N585m scandal: Perm Sec takes over mgt of Humanitarian Affairs Min

* As Betta Edu remains suspended by President Tinubu

By Jon Egie

The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Olumuyiwa Enitan, has taken over the management of the ministry as directed by President Bola Tinubu after the suspension of Betta Edu as minister.

Edu was suspended by the President on Monday following widespread anger over the approval given by the former humanitarian affairs minister for the payment of N585m into a private account.

The President had directed the minister to hand over to the permanent secretary, who got the letter to take over the affairs of the ministry on Monday night.

The letter was handed over to Enitan by an official from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, according to workers at the humanitarian ministry on Wednesday.

“The permanent secretary has taken over the affairs of the ministry based on the directive of Mr President. He officially got the letter to assume duty on Monday night,” a senior official at the humanitarian ministry, who pleaded not to be named due to a lack of authorisation, to speak to the press.

The official added, “He (permanent secretary) needed to get the letter of authorisation from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation before assuming duties, despite the announcement in the media.”

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, had stated in a statement on Monday that Tinubu directed the suspended minister to “hand over to the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.”

The suspended minister was also directed by the President to fully cooperate with the investigating authorities as they conduct their investigation.

The panel, headed by the Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance, was also charged with conducting a comprehensive diagnostic of the financial architecture and framework of the social investment programmes.

Credit: PUNCH