The decision of the suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Beta Edu, to transfer public funds to a private account does not necessarily mean that she is corrupt or engage in mismanagement of public funds, a political analyst, Tietie stated.
Tietie, who stated this during an interview with some journalists on Arise Television, said, “This idea of transferring funds into private accounts has been the practice in government.”
Though Edu has been criticised by some and others called for her resignation, President Bola Tinubu has suspended her from office pending a thorough investigation.
This was as Edu requested the Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF) to pay N585,198,500.00 for the implementation of grants to vulnerable groups in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Ogun, and Lagos states, as the AGF, Dr. Oluwatoyin Madein, on Saturday faulted the minister’s request to her office.
The memo from the minister to the AGF with reference number: FMHAPA/HQ/S.208 and dated December 20, 2023, was titled: ‘Mandate for payment grants to vulnerable groups in Akwa Ibom, Cross Rivers, Lagos and Ogun states’ respectively.
However, Madein had denied honouring the request, clarifying that her office does not make payments for projects and programmes on behalf of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
Read also: Suspended Nigerian Minister stranded in Aso Rock
But, Tietie stated, “So, if the president is going to prove that issue, he should have probed it earlier because that has been the practice. I know for certain because I have worked at a government high committee in my career as a human rights lawyer where I represented this country at the United Nations level. I realised that money was paid to me for the sitting allowances I made from private accounts.”
“At that time, given the development of the treasury single account, it was the practice. The practice was developed while they created this idea of project accountant who received money into their private accounts and distributes it as directed or when necessary. I found it very illegal.
‘‘Unfortunately for that project accountant, he called me back and said that he over paid me and I said send me your account number and I sent all the money back to him because I found it very strange that for a government service I provided, I was paid from a private account.”
AGF Side of the story
Reacting, AGF further clarified that no bulk payment is supposed to be made to an individual’s account in the name of the project accountant, contrary to the minister’s position that it was legal for Onyelu Bridget to be paid the money as the Project Accountant for Grants to Vulnerable Groups (GVG).
Madein, whose position was contained in a statement by the Director of Press at the OAGF, Mr. Bawa Mokwa, said it is not her responsibility to make payments for projects and programmes on behalf of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
According to the AGF, such payment should be sent to the beneficiaries through their verified bank accounts.
This came as the minister on Saturday described the N585 million fraud allegation against her as baseless and an attempt by mischief makers to undermine her ministry’s effort in fighting corruption.
The memo from the minister to the AGF with reference number: FMHAPA/HQ/S.208 and dated December 20, 2023, was titled: ‘Mandate for payment grants to vulnerable groups in Akwa Ibom, Cross Rivers, Lagos and Ogun states’ respectively.
The letter, which was circulated in social media, read: “I hereby approve the payment for the accumulative sum of five hundred and eighty-five million, one hundred and eighty-nine thousand and five hundred naira (N585,180,500.00). These are payments for programmes and activities of the Renewed Hope grants for vulnerable groups.
“Details provided below: 2023 grant for vulnerable groups in Akwa Ibom State, N219,429,750.00; 2023 grant for vulnerable groups in Cross Rivers, N78,828,750.00; 2023 grant for vulnerable groups in Lagos State, N219,462,250.00 and grant for vulnerable groups in Ogun State, N72,468,750.00 with total at N585,189,500.00.
“The payment should be made from the National Social Investment office account with account number 0020208461037 to the project’s accountant’s details listed above as Onyelu Bridget, UBA account.”
Reacting to the controversy generated by the payment request, Special Adviser to the Humanitarian Affairs Minister, Rasheed Olanrewaju Zubair, said the N585,198,500.00 was approved, adding that it was meant for the implementation of grants to vulnerable groups in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Ogun, and Lagos states.
On the minister’s request for the payment to be made into a private account, the statement insisted that “Onyelu Bridget is the Project Accountant for GVG from the Department of Finance and it is legal in civil service for a staff, the project accountant to be paid and use same funds legally and retire same with all receipts and evidence after project or programme is completed.”
