Indications have emerged that President Bola Tinubu, may have indeed directed Femi Gbajabiamila, the chief Of staff, to sign the President’s memo, authorising Betta Edu, the suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, to spend from the COVID paliative fund, contrary to speculation that the funds were diverted.
A memo sighted by BusinessDay from the Chief of the Staff to the President, has revealed that President Bola Tinubu gave approval to the now suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Betta Edu, for the release of N3 billion to verify the National Social Register, which was initially compiled under former President Muhammadu Buhari.
The leaked memo showed that the President gave his ascent on the 14 of September , 2023
The social register had been created for cash transfers and other social investment programmes.
BusinessDay gathered that several firms had been awarded contracts from the N3 billion given out to the suspended minister – a release which has now generated controversies and is a subject of probe by presidential investigators and anti-graft agencies.
The leaked memo signed by the President’s Chief of Staff, had indicated that the “President has approved the expenditure of N3,000,000,000.00 (Three Billion Naira) only, from the Covid-19 Palliative Fund for verification of the National Social Register.
” Please accept the assurance of my highest regards.
It was not immediately clear how this latest discovery will affect the fate of the suspended Minister.
