By Akinwale Kasali
Betta Edu, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, has come under strong criticism from Human Rights Activist, Lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, urging her to stop insulting Nigerians following her claims that the allegations of a N585 million fraud were baseless.
It would be recalled that a memo surfaced last week Friday where Edu directed the Accountant-General of the Federation, Oluwatoyin Madein, to transfer N585 million to a private account owned by one Oniyelu Bridget, who the ministry claimed currently serves as the Project Accountant, Grants for Vulnerable Groups.
Lashing her not to be economical with the truth, Falana, in a statement on Sunday, said that while the Minister has not denied that she approved the “payment of the over half a billion Naira to a private account in contravention of, the extant Public Service Rules as well as the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Offences, ICPC, Act and the Penal Code applicable in the Federal Capital Territory,” she refused to, “apologise to the Federal Government and people of Nigeria and calling it quits for betraying the confidence reposed in her, the Minister has arrogantly said that the N585.18 million fraud allegation is a mere fabrication by her detractors and an alleged attempt by mischief makers to undermine her ministry’s effort in fighting corruption and uplifting the needy.”
Speaking further, Falana noted that though the Accountant-General of the Federation, Oluwatoyin Madein, has successfully frustrated the criminal diversion of the said sum of N585.18 million from the public treasury, it is crystal clear from the leaked memorandum of the Minister that the offence of an attempt to commit a felony has already been completed.
“There can be no legal justification for the criminal diversion of the said sum of N585.18 million for disbursement to vulnerable people in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Lagos and Ogun States since the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs has collated the individual bank accounts of all the vulnerable people
“Having regard to the facts and circumstances of this extremely embarrassing drama, we commend the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for the recovery of the sum of N37 billion meant for vulnerable people in Nigeria.
“We also call on the Commission to speed up the ongoing investigation of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs with a view to charging all indicted persons before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory as soon as possible,” Falana said.
