President Tinubu suspends N-power, School feeding and all other programmes by NSIPA for six weeks investigation
The Director of information, secretary to the government of Nigeria, Mr Imohiosen said in an official statement on Friday that president Bola Tinubu has suspended N-power, School feeding and all other programmes by NSIPA.
Imohiosen also revealed that this was in line with the ongoing investigation of the activities of the National Social Investment Programme Agency, and the alleged mismanagement and illegal division of more than N585 million by Dr. Betty Edu, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.
The President has after serious discussions with members of his leadership bodies made up his mind to suspend all government-sponsored Social Investment Programmes, which are managed under the National Social Investment Programme Agency, NSIPA.
As the minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, under which all the functions of the National Social Investment Programme Agency are conducted, Dr Betty Edu is also suspended by the president until clarifications and proper accounting are done regarding the position of her ministry .
Mr Imohiosen said the “ongoing investigation of alleged malfeasance in the management of the agency and its programmes” was necessary to reform the agency.
The statement read: “All four programmes administered by NSIPA, viz; N- Power Programme, Conditional Cash Transfer Programme, Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme and Home Grown School Feeding Programme have been suspended for a period of six weeks in the first instance.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has also raised significant concerns regarding operational lapses and improprieties surrounding payments to the programmes’ beneficiaries, ” Imohoisen added.
Also according to the statement, the NSIPA’s performance in the last few years has mandated the president to establish a ministerial panel to carry out a due review of all its activities, and hence draft a new structural reform.
The suspension would mean that all programmes by NSIPA and its related events are placed on hold including payments, registrations and distributions.
The president also reassured Nigerians that his efforts to ensure that all government-sponsored programmes function effectively and impact citizens’ lives remain unchanged.
“President Tinubu assured stakeholders and Nigerians that his administration remains committed to a swift and unbiased process that will ensure that, going forward, social intervention programmes will work exactly as intended, to the benefit of the most vulnerable,” the statement added.
