Femi Falana, human rights lawyer, has asked the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to speed up investigation of the ministry of humanitarian affairs over alleged embezzlement of public funds.
Betta Edu, the minister of humanitarian affairs and poverty alleviation, has been under fire after a memo surfaced wherein she asked Oluwatoyin Madein, accountant-general of the federation, to transfer the sum of N585 million to a private account.
The instruction for the payment is contained in a leaked letter dated December 20, 2023.
Meanwhile, the minister has denied any wrongdoing, noting that the leaked document is a means by detractors to tarnish her reputation.
In a statement on Sunday, Falana said Edu’s approval of such amount to private account contravenes extant laws of the country, adding that “offence of an attempt to commit a felony has already been completed.”
“It is interesting to note that the minister has not denied that she gave approval for 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 Act and the Penal Code applicable in the Federal Capital Territory,” the statement reads.
“Instead of apologising 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.
“However, notwithstanding that the accountant-general of the federation has successfully frustrated the criminal diversion of the said sum of N585.18 million from 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.”
