As operatives of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) beam searchlight and scrutinize records of funds disbursement by agencies under the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Arewa Integrity Group ( AIG) urged EFCC to be thorough and shun cover up in its investigation exercise.
The Group’s Convener, Alhaji Ibrahim Sambo at a press conference in Kano on Saturday , commended the government for enlisting EFCC to investigate the disappearance of billions of naira from an agency established to reduce the suffering of the masses.
However, AIG was worried that, rather than allow the federal government investigation to go on unhindered, there was well-orchestrated effort to muddy the water and create chaos at the entire ministry.
“This plot is exemplified in a multitude of fake reports in the media seeking to drag the Honourable Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Betta Edu into the mess of the alleged diversion of N44.8 billion from the NSIPA account. As an Integrity group that aligns itself with the federal government’s anti corruption stance, we support the EFCC’s investigation and we believe that anyone involved will be identified and punished according to the law.
“Be that as it may, we are constrained to add that we will not stand idle as corruption fights back and seeks to destroy the reputation of the innocent. From our monitoring of the activities of various officials of the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, we can confidently state that Dr Betta Edu is one of the high achievers”, AIG Convener said.
There have been reports of fraud allegations in agencies under the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation. This has led to the removal of Ms Halima Shehu, the former National Coordinator of the National Social Investment Programme Agency’s, NSIPA.
The Group Convener said there was a deliberate campaign to drag Dr Edu in the multi-billion-naira NSIPA fraud scandal based on deliberate falsehood and disinformation aimed at diverting the attention of the EFCC.
“It is common knowledge that the money spent for the national verification of the National Social Register, NSR, quoted by some critics as evidence of Dr Edu’s collusion in the grand theft at the NSIPA, was approved by President Tinubu and the Federal Executive Council in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda to expand the NSR as well as sanitize its operations.
It is also public knowledge that all the Programmed embarked by the Ministry under the current Minister, Dr. Betta Edu, thus far, including Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme, Grants for Vulnerable Groups and others all secured the approval of the President.
“To be clear, we need to emphasize that it is standard practice and procedure in the Public Service for MDAs to appoint Project Managers or Project Accountants for specific projects. To avoid bureaucracy and bottlenecks, funds are sent directly to the account of a designated officer who disburses as approved and retires same with receipts and or evidence of utilization when such projects or programmes are completed.
“We hope the EFCC investigation will soon provide answers to the vital questions under whose authority the former National Coordinator of the NSIPA withdrew N44.4 billion from the government account and diverted the same into various private accounts. We would also like to see the approvals she got, if any, before embarking on this ruinous action.”
