been over six weeks since President Bola Tinubu suspended the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Betta Edu, directing a comprehensive probe into allegations of financial impropriety within her ministry.
Despite the gravity of the allegations and the initial swift action taken by the presidency, updates on the investigation’s progress remain scarce.
The suspension, announced on January 8, was prompted by public outcry over two controversial memos and a consultancy contract linked to Edu’s ministry.
One memo revealed an appropriation of N72,374,500 for air travel to Kogi State—a location without an airport—for the minister’s “advance team”.
Another document requested the transfer of N585 million to the private account of a government official, further intensifying scrutiny on Edu’s financial dealings.
Additionally, the discovery of a N438 million consultancy contract awarded to New Planet Project Limited, a company founded by the Minister of Interior, Tunji-Ojo, complicated matters.
Despite Tunji-Ojo’s assertion of having resigned from the company in 2019, his continued shareholding raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest, prompting the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) to invite him for questioning.
In response to the escalating controversy, President Tinubu tasked the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) with delving into the financial transactions of Edu’s ministry.
A panel led by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun was also established to conduct a diagnostic on the financial architecture of the social investment programmes overseen by Edu’s ministry, with the aim of initiating comprehensive reforms.
Despite these measures, the silence from the presidency on the investigation’s findings or any steps taken thereafter has left many Nigerians in the dark.
Attempts to obtain updates from presidential spokespersons have been met with no response, raising questions about the transparency and outcome of the probe.
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