Npower News: Other MDAs That Made Payment Into Private Accounts Other Than Betta Edu, Npower Payment To Start Soon As Final Investigation Draws Closer

 

According to Npower News, weeks ago, Betta Edu the former Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, was removed from office by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu following a leaked memo of her request for the payment of ₦585,200,000 public funds into a personal account which contravenes the constitution . However, previous records show that the “crime” Betta Edu was accused of is common across several Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

According to Npower News, at least ₦159,626,619,959 was paid into personal accounts by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in six years, according to records from Govspend, a platform tracking government spending.

The reports do not vindicate Betta Edu but indicates that the problem is not peculiar to Betta Edu and is a common phenomena within the Nigerian government.

According to Npower News, the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta tops the list of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) making such controversial payments with a total payment of ₦8,300,000,000 in one hundred and thirty transactions to Ebikabowei Victor-Ben, an ex-Niger Delta militant.

The Nigerian office of the New Partnership for African Development, a pan-African poverty-eradication programme funded by member states, comes next having paid ₦1,500,000,000 in one hundred and eleven tranches to one Afangekung Mfon Okon.

According to Npower News other Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) that made multiple payments into personal accounts include the Ministry of Information and Culture, Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, Ministry of Power, Ministry of Women Affairs, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Office of the Accountant General of the Federation and Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).

According to Npower News, over ₦13,000,000,000 public funds was transferred into personal accounts in 2023, last year, more than ₦13,600,000,000 was paid into personal accounts in violation of the country’s Financial Regulations 2009.

The violators include the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation of Nigeria (SGF), Ministry of Women Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning and many parastatals.

According to Npower News reports showed that the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta made payment of ₦4,700,200,000 into personal accounts of some camp leaders in the Niger Delta where the quest for oil wealth and agitation against environmental pollution have propelled militants to take to violence against the state.

According to Npower News, in a total of ten transactions, Mr Victor-Ben, the ex-militant also known as Boyloaf, received ₦564,700,000 from the office between July and November 2023. According to the transactions’ descriptions, the money was meant for “delegates of Boyloaf camp.” Payment was made into Ebikabowei Victor-Ben's account in 2023, his partners also benefited, having received ₦3,500,000,000 collectively.

Despite its duties, the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation of Nigeria (SGF), was also involved in making payment to a personal account. The Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation of Nigeria (SGF paid public funds amounting to ₦3,100,000,000 into fifteen individual accounts between March and December 2023.

According to Npower News, Sadiya Umar Farouq, ex-Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, transferred at least ₦918,500,000 public funds into personal accounts.

According to Npower News, the Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning paid ₦1,500,000,000 in tranches to sixteen individuals for various projects and services between February and December last year.

In other transactions, the Ministry of Women Affairs paid ₦1,600,000,000 into the personal accounts of unidentified individuals for travel expenses, relief materials for widows, and monitoring and evaluation of capital projects among others.

According to Npower News, between March and September, The New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) paid ₦1,600,700,000 into the personal accounts of two individuals, Bello Nagwaggo and Afangekung Mfon Okon.

According to Npower News, beneficiaries of Npower batch c are to exercise patience as the investigation gets to its concluding stage.