Current:Home > StocksNigerian leader suspends poverty alleviation minister after financial transactions are questioned-Angel Dreamer Wealth Society D1 Reviews & Insights
Nigerian leader suspends poverty alleviation minister after financial transactions are questioned
View Date:2024-12-23 18:54:58
ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Nigeria’s president on Monday suspended the country’s minister of humanitarian affairs and poverty alleviation over the use of a private bank account for ministry financial transactions in the government’s social welfare program.
Betta Edu was suspended with immediate effect while Nigeria’s anti-corruption agency carries out a “thorough investigation” of all ministry financial transactions,” presidential spokesman Ajuri Ngelale said in a statement. It said the investigation would extend to the entire framework of Nigeria’s social investment programs.
President Bola Tinubu was elected last year after promising to rid Africa’s most populous country of chronic corruption and extreme poverty. His government said the suspension follows his commitment “to uphold the highest standards of integrity, transparency and accountability” in how Nigeria’s resources are managed.
Edu’s suspension comes days after local media cited an official memo in which she directed that 585 million naira ($661,000) worth of grants meant for vulnerable groups should be paid into a private account — a decision that the minister’s office said followed due process. The minister has denied any wrongdoing.
In a country where the government’s austerity measures have further squeezed millions of people facing extreme levels of poverty, many Nigerians criticized the use of a private bank account for the grants program and called for the minister to be fired.
The office of Nigeria’s Accountant General of the Federation said in a statement that such funds are meant to be sent directly from government accounts to the beneficiaries.
Edu’s predecessor, meanwhile, reported to Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Monday as it investigated alleged corruption in the disbursement of public funds during her time as minister.
Sadiya Umar-Farouq said on social media that she was at the commission’s office to “offer clarifications in respect of some issues that the commission is investigating.”
___
AP’s coverage of Africa is at https://apnews.com/hub/africa
veryGood! (23)
Related
- 15 new movies you'll want to stream this holiday season, from 'Emilia Perez' to 'Maria'
- Mobsters stole a historical painting from a family; 54 years later the FBI brought it home
- Ellen Gilchrist, 1984 National Book Award winner for ‘Victory Over Japan,’ dies at 88
- Britney Spears Fires Back at Justin Timberlake for Talking S--t at His Concert
- Garth Brooks wants to move his sexual assault case to federal court. How that could help the singer.
- The breast cancer burden in lower income countries is even worse than we thought
- With no coaching job in 2024, Patriot great Bill Belichick's NFL legacy left in limbo
- Ex-Alabama baseball coach Brad Bohannon gets 15-year, show-cause penalty after gambling scandal
- Ready-to-eat meat, poultry recalled over listeria risk: See list of affected products
- Taylor Swift's Travis Kelce-themed jewelry is surprisingly affordable. Here's where to buy
Ranking
- The Daily Money: Mattel's 'Wicked' mistake
- Think the news industry was struggling already? The dawn of 2024 is offering few good tidings
- Hootie & the Blowfish Singer Darius Rucker Arrested on Drug Charges
- A year after Ohio train derailment, families may have nowhere safe to go
- Dallas Long, who won 2 Olympic medals while dominating the shot put in the 1960s, has died at 84
- Suits Spinoff TV Show States New Details for the Record
- Here’s What’s Coming to Netflix in February 2024
- Washington Commanders hiring Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn as coach, AP sources say
Recommendation
-
Voyager 2 is the only craft to visit Uranus. Its findings may have misled us for 40 years.
-
Florida Senate sends messages to Washington on budget, foreign policy, term limits
-
Sen. Tom Cotton repeatedly grills Singaporean TikTok CEO if he's a Chinese Communist
-
Walmart stores to be remodeled in almost every state; 150 new locations coming in next 5 years
-
Fire crews on both US coasts battle wildfires, 1 dead; Veterans Day ceremony postponed
-
Think the news industry was struggling already? The dawn of 2024 is offering few good tidings
-
Former Atlantic City politician charged with election fraud involving absentee ballots
-
With no coaching job in 2024, Patriot great Bill Belichick's NFL legacy left in limbo