The presidency has confirmed that Betta Edu, the suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, will not be returning to President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet. This decision was disclosed by President Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, in an interview on Sunday in Abuja.
Onanuga clarified that following Edu’s suspension in January, her position has been permanently reassigned to another appointee. “I think there is another person from Cross River in the cabinet. Betta is gone. She was suspended in January, and this is October. She is gone,” Onanuga stated. “Her position has been taken over by somebody else. There is another man from Plateau State going there now. As far as this government is concerned, there is no more place for her in the cabinet.”
When asked whether Edu’s suspension was linked to any indictment from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Onanuga explained that while the agency had not issued a public statement, the president’s stance could suggest he had received critical information. “The EFCC has not shared whatever they have with us. But if you go by what the president has done, it showed that maybe the EFCC has submitted something that actually justifies that suspension,” Onanuga said.
In January, Nairametrics reported that President Tinubu suspended Edu following allegations of misappropriating N585 million in palliative funds. The allegations surfaced after a leaked memo revealed that Edu had instructed the Accountant-General of the Federation, Oluwatoyin Madein, to transfer N585 million to a private account. The minister also faced scrutiny for approving funds for flight and taxi expenses for ministry staff traveling to Kogi, a state without an airport.
Madein later clarified that she did not comply with Edu’s directive, stating that under government guidelines, no bulk payment should be made into an individual’s account as “Project Accountant.” Following Edu’s suspension, the EFCC began an investigation into her ministry. The investigation is still ongoing, and no charges have been filed against Edu, but the government has reiterated its decision not to reinstate her.
