The Yoruba Youth Assembly has also called for the sacking of the minister of humanitarian affairs and poverty alleviation.
The group in a statement by his President, Odunuga Babatunde, faulted this alleged corruptive move of the minister saying that the laws of the country forbid that government money should be deposited into personal accounts.
An ex-member of the Osun State House of Assembly, Mr Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, has urged President Bola Tinubu to keep monitoring funds allocated to different poverty alleviation programmes of his administration in a bid to prevent diversion.
Oyintiloye, while speaking to journalists in Osogbo on Sunday, said Nigerians trust Tinubu’s capacity to alleviate the sufferings of the less privileged and called for close monitoring of the funds meant for that purpose.
Also on Sunday, it was revealed that the embattled humanitarian minister allegedly approved funds for flight tickets and airport taxis for herself and her team to move from Abuja to Kogi State when there is no airport in the state.
A total of 14 officials of the ministry and a security official got approval of N3.16m for flight tickets and airport taxis to travel to Kogi to disburse grants to vulnerable groups in the state.
An internal memo from the National Programme Manager, Grant for Vulnerable Groups, which was sent to the humanitarian minister on November 6, 2023, and seen by one of our correspondents, showed that Edu approved the fund for ‘The disbursement under the 2023 Grant for Vulnerable Groups Programmes in Kogi State, 2023.’
The document showed that seven of the minister’s advanced team got N1.54m for their flights and airport taxis from Abuja to Kogi, while the other seven members of her main team including Edu, received N1.62m for the same purpose.
The memo, which was issued by Thalis Apalowo, National Programme Manager, Grant for Vulnerable Groups, indicated that the minister’s advanced team received a total of N2.515m for duty tour allowance for five nights; for local running, which was 30 per cent of DTA (duty tour allowance); and for flight tickets and airport taxis.
Each of them received N200,000 for a flight ticket and N20,000 for an airport taxi, amounting to N1.54m.
Edu’s (main) team got approval of N2,159,500 for DTA for five nights; for local running, which was 30 per cent of DTA; and for flight tickets and airport taxis. Each of them apart from the minister, also received N200,000 for a flight ticket and N20,000 for an airport taxi.
The memo indicated that the minister received N300,000 for her flight ticket to Kogi State, which has no airport, while there was no mention of what she got for her airport taxi.
The memo, however, stated that 3,000 beneficiaries under the vulnerable groups were to receive N20,000 each, making a total of N60m. It stated that the logistics for the disbursement was N3m.
The leaked memo revealed that N3.16m was for flight tickets and airport taxis to Kogi, which is about a three-hour drive from Abuja. Many travellers from Abuja to Kogi State travel by road, including senior officials of the state.
Madukwe B. Nwabuisi is an accomplished journalist renown for his fearless reporting style and extensive expertise in the field. He is an investigative journalist, who has established himself as a kamikaze reporter.
