Betta Edu: Tinubu forms commission to investigate N-Power, School Feeding, 2 initiatives

A special commission headed by President Bola Tinubu has been tasked with investigating the National Social Investment Agency (NSIPA) initiatives.

The agency’s four initiatives were put on hold by the president on Friday for a period of six weeks.

The programmes handled by NSIPA are – N-Power Programme, Conditional Cash Transfer Programme, Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme and Home Grown School Feeding Programme.

A ministerial team was also established by Tinubu to thoroughly examine the agency’s activities and suggest any required adjustments.

The investigation into claims of fraud in the administration of NSIPA and its programmes is still underway, which informed the president’s decision.

President Tinubu had on January 2 suspended the NSIPA Chief Executive Officer, Halima Shehu, for her alleged role in the N37 billion fraud unearthed in the agency under the supervision of the previous Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar-Farouk.

He also placed Betta Edu, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, on leave last week due to the scandal surrounding the ministry’s N585 million disbursement.

The special panel is led by Wale Edun, the minister of finance and the coordination of the economy, according to a statement released on Saturday night by the president’s special adviser on media and publicity, Ajuri Ngelale.

The panel also includes Ali Pate, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare; Atiku Bagudu, the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning; Mohammed Idris, the Minister of Information and National Orientation; Bosun Tijani, the Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy; and Ayodele Olawande, the Minister of State for Youth.

Ngelale stated that the panel was given a mission by the president to conduct a comprehensive audit of the projects.

“President Bola Tinubu has approved the establishment of a Special Presidential Panel, which will be led by the Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Honourable Minister of Finance, Mr. Wale Edun,” the statement stated. This comes after President Tinubu suspended the four programmes under the National Social Investment Programmes Agency (NSIPA) for six weeks.

“With the goal of implementing a complete re-engineering of the financial architecture of the programmes with detailed modification to procedures guiding the programs’ implementation moving forward, this Special Presidential Panel is tasked with immediately undertaking an extensive review and audit of the current financial frameworks and policy guidelines of the social investment programmes.”

“A multidisciplinary approach to the reform endeavour will be ensured by the Special Presidential Panel, which is composed of ministers from critical sectors.

“President Tinubu hopes this Special Presidential Panel will live up to the trust placed in it by restoring the public’s lost faith in these important programmes over time and ushering in a new era of operation based on transparent and accountable governance frameworks that will prove impervious to abuse and incompetence for the sole benefit of low-income households throughout our country.”