Nigeria : Minister for Poverty Relief Suspended for Illegal Enrichment
Nigeria, as part of the fight against corruption, the minister in charge of eradicating poverty has been removed from her position for illicit enrichment by Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The Nigerian President, who had stated that combating corruption was one of the priorities of his mandate, learned about financial malpractices by the minister in charge of Poverty Eradication and Humanitarian Affairs, Betta Edu.
Following an investigation that confirmed allegations of embezzlement of public funds into a private bank account, President Bola Tinubu immediately suspended the minister. The opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which claimed that the minister was involved in the « alleged looting of 44 billion nairas [nearly 50 million dollars] from a social investment fund ‘intended for the well-being of the poor' » and diverted « 585.2 million nairas to a private account, » had called for her dismissal. They also wanted legal action to be taken against her.
Last week, another high-ranking official from the ministry, Halima Shehu, the director of the National Social Investment and Protection Agency (NSIPA), was suspended by Bola Tinubu on suspicion of corruption. Nigeria remains one of the lowest-ranked countries according to Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index.
