- 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
Legit.ng journalist Segun Adeyemi has over 9 years of experience covering political events, civil societies, courts, and metro
FCT, Abuja - Corruption accusations have surfaced within the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, causing distress among millions of struggling Nigerians.
Reports emerged in the opening week of 2023 that Halima Shehu, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA), had been suspended.
Following her suspension, Akindele Egbuwalo, the national N-Power programme manager, was promptly appointed her interim successor. Shehu faced allegations of financial misconduct, particularly involving diverting more than N40 billion from NSIPA's funds.
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Following the revelation of a memo, the suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu, was accused of instructing the Accountant-General of the Federation, Oluwatoyin Madein, to transfer N585 million to a private account.
This news stirred public outrage, and Edu's media team dismissed the leaked memo as a blackmail tactic, asserting that the minister's request adhered to proper procedures and was prompted by the exposure of fraud in NSIPA.
In response to the controversy, President Bola Tinubu suspended Edu and directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate the ministry's finances.
How the rift started
As reported by The Cable, before President Bola Tinubu nominated Halima Shehu as the CEO of NSIPA, Delu Yakubu, who currently serves as the senior special assistant to the president on humanitarian affairs and poverty alleviation, was initially selected for the role.
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However, certain senators and officials within the presidency expressed reservations about Yakubu's suitability for the position.
Consequently, Yakubu was not appointed as CEO but instead given a role as a presidential aide.
Subsequently, President Tinubu successfully confirmed Halima Shehu as the CEO of NSIPA in October.
According to an insider, the decision to work with Yakubu was influenced by a higher level of comfort that Edu, presumably another official, had with Yakubu.
The source, as quoted by The Cable, said:
“The minister expected to work with Yakubu because she was comfortable with her but when Shehu found her way to the position somehow, Edu was not happy.“This did not create a harmonious working environment between both women from the outset.”The source also revealed that their feud was also related to the money issue, noting that the minister was a signatory to the NSIPA account but breached protocol by not letting the NSIPA boss know about her withdrawals.
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The source said:
“Shehu got angry over that and the only way she thought she could still retain control over her agency was to transfer the remaining balance out of the accounts that Edu had access to.“She has disclosed to the EFCC the three accounts where she moved the money to.”According to another source, specific individuals within the accountant-general of the Federation (AGF) office were designated as signatories for these accounts.
This measure guaranteed that the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs could access funds whenever necessary.
No official memo on acting NSIPA boss
Sources in the agency revealed that there has yet to be an official communication from the presidency regarding the appointment of the acting CEO for the agency, causing heightened confusion within NSIPA.
The source said:
“Like in the case of Betta Edu, we saw the presidential spokesman issue a statement and it was clear on who she should hand over to — that has not happened in this case.Read also
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“There are more officials superior to Egbuwalo who can act now that Shehu is no longer there.”Tinubu sacks 2 Buhari appointees
Meanwhile, President Tinubu has sacked two directors appointed by former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Babatunde Irukera, the chief executive officer of the FCCPC, who was appointed by Buhari in 2019, was the first casualty.
Alexander Ayoola Okoh, the director-general and CEO of BPE, who was appointed by Buhari in 2017, was the second to be sent out of office by Tinubu in his latest agencies' reshuffling.
Source: Legit.ng
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