Betta Edu: Tinubu sets up panel to probe N-Power, School Feeding, 2 other programmes

President Bola Tinubu has set up a special panel to probe the National Social Investment Agency (NSIPA) programmes.

The president on Friday suspended four programmes administered by the agency for six weeks.

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

Tinubu also set up a ministerial panel to conduct a thorough review of NSIPA’s operations and recommend necessary reforms in the agency.

The president’s decision followed the ongoing investigation of alleged fraud in the management of NSIPA and its programmes.

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

He also suspended the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu, last week over the N585 million disbursement scandal in the ministry.

The Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President, Ajuri Ngelale, who announced this in a statement on Saturday evening said the special panel is headed by the Minister of Finance and the Coordinating of the Economy, Wale Edun.

READ ALSO: Atiku commends Tinubu for Betta Edu’s suspension, demands reform of humanitarian affairs ministry

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

Ngelale said the president tasked the panel to carry out a thorough audit of the programmes.

The statement read: “Sequel to President Bola Tinubu’s six-week suspension of the four (4) programmes under the National Social Investment Programmes Agency (NSIPA), President 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.”

“This Special Presidential Panel is tasked with immediately undertaking a comprehensive review and audit of existing financial frameworks and policy guidelines of the social investment programmes with a view to implementing a total re-engineering of the financial architecture of the programmes with detailed modification to procedures guiding the programmes’ implementation moving forward.

“The Special Presidential Panel, which is comprised of ministers representing strategic sectors will ensure a multi-disciplinary approach to the reform effort.

“President Tinubu anticipates that this Special Presidential Panel will validate the confidence reposed in it by winning back all lost public confidence in these vital programmes over the years by ushering in a new era of operation based on open and accountable governance frameworks that will prove impervious to abuse and incompetence for the exclusive benefit of disadvantaged households across our nation.”

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