The embattled Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu, has allegedly approved funds for flight tickets and airport taxis for her ministry’s staff to Kogi State.
INFORMATION NIGERIA learnt that the Minister reportedly gave the approval in a leaked internal memo dated November 6, 2023, which has now gone viral on social media plartforms.
According to Sahara Reporters, the memo issued by the national programme manager, requesting the total sum of N72,374,500, was titled: ‘The Disbursement Under the 2023 Grant for Vulnerable Groups Programmes in Kogi State, 2023’, and was approved by the minister.
READ MORE: Alleged Fraud: Tinubu Orders Probe Of Humanitarian Ministry
In the memo, the sum is appropriated for the minister’s “advanced team” to travel by air for an “event” in Kogi state, which has no airport.
It was gathered that each of the minister’s “advanced team” members, including aides, received the sum of N200,000 for flight tickets, N20,000 for airport taxi, and local running expenses and DTA depending on grade level totalling N72,374,500.
Also in the memo, the sum of N300,000 was earmarked for the minister’s air ticket to the North Central State.
Recall that Edu has been under heavy criticism following a memo leaked where she asked the Accountant-General of the Federation, Oluwatoyin Madein, to transfer the sum of N585 million to a private account.
