Oluwatoyin Madein, the Accountant General of the Federation, has been questioned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for her purported involvement in a N585.2 million scam that involved Dr. Betta Edu, the recently sacked Minister of Humanitarian Affairs. At the EFCC offices on Monday, Madein, the keeper of Nigeria's purse strings, was subjected to intensive questioning for six hours. Even though she was freed without being formally charged, the questioning sheds information on the government's ongoing investigation into possible financial misconduct.

                                                                                                                              Halima Shehu

 Documents that have been leaked indicate that Edu planned the illegal transfer of N585.2 million from the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP) account to a ministry official's account. Madein, however, angrily denied having approved the contentious document, emphasizing that funds are sent directly to self-accounting organizations that are in charge of carrying out projects and making payments. Following a ten-hour questioning session by the EFCC last week, President Bola Tinubu finally suspended Edu on January 8. This came after earlier revelations that revealed the unauthorized movement of aid money into a personal bank account.

                                                                                                                                      Betta Edu

In the meanwhile, Halima Shehu, the troubled head of the NSIP agency, is also being investigated for a second N44 billion cash theft, significantly broadening the anti-graft agency's scope. The Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs is a national organization entrusted with reducing poverty and misery, and the growing crisis raises grave worries about possible mismanagement and embezzlement within the organization. President Tinubu's prompt suspension of Edu and the stepped-up investigations show that he would not tolerate corruption in his government. The complete scope of the suspected financial violations is yet unknown, though, due to continuing investigations and emerging information. To rebuild public confidence and guarantee that important humanitarian aid reaches those most in need, more oversight and openness are imperative.