Betta Edu and her predecessor are under investigation for suspicious financial transactions in the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs.
Nigeria's president on Monday suspended the country's humanitarian affairs and poverty alleviation minister over his use of a private bank account for the ministry's financial transactions under the government's social welfare program.
Betta Edu has been suspended with immediate effect while Nigeria's anti-corruption agency conducts a “thorough investigation” into all financial transactions of the ministry, presidential spokesman Ajuri Ngelale said in a statement. It said the investigation would cover the entire framework of Nigeria's social investment programs.
President Bola Tinubu came to power last year promising to crack down on bribery in Nigeria, despite longstanding doubts about the source of his wealth and his educational record. Within a month of his inauguration, he indefinitely suspended the head of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for abuse of office.
His government said the suspension was a consequence of its commitment to “adhere to the highest standards of integrity, transparency and accountability” in the management of Nigeria’s resources.
Edu's suspension came days after local media cited an official memo ordering that 585 million naira ($663,000) worth of grants for vulnerable groups be transferred to a private account – a decision she said of the Minister's Office followed due process. The minister has denied any wrongdoing.
In a country where government austerity measures have further squeezed millions of people living in extreme poverty, many Nigerians criticized the use of a private bank account for the grant program and called for the minister to be fired.
The Office of the Nigerian Comptroller of the Federation said in a statement that such funds should be transferred directly from government accounts to beneficiaries.
Meanwhile, Edu's predecessor, Sadiya Umar Farouq, on Monday reported to the EFCC, which was investigating alleged corruption in the disbursement of public funds during her time as minister. Farouq said on social media that she was at the commission's office to “offer clarifications on some issues the commission is investigating.”