The Socio-Economic-Economicnd Accountability Project (SERAP) has issued a warning to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, stating that they will take legal action against him if he fails to investigate the alleged transfer of N585,189,500.00 into a personal account by the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu.
The information was revealed by Kolawole Oluwadare, Deputy Director of SERAP, in a statement released on Sunday.
It was previously reported that Betta Edu admitted to transferring the aforementioned amount, which was intended for vulnerable individuals in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Lagos, and Ogun states, into a private account.
Edu maintained that the payment was made in accordance with the proper procedures. However, SERAP argued that the minister’s actions violated Chapter 7, Section 713 of the Federal Government’s Financial Regulations 2009.
The section explicitly states that personal funds should not be deposited into a government bank account, nor should public funds be deposited into a private account.
In light of this, SERAP called on Tinubu to instruct the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Lateef Fagbemi, as well as relevant anti-corruption agencies, to conduct a thorough investigation promptly.
“We would be grateful if the recommended measures are taken within 7 days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter. If we have not heard from you by then, SERAP shall consider appropriate legal actions to compel your government to comply with our request in the public interest”.
Allub Times recalls that the Accountant-General of the Federation, Oluwatoyin Madein, stated that Edu was not authorized to deposit N585,198,500.00 into a personal account.
