Olaniyi Apanpa
President Bola Tinubu has suspended all administered Social Investment Programmes by the National Social Investment Programme Agency.
Announcing the suspension in a statement on Friday, the Director Information, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Segun Imohiosen, said the President’s decision was in view of the “ongoing investigation of alleged malfeasance in the management of the agency and its programmes.”
“All four programmes administered by NSIPA, viz; N- Power Programme, Conditional Cash Transfer Programme, Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme and Home Grown School Feeding Programme have been suspended for a period of six weeks in the first instance,” the statement read.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has also raised significant concerns regarding operational lapses and improprieties surrounding payments to the programmes’ beneficiaries, ” Imohoisen added.
According to the statement, Tinubu also constituted a ministerial panel to conduct a thorough review of the agency’s operations to recommend necessary reforms of the NSIPA.
During the period of this suspension, all NSIPA-related activities, including but not limited to all distributions, events, payments, collaborations and registrations are now frozen.
Activities of NSIPA have been under probe since the suspension of the Chief Executive Officer of the National Social Investment, Halima Shehu, over the ongoing investigation into the N37,170,855,753.44 allegedly laundered in the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development, under former Minister of Federal of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Sadiya Umar-Farouq.
Farouq’s successor, Betta Edu, was also suspended by the President and quizzed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for directing that N585m should be transferred to a private account owned by one Oniyelu Bridget, who the ministry claimed currently serves as the Project Accountant, Grants for Vulnerable Groups.
A comprehensive inquiry into the scandal in the ministry was also ordered by the President.
Copyright PUNCH
All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH.
Contact: [email protected]
