Oluwatoyin Madein, the federation’s accountant-general (AGF), claims she did not carry out the request of Betta Edu, the minister of humanitarian affairs and poverty alleviation.
According to Madein, no large sums of money “are supposed to be made to an individual’s account in the name of Project Accountant.”
The accountant-general stated this in response to a Friday memo in which Edu asked her to pay N585 million to Oniyelu Bridget Mojisola, who is said to be the project accountant for the Renewed Hope Grant for vulnerable groups.
The development has since sparked outrage on social media.
Bawa Mokwa, the AGF’s press director, quoted Madein saying in a statement on Saturday.
She said her office does not make payments for projects carried out by ministries.
She said:
“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.”
“The AGF explained that although her Office received the said request from the Ministry, it did not carry out the payment.
“The Ministry was advised on the appropriate steps to take in making such payments in line with the established payment procedure.”
According to Madein, project beneficiaries should be paid through verified bank accounts.
The AGF also stated that she is determined to uphold the principles of accountability and transparency in the management of public finances.
She added that MDAs should always ensure that the necessary steps are taken when conducting financial transactions.