The Accountant-General of the Federation, Dr. Oluwatoyin Madein, has refuted claims of authorizing a reported payment request of N585.198 million by the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Betty Edu. The minister had purportedly requested the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation to transfer the said amount to the personal account of an individual named Oniyelu Bridget Mojisola, citing the funds as grants for vulnerable groups in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Ogun, and Lagos States. However, the AGF has denied honoring this request, asserting that it is not within her purview to make payments for projects and programs on behalf of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).

In a statement released by the Director of Press, Mr. Bawa Mokwa of the OAGF in Abuja, the AGF clarified that allocations are disbursed to self-accounting MDAs in accordance with the budget, and these MDAs are responsible for executing their projects and making payments for them. While the AGF's office did receive the payment request from the Ministry, it did not execute the payment. Instead, the Ministry was advised on the appropriate procedures for making such payments in line with established protocols.

The AGF emphasized that payments in such situations are typically processed by the relevant ministries as self-accounting entities, and no bulk payment should be made to an individual's account in the name of the Project Accountant. Rather, payments should be directed to the beneficiaries through their verified bank accounts. Dr. Madein reiterated her commitment to upholding principles of accountability and transparency in public finance management, advising MDAs to ensure that proper steps are taken in conducting financial transactions.

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