With immediate effect, President Bola Tinubu has suspended Dr. Betta Edu, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.

Remember that the Presidency had stated that the relevant authorities were looking into the financial irregularity around the minister’s transfer of N585.189 million into a private account?

After the investigation, the President’s Special Advisor on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, promised that the proper measures would be taken.

According to news reports, N585.189 million that was intended for the vulnerable people in the states of Lagos, Ogun, Cross River, and Akwa Ibom was allegedly transferred into a private account.

Edu authorized the payment of N585.189 million into the personal account of one Bridget Mojisola Oniyelu in a document addressed to the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.

The suspension was in keeping with Tinubu’s declared commitment to upholding the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and accountability in the management of the commonwealth of Nigerians, according to a statement released by the president on Monday and signed by Chief Ajuri Ngelale, Special Adviser to the President on Medua and Publicity.

According to the statement, the President also gave the Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, or EFCC, instructions to thoroughly look into all aspects of the financial transactions involving the Federal Ministry of Poverty Alleviation and Humanitarian Affairs and one or more of its agencies.

The statement went on, “The President further directs the suspended Minister to fully cooperate with the investigating authorities as they conduct their investigation. She is hereby directed to hand over to the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.”

In addition, the President has charged a panel led by the Minister of Finance and the Coordinating Minister of the Economy with performing, among other things, a thorough diagnostic on the financial architecture and framework of the social investment programs with the goal of definitively reforming the relevant institutions and programs in an effort to eradicate all institutional weaknesses solely for the benefit of low-income households and restore the public’s lost faith in the initiative.

The President’s orders are effective right now.