President Bola Tinubu has suspended all programmes administered by the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA), including the N-Power Programme, Conditional Cash Transfer Programme, Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme, and Home Grown School Feeding Programme.
The suspension, announced by Segun Imohiosen, Director of Information in the office to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, is a response to the ongoing investigation into alleged malfeasance within the agency.
Tinubu, expressing concerns about operational lapses and improprieties surrounding payments to programme beneficiaries, has instituted a six-week freeze on all NSIPA-related activities. Additionally, he has established a ministerial panel to conduct a thorough review of the agency's operations and recommend necessary reforms.
The President's commitment to a swift and unbiased process assures stakeholders and all Nigerians that social intervention programmes will be revamped for the benefit of the most vulnerable citizens. This comes as part of Tinubu's broader efforts to address corruption within the NSIPA.
Earlier, Tinubu suspended Halima Shehu as the National Coordinator of NSIPA amid allegations of financial misappropriation and money laundering totaling N37.1 billion. The suspension and subsequent arrest by the EFCC revealed a complex web of financial mismanagement.
The EFCC reported the recovery of approximately N39.8 billion out of N44.8 billion allegedly embezzled during Shehu's tenure. Investigations are ongoing, with three second-generation banks now under scrutiny for their complicity in the illegal transfers of funds meant for poverty alleviation and other government intervention schemes.
As the nation grapples with these revelations, the freeze on NSIPA programmes stands as a pivotal moment in addressing corruption and ensuring the effectiveness of social intervention initiatives
