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President Bola Tinubu has appointed Dr. Nentawe Yilwatda as the new Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, replacing Betta Edu, who was suspended earlier this year.

The suspension came in January after the president ordered an investigation into the transfer of N585.2 million into the private bank account of a civil servant responsible for handling grants for vulnerable Nigerians.

President Tinubu also directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to conduct a thorough investigation into all financial transactions within the ministry. The investigation extended to Nigeria’s entire social investment programs to ensure transparency.

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At the time of her suspension, Edu’s office claimed that the funds were transferred to the personal account for the “implementation of grants to vulnerable groups.”

However, the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation clarified that such funds were meant to be sent directly from government accounts to the beneficiaries.