According to Dr. Don Clem Enamhe, a lecturer at the University of Calabar and public affairs analyst, Betta Edu, the suspended humanitarian minister, cleared the N585 million transaction and sent it to the permanent secretary in line with protocol. CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
He added that the ministry’s internal auditors should have identified inconsistencies and raised concerns about the 585 million naira.
Speaking in an interview with Arise TV, the lecturer stressed that the aforementioned sum was not hijacked but rather allocated to an accountant within the ministry.
He explained that Betta Edu, who had completed leadership training, nominated Mrs. Bridget from the accountant general’s office as the accountant.
He added that to ensure that proper procedures were followed, Edu requested approval from the Accountant General’s office for all financial transactions.
According to him, the traditional practice of officers diverting cash for special initiatives has evolved, with even deputy directors requiring official approval.
Enamhe said, “Betta Edu has had leadership training over time; she has an accountant posted from the accountant general’s office, which is Mrs. Bridget. She went all the way to get approval from the accountant general’s office.
“I hope you know it’s not as it used to be; officers from the rank of assistant director can afford to get money sent to their private accounts to run specific projects. And that was what the minister did. And assuming that was not in line with the procedure, when the minister signed, she sent it to the permanent secretary.
“There are internal auditors there; they knew something was wrong, and they went ahead to flag it. The N585M was not diverted; she (Betta Edu) gave it to a sitting accountant in the ministry. And then we are trying to divert public attention from this.” CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
Leave a Reply