N44bn Fraud: PDP Demands Tinubu Sacks Betta Edu

Following the fraud allegation of Betta Edu, as earlier reported, the Opposition Party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), has demanded the immediate sack and prosecution of the embattled Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu, who was alleged to have siphoned public funds of N44bn into her private account.

Federal Government Financial Regulations

Meanwhile, Section 713 of the Federal Government’s Financial Regulation states, “Public and personal money must be kept separate.”

Essentially, this means that “Personal money shall in no circumstances be paid into a government bank account, nor shall any public money be paid into a private bank account. An officer who pays public money into a private account is deemed to have done so with a fraudulent intention”.

Yet, the N44bn fraud in question is a fraudulent activity of diverting the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA) fund, including the N585.2 million to her private account. However, on 21st December, in her appearance on Channels TV, Betta Edu laid out how she intended to pull 50 million Nigerians out of poverty in 42 months.

PDP Demands Sack Letter

This demand was made public on Sunday in a press release by PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Hon. Debo Ologunagba, that the Economic Financial and Crimes Commission (EFCC) immediately invite Betta Edu for interrogation and take further steps to initiate a wide-scale investigation into the Ministers, Directors, and Agencies (MDAs) under Tinubu-led administration.

In part, the press release reads, “Nigerians were shocked by reports of how Betta Edu and the suspended National Coordinator of NSIPA, Halima Shehu, allegedly engaged in brazen looting of billions of Naira while Nigerians who the funds are meant for are deprived and abandoned to excruciating hardship and misery.”

Betta Edu, who was entrusted with public funds, now stands to answer the public how their commonwealth gets to appear in her private account, knowing it’s a fraudulent intention.

About The Author

Mayowa Durosinmi

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Mayowa Durosinmi is a Nigerian investigative reporter for West Africa Weekly with reports focusing on politics, human rights, security and health in West Africa and the Sahel region.

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