Suspended minister of humanitarian affairs and poverty alleviation, Betta Edu, has been released from the custody of the EFCC.
EFCC sources, which confirmed this on Wednesday morning, said that Edu was released on bail but ordered to report to the EFCC daily. Edu was quizzed by the commission on Tuesday over alleged N585 million fraud in her ministry.
Edu was suspended on Monday by President Bola Tinubu.
The minister was accused of paying the humanitarian fund into a private account. The N585 million was meant for payment of grants to vulnerable groups in Akwa Ibom, Lagos, Cross River and Ogun states.
Edu is the first minister to be suspended from office since members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) were sworn in August last year.
EFCC had invited the suspended minister to its headquarters in Abuja a few minutes after her suspension from office on Monday.
And amid calls for the suspension of the Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo for allegedly using his office to secure contracts for a company, New Planet Project Limited, which he founded, Senator Shehu Sani has risen to his defence.
Shehu Sani said yesterday that the minister has not violated any law by being a shareholder in the said company.
In a message posted on his Facebook page, he said the minister has the right to hold shares in the company as there is no law that bars public officials from holding shares.
The post reads in part, “Going by the facts presented by Hon Tunji-Ojo Ojo, he had since 2019 resigned from the company mentioned as beneficiary. It could have been a conflict of interest if he had not resigned.
“There is no law that says public officials must sell their shares when they assume public office. Moreover, it’s not his ministry and companies have the right to pursue businesses anywhere.
“Edu’s case is very clear and can’t be equated with that of Hon Tunji-Ojo. Legally, he can’t be held to account on this matter. Let’s not be distracted.”
According to him, “section 030424(a) of the civil service rules, states that ” public officers are not prohibited from holding shares in both public and private companies operating in Nigeria or abroad except that they must not be directors in private companies and may only be directors in public companies if nominated by government.”
Tunji-Ojo was recently dragged following controversy surrounding the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs , Betta Edu’s financial misappropriation.
A leaked document showed that New Planet Project Limited, a company founded by Tunji-Ojo, got a N438 million consultancy contract from the ministry.
But the minister, had in a swift response, denied any wrongdoing, stating that he resigned his directorship in the Company in February 2019 when he was elected as a lawmaker in the house of representatives.
Quadri Olaitan is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, public affairs, and human-interest stories.
