- President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has issued a presidential order to suspend the national social investment programmes
- This decision is due to the corruption scandal surrounding the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs
- It was gathered that the president’s decision affected four programmes under the operation of the NSIPA, including the N-Power initiative
Legit.ng journalist Segun Adeyemi has over 9 years of experience covering political events, civil societies, courts, and metro
FCT, Abuja – President Bola Tinubu has halted all operations conducted by the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA).
The decision, communicated by Segun Imohiosen, Director of Information in the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation through a statement on Friday, January 12, is a response to the current inquiry into suspected misconduct in the administration of the agency and its initiatives.
Following the inquiry into suspected wrongdoing in overseeing the agency and its initiatives, four programs under NSIPA’s jurisdiction are affected.
These include the N-Power Program, Conditional Cash Transfer Program, Government Enterprise and Empowerment Program, and Home Grown School Feeding Program.
The suspension will be for a period of six (6) weeks in the first instance.
The President’s office has stated that President Tinubu has expressed noteworthy worries about operational deficiencies and irregularities in payments to beneficiaries of the Programs.
Consequently, a ministerial panel has been established to comprehensively examine the Agency’s operations and propose essential reforms for the NSIPA.
Why Tinubu suspended NSIPA programmes
The suspension was linked to accusations of financial misconduct and money laundering involving an amount of N37.1 billion within the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development.
Subsequently, the EFCC announced the recovery of approximately N39.8 billion out of the alleged N44.8 billion misappropriated from the government account during her tenure.
This development coincides with the ongoing EFCC investigation into three second-generation banks for their involvement in the illicit transfers of funds designated for poverty alleviation and other government intervention programs.
Between December 27th and 31st, 2023, it was claimed that Halima Shehu, the suspended NSIPA boss, had authorised the withdrawal of N44 billion from the government account. She had previously held the position of National Coordinator of the Conditional Cash Transfer Programme under the former Minister Sadiya Umar-Farouk, who is also facing EFCC scrutiny in connection with the same case.
Truth behind fallout of suspended Tinubu’s appointees emerges
In another report, the corruption controversy surrounding the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation has been unravelled.
Sources inside the ministry revealed that the scandal’s antecedents stem back to Halima Shehu’s appointment.
From the onset, it was gathered that the minister never liked the idea of Shehu joining the ministry.
Source: Legit.ng