President Bola Tinubu has suspended the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Betta Edu, from office with immediate effect due to a financial scandal involving the diversion of government funds into her personal account
The scandal revolves around the transfer of N585.189 million, which was meant for vulnerable groups in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Ogun, and Lagos states, into a private account belonging to Betta Edu.
The funds were allegedly diverted from the Renewed Hope Grant for Vulnerable Groups program. The payment was made into the private account of Oneelu Bridget Mojisola Oniyelu, domiciled in UBA. The Accountant General of the Federation has faulted the request, stating that such payments are ordinarily made to vulnerable beneficiaries of the program and not to an individual’s private account.
Betta Edu initially described the scandal as baseless, blaming it on mischief makers seeking to undermine her ministry’s efforts in fighting corruption. The National Co-ordinator and Chief Executive Officer of the National Social Investment Programme (NSIPA), Hajia Shehu, has also been implicated in similar allegations and invited by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Dr. Betta Edu’s career soared in 2015 when she became the youngest Special Adviser on Community and Primary Healthcare in Cross River State. Her rapid rise in the public health sector included leading the state’s COVID-19 Task Force and serving as the National Chairman of the Nigeria Health Commissioners Forum. In 2019, she was appointed as the Commissioner for Health in Cross River State, a position she held until 2022. Edu’s political journey was equally remarkable. Upon joining the All Progressives Congress (APC) in March 2022, she became the party’s youngest National Women Leader. Her commitment to public health, poverty alleviation, and women’s empowerment has been a cornerstone of her career.
In 2023, Edu was appointed Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation. This appointment made her the first female minister from Cross River State and the youngest minister in Nigeria’s Fourth Republic
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