President Bola Tinubu, on Monday, suspended the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Betta Edu, following widespread anger over an alleged N585 million scandal.
The Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President, Ajuri Ngelale, disclosed this in a statement made available to journalists.
“In line with his avowed commitment to uphold the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and accountability in the management of the commonwealth of Nigerians, President Bola Tinubu suspends the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Betta Edu, from office with immediate effect,” the statement read.
He had also vowed to “decisively punish” those involved in any breaches and infractions unravelled during the investigations.
The minister had claimed that the N585m payment was meant for vulnerable groups in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Ogun, and Lagos states, describing the allegations against her as baseless.
The Media Assistant to the Minister, Rasheed Olarenwaju, said in a statement that it was legal within the civil service for such payments to be made into private accounts of staff members, especially project accountants.