A bid to disburse N585 million from a poverty alleviation fund to a private individual was rejected by the Accountant-General of the Federation, Oluwatoyin Madein, a statement from the office said on Saturday.
The request came from Betta Edu, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, who, in a leaked memo, asked Madein to transfer the money to Oniyelu Bridget Mojisola, designated as the “project accountant” for a grant program.
However, Madein says she did not carry out the request.
According to her, no bulk money “is supposed to be made to an individual’s account in the name of Project Accountant”.
In a statement, Bawa Mokwa, director of press in the AGF’s office, quoted Madein as saying her office does not make payments for projects implemented by ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs).
“Allocations are released to self-accounting MDAs in line with the budget and such MDAs are responsible for the implementation of their projects and payments for such projects,” she said.
“The AGF explained that although her Office received the said request from the Ministry, it did not carry out the payment.
“The Ministry was however advised on the appropriate steps to take in making such payments in line with the established payment procedure.”
Madein said beneficiaries of projects should be paid through their verified bank accounts.
Madein reaffirmed her commitment to “accountability and transparency” in managing public funds, urging MDAs to adhere to established financial protocols.
