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Tinubu’s minister Betta writes AGF, directs public funds to private account
Dr Betta Edu, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation asked the Accountant General of the Federation, Mrs Oluwatoyin Sakirat Madein to send public funds to a private account, according to a letter obtained by SaharaReporters.
The private account belongs to Oniyelu Bridget Mojisola, identified as a project manager by the minister.
A letter from the minister with reference number: FMHAPA/HQ/OHM/S.208 to the Accountant General of the Federation, Mrs Madein dated December 20, 2023, asked that over N585 million should be sent to a private account.
The letter signed by the minister, Dr Edu, is titled ‘Mandate for Payment of Grant for Vulnerable Groups in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Lagos and Ogun States Respectively’.
It reads, “I hereby approve the payment of the cumulative sum of five hundred and eighty-five million, one hundred and eighty-nine thousand, five hundred naira (N585,189,500.00). These are payments for programmes and activities of the Renewed Hope Grant for Vulnerable Groups.”
The details show that N219,429,750.00 was for 2023 Grant for Vulnerable Groups in Akwa Ibom State; N73,828,750.00 was for 2023 Grant for Vulnerable Groups in Cross River State; N219,462,250.00 was for 2023 Grant for Vulnerable Groups in Lagos State while N72,468,750.00 was for 2023 Grant for Vulnerable Groups in Ogun State.
The letter said the payment of N585,189,500.00 –the total sum – should be made to a UBA account: 2003682151 belonging to Oniyelu Bridget Mojisola.
“This payment should be made from the National Social Investment Officer account with account number: 0020208461037 to the Project Accountant’s details listed above,” it added.
Sources told SaharaReporters that a system that allows the Accountant General of the Federation to send public funds into private accounts based on requests by ministers encourages corruption.
“If a minister can ask the Accountant General of the Federation to move public funds into a private account and the AGF will do it, then it is no wonder the last AGF stole plenty of money,” a source said.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is prosecuting former Accountant-General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris and Geoffrey Akindele alongside Mohammed Usman and Gezawa Commodity Market & Exchange Limited on charges of fraudulent diversion of public funds to the tune of N109.5 million.
Idris and Akindele were accused of committing criminal breach of trust while being entrusted with certain property, to wit N84,390,000,000 between February and November 2021 by “dishonestly receiving the said amount from the Federal Government through Godfrey Olusegun Akindele, trading under the name and style of Olusegun Akindele & Co”.
As a public servant, Idris was also accused of collecting an equivalent of N15.1 million from Akindele between February and December 2021 to accelerate the payment of 13 per cent derivation to nine oil-rich states in the country through the Office of the AGF.
Earlier, SaharaReporters reported that it exclusively obtained documents showing how the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) moved N226,188,500 million to Kogi, Bayelsa and Imo states through the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation ahead of the November 11, 2023 governorship elections.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) held governorship elections in Imo, Kogi and Bayelsa states on November 11, 2023.
In the election characterised by irregularities including vote-buying thuggery and pre-recorded results, APC candidates were declared victorious in Imo and Kogi states while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate and incumbent Governor of Bayelsa State secured re-election.
However, documents SaharaReporters obtained on Thursday show that the funds were moved to the states on November 4 and 6 respectively in the name of providing palliatives for indigent and underprivileged people.
But government sources told SaharaReporters that the funds were mobilised to the states days before the elections to buy votes under the cover providing funds for vulnerable people in the states.
“It was all a ruse to buy votes for APC and their candidates in the elections using the programme for vulnerable people as cover; that was why the events were done a few days before the governorship elections in the three states,” one of the sources said.
A breakdown of the disbursement of the funds shows that N72,374,500 was moved to Kogi State on November 6, 2023, through the Director of Finance Account, National Social Investment Agency, just five days before the governorship election.
Also on November 6, the ministry approved and moved N72,423,250 million to Bayelsa State under the ministry’s 2023 grant for vulnerable groups programmes.
On November 3, 2023, a total of N81,390,750 million was moved to Imo State under the same guise of providing grants to vulnerable groups, just seven days before the governorship election.
According to the documents, the Minster of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Edu personally approved the moving of the funds to the three states.
On October 31, 2023, the Nigerian House of Representatives summoned Edu to brief the chamber on the status of the federal government’s conditional cash transfer programme to 15 million households.
In a motion of urgent public importance, the House expressed concern over the handling of the programme, citing a lack of transparency and alleged fraudulent practices.
The lawmakers asked the minister to provide details on the collation of data and the distribution of funds.
President Bola Tinubu launched the conditional cash transfer programme in October as part of his efforts to address poverty and vulnerability in the country. The programme aims to provide monthly cash transfers of N25,000 to each of the 15 million beneficiary households for three months.
The invitation of the minister by the House comes amid reports of irregularities in the program’s implementation, including allegations that some beneficiaries had been excluded while others had been paid multiple times.
The lawmakers asked the minister to provide details on the collation of data and the distribution of funds.
However, efforts to reach the minister failed as she did not answer calls from SaharaReporters. She also did not reply to text messages sent to her mobile line.
Source: Saharareporter
Amidst swirling rumors surrounding Oseloka Obi, the son of Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate for 2023, a new twist has emerged regarding persistent allegations about his gender identity.
In response to a flurry of speculation, Oseloka has taken a stand against the viral claims connecting him to homosexuality, which were sparked by the circulation of photographs featuring him alongside Kent Okwesa, a British-Nigerian based in London. Click link to continue reading.
“We’ve lost two games in a row, it’s not good enough, it’s way too bad,” he said, speaking to Viaplay in Norway. “We need to figure it out, get back to winning ways.
Pep Guardiola’s side are in the bottom half of the Premier League table heading into the clash having lost back-to-back matches against Tottenham and Brighton before the international break. Click link to continue reading.
The General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry, Pastor William Folorunsho Kumuyi, has announced a series of changes to some of the long-standing rules of the church, saying many of them were never scriptural but were introduced for administrative purposes.
Pastor Kumuyi, widely regarded as one of the most influential church leaders in the world, is the founder of Deeper Life Bible Church, which began in 1973 as a small Bible study group in Lagos.
Over the decades, the ministry has grown into a global Christian movement. The Lagos headquarters alone attracts over 120,000 worshippers weekly, placing it among the five largest single congregations worldwide. In Nigeria, the church boasts more than one million members with over 5,000 branches, and a further 3,000 branches spread across Africa, Europe, and North America.
Speaking at the church 2025 Global Family and Marriage Conference, Pastor Kumuyi announced modifications to certain marriage rules that had long been regarded as doctrinal. He clarified that many of these practices were never rooted in the Bible but were merely administrative guidelines designed to provide structure.
One of the major changes is the cancellation of the restriction that prevented a lady from visiting her suitor before marriage. According to Kumuyi, intending couples may now visit each other during courtship, provided they are accompanied by an elder. The long-held six-month mandatory courtship period has also been scrapped. “We just felt you need some time to know one another. And then we said one month will be too short, two months too short. So, why not six months? But it is not from the Bible,” he said.
He stated the importance of Christians being able to distinguish between God’s commandments and church traditions.“As a Christian, you need to be so mature that you know the difference between the law of God and the principles in the church. Six months is all right, but it’s not something inflexible. If we change it to three months, we’re not changing the Bible, because six months is not in the Bible,”
Pastor Kumuyi also clarified the role of marriage committees in Deeper Life, noting that their purpose was to provide guidance and not to exercise authority beyond what is written in the scriptures. “There’s no marriage committee in the New Testament. We created it to help you, not because we can give you a chapter and a verse. It is church administration,” he stated.
These changes are seen by people as another step in the ongoing review of church practices that many members and outsiders have often considered too strict. Since founding the church has faced both admiration and criticism for its distinct doctrines. Some of its earlier beliefs and practices have either been misinterpreted or have since evolved:
Technology Use: The church, which once opposed television and modern gadgets, now embraces media and social platforms for evangelism.read the gospel.
Marriage Rules: Inter-church marriages are now accepted, provided the partner is from a Bible-believing church with a holy standard of living.
Dress Code: The church still emphasizes modesty, but women no longer have to tie scarves at all times, and men are not strictly bound to suits.
Medical Treatment: While rumors once suggested Deeper Life discouraged hospital visits, today members are encouraged to seek proper medical care when needed.
Christmas Celebrations: Although many members spend Christmas at church camps, the church has clarified that celebrating Christmas is not forbidden.
Other misconceptions, such as supposed food restrictions or claims that Pastor Kumuyi had relocated to the UK, have also been dispelled.
Through these reforms, Pastor Kumuyi is reinforcing his long-held belief that while order is necessary in the church, it must never be mistaken for scripture.
Source: City People
What is the Dollar to Naira Exchange rate at the black market also known as the parallel market (Aboki fx)?
See the black market Dollar to Naira exchange rate for yesterday 11th September, below. You can swap your dollar for Naira at these rates.
The exchange rate for a dollar to naira at Lagos Parallel Market (Black Market) players buy a dollar for N1530 and sell at N1550 yesterday 11th September 2025, according to sources at Bureau De Change (BDC). …CLICK LINK TO CONTINUE READING
The likelihood of former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan entering the presidential race in 2027 is becoming increasingly apparent, particularly given the recent developments surrounding his potential candidacy.
Reports suggest that Jonathan is discreetly meeting with key political figures across the country, which adds to the anticipation surrounding his possible return to politics. Click link to continue reading.
News
2025: Nigeria Missed Out As Ghana Other Meet Top 10 African Countries With Stable Power Supply Emerge
More questions have been raised over the incompetence of the power sector in the country as Nigeria as many African countries making significant strides in enhancing their power supply stability by investing in modern electricity transmission networks, advanced grid infrastructures, renewable energy sources, and natural gas.
Their diversification prevents disruption in their electricity distribution. Foreign collaboration and smart technology are also some of the positive factors that support these countries’ power sector. …click link for full list here
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