President Bola Tinubu has officially appointed Dr. Nentawe Yilwatda as the new Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, replacing Betta Edu.
This change follows Edu’s suspension in January after the discovery of an unauthorized transfer of N585.2 million into the private bank account of a civil servant responsible for managing grants for vulnerable Nigerians.
In light of the allegations, President Tinubu directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to conduct a thorough investigation into the ministry’s financial transactions.
This probe has since expanded to cover the entire framework of Nigeria’s social investment programs.
Although Betta Edu has denied any wrongdoing, claiming that the transfer was approved for the purpose of implementing grants for vulnerable groups, the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation clarified that such funds should be disbursed directly from government accounts to the intended beneficiaries.