…Controversy Surrounds N500 Million
…Suspended NSIPA CEO Accuses Minister of Humanitarian Affairs
Minister Betta Edu of Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, has vehemently denied the accusations making the rounds her office misappropriated the sum of N585,198,500.00 meant for National Social Investment Program Agency (NSIPA). She stated that the N500 million was duly approved and allocated for the intended purpose. She clarified that the funds were meant for the implementation of grants to vulnerable groups across the specified states, with Cross River already benefiting from the allocation NEGROIDHAVEN has confirmed.
Rasheed Olanrewaju Zubair, the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Minister, urges Nigerians to focus on the alleged N44 billion theft rather than being sidetracked by the N500 million, which received presidential approval and has reportedly been spent in four states.
Observers question whether Halima’s sudden whistleblowing is an attempt to divert attention from her ongoing legal issues with the EFCC or a strategy to sway public opinion.
In a startling turn of events, Halima Shehu, the suspended National Coordinator and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Social Investment Program Agency (NSIPA), has accused the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Betta Edu, of looting over N500 million. The accusation comes after Shehu’s recent arrest by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for the alleged movement of N44 billion from NSIPA accounts to suspicious ones in December 2023.
Halima Shehu, who defied a presidential directive to collaborate with Minister Betta Edu in settling payments for N-Power beneficiaries, has now taken on the role of a whistleblower. She alleges that the minister misappropriated the approved N585,198,500.00 meant for implementing grants to vulnerable groups in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Ogun, and Lagos states.
The controversy raises several posers: Why did Halima Shehu wait until her arrest and the recovery of over N39 billion before blowing the whistle? How did she have access to such significant sums, and why was she allegedly moving N44 billion without the necessary approvals?
As investigations unfold, the public awaits further clarification on the conflicting narratives surrounding the financial affairs of NSIPA.
