Npower News: EFCC Said They Have Not Cleared Betta Edu

According to Npower News, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says it has not cleared Betta Edu the suspended Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation of the government of Nigeria.

In January, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had ordered the suspension of Betta Edu and Ms  Halima Shehu, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Social Investment Programme Authority (NSIPA).

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to go after Betta Edu in order to get to the root of the matter.

Many Nigerians and beneficiaries of Npower had complained that no update had been given on the investigation months after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu gave the order.

According to Npower News, in the March edition of the agency’s monthly e-Magazine titled: EFCC Alert, Ola Olukoyede, Chairman of the anti-graft commission, had said N30,000,000,000 had been recovered from the investigation while fifty bank accounts were under investigation.

But on Sunday, spokesman of EFCC, Dele Oyewale, clarified that its investigations that yielded recovery of ₦30,000,000,000 was not about Betta Edu but about the intricate web of fraudulent practices in the Ministry.

The EFCC disclosed that the recovered sum was part of the fraudulent dealings involving COVID-19 funds, the World Bank loan, Abacha recovered loot that was released to the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management and Social Development.

While revealing this to journalists in Abuja, Dele Oyewale stated that the fund was released by the Federal Government to execute its poverty alleviation mandate.

Dele Oyewale, who further clarified that the officials of the ministry for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, including Betta Edu, who were invited by the commission as part of the investigation have not been cleared by the EFCC.

“The EFCC has noticed the rising tide of commentaries, opinions, assumptions and insinuations concerning its progressive investigations into the alleged financial misappropriation in the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development.

“At the outset of investigations, past and suspended officials of the Humanitarian Ministry were invited by the Commission and investigations into the alleged fraud involving them have yielded the recovery of ₦32,700,000,000 and $445,000 so far.

“Discreet investigations by the EFCC have opened other fraudulent dealings involving Covid -19 funds, the World Bank loan, Abacha recovered loot released to the Ministry by the Federal Government to execute its poverty alleviation mandate.

“Investigations have also linked several interdicted and suspended officials of the Ministry to the alleged financial malfeasance. It is instructive to stress that the Commission’s investigations are not about individuals.

“The EFCC is investigating a system and intricate web of fraudulent practices. Banks involved in the alleged fraud are being investigated. Managing Directors of the indicted banks have made useful statements to investigators digging into the infractions.

“Additionally, the EFCC has not cleared anyone allegedly involved in the fraud. Investigations are ongoing and advancing steadily. The public is enjoined to ignore any claim to the contrary,” Dele Oyewale stated.

https://dailytrust.com/humanitarian-ministry-fraud-weve-not-cleared-betta-edu-says-efcc/