Betta Edu, denied access to President Tinubu after suspension

Embattled Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu has been denied access to President Tinubu after her suspension a few hours ago.

She had visited Aso rock to seek an audience with the president in order to discuss her suspension but she was denied entry.

As seen in a video shared by TVC, Betta Edu was driven out of the villa in a black SUV after her efforts to see the president failed.

N585m palliative scandal: Tinubu suspends Betta Edu from Office

Earlier on Monday, Chief Ajuri Ngelale, Special Adviser to the President on Media & Publicity in a statement announced the suspension of Edu, saying President Bola Tinubu has directed she be handed over to the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry.

READ ALSO: N585m palliative scandal: Tinubu suspends Betta Edu from Office

Edu has recently faced severe backlash from the public following the revelation of a leaked memo of her directing Oluwatoyin Madein, the accountant-general of the federation, to transfer N585 million to a private account.

The minister also granted funds for flight tickets and airport taxis for ministry staff travelling to Kogi, a state without an airport.

Meanwhile, Oluwatoyin Madein, accountant-general of the federation (AGF), said she did not carry out any request from Edu.

Announcing the suspension on Monday, Chief Ajuri Ngelale, said the suspension was in line with President Tinubu avowed commitment to uphold the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and accountability in the management of the commonwealth of Nigerians.

“The suspended Minister is hereby directed to hand over to the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, and she is further directed by the President to fully cooperate with the investigating authorities as they conduct their investigation.

He stated that the President has tasked a panel that is headed by the Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance to, among other functions, conduct a comprehensive diagnostic on the financial architecture and framework of the social investment programmes with a view to conclusively reforming the relevant institutions and programmes in a determined bid to eliminate all institutional frailties for the exclusive benefit of disadvantaged households and win back lost public confidence in the initiative.