Rasheed Zubair, Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Betta Edu, asserts that the disbursal of N585,189,500.00 into a personal account is legal and aligns with existing civil service regulations.
In a viral document personally signed by Edu and addressed to the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, she directed the disbursement of funds to Oniyelu Bridget Mojisola.
The document reveals that the N585.198 million grant, intended for vulnerable groups in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Ogun, and Lagos states, was deposited into Oniyelu’s account, sparking diverse reactions on social media, with many calling for the minister’s dismissal.
Responding to the leaked document, Zubair issued a statement on Friday, affirming that the payment for the vulnerable group adhered to due process.
Zubair explained, “The payment of the grant to Bridget’s account is because she currently serves as the Project Accountant of Grants for Vulnerable Groups.”
He further stated, “It is evident that certain sponsored disgruntled elements in the past few days have attempted to tarnish the Honourable Minister, Dr Betta Edu, and impugn her integrity due to her alerting the Federal Government to the ongoing N44.8 Billion Fraud in NSIPA.”
Zubair emphasized that the N585m was approved for implementing grants to vulnerable groups in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Ogun, and Lagos states, constituting part of the Renewed Hope Grant for Vulnerable Groups, a social intervention scheme of the Federal Government.
He clarified, “Oniyelu Bridget is the Project Accountant for GVG from the Department of Finance, and it is legally permissible in civil service for a staff, the project accountant, to be paid and utilize the same funds lawfully, providing all necessary documentation upon the completion of the project or program.”
