The Accountant General of the Federation, Oluwatoyin Madein, has refuted Minister Betta Edu’s claim regarding the transfer of N585.2 million of government funds into a private bank account. In a statement released on Saturday, Madein distanced her office from the alleged illegal transaction, declaring the minister’s action as unlawful.
Madein acknowledged receiving the Minister’s request for the fund transfer but emphasized her refusal to honor it. She clarified that such payments should follow established procedures, with no bulk payments to individual accounts. The minister’s decision to deposit the funds into Ms. Oniyelu’s private account disregarded this advice, constituting a violation of Nigeria’s law.
Edu’s memo adds a new layer to the ongoing EFCC investigation of the suspended NSIPA National Coordinator, Halima Shehu, for alleged N37.1 billion fraud in the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs. Leaked documents revealed the Minister’s December request to transfer funds from the National Social Investment office account to Bridget Oniyelu’s UBA account.
Amidst the controversy, calls for Edu’s suspension intensify, with Nigerians expressing outrage over the alleged financial irregularities in the federal government’s poverty intervention programs.