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.Name beneficiaries of grant or face legal action, SERAP tells President
.Sack Betta Edu now, PDP insists
.As APC chieftain urges Tinubu to monitor flow of poverty alleviation funds
Blessing Akorowosi, Osogbo with agency reports
President Bola Tinubu has ordered investigation into alleged payment of funds into a private account by the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.
In a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mr Mohammed Idris who disclosed this said that the Tinubu’s administration is committed to transparency and has zero tolerance for corruption.
“We are aware of the narratives circulating widely and wish to assure Nigerians that the government takes these issues most seriously.
“The Federal Government, under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu, is transparent and accountable to the people.
“It is committed to ensuring that public funds are allocated and utilised effectively and efficiently to address the needs of Nigerians,” he said.
The minister said the federal government was determined to unravel the truth as it related to the matter.
Idris said that his ministry acknowledged the concerns raised by the public over the allegation.
He added that the order by the president was to ascertain the accuracy and validity of the reported details.
He assured that appropriate action would be taken to ensure that any breaches and infractions were identified and decisively punished, in line with the administration’s commitment to public accountability and due process.
The Minister, however cautioned against dissemination of unverified claims by the people
“The Ministry is committed to providing timely updates to keep Nigerians informed about the progress of the investigation.
“We urge Nigerians to exercise patience as the investigation unfolds. The government is focused on ensuring a fair and unbiased process,” he said
He assured that the findings would be communicated duly and transparently to the public.
Meanwhile, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged President Bola Tinubu to direct the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Mr Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, and appropriate anti-corruption agencies to promptly and thoroughly probe the alleged payment by the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Betta Edu of N585.2 million meant for disbursement to vulnerable people in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Lagos, and Ogun states into a private account.”
It also urged him “to direct Mr Fagbemi and appropriate anti-corruption agencies to promptly and thoroughly investigate whether the N585.2 million has been paid into any private account, and to identify and publish the names of anyone who may have received the money.”
SERAP said, “Anyone suspected to be involved in any improper payment or diversion of public funds should be brought to justice and any diverted public funds returned to the public treasury and paid directly to the rightful beneficiaries.”
In the letter dated 6 January 2024 and signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said: “Paying public funds into private accounts may create the perception or appearance of impropriety and give cover to any potential wrongdoing or diversion.”
According to SERAP, “Investigating these allegations and ensuring that the public funds meant to take care of the poor are transparently and accountably spent and recovering any diverted public funds are serious and legitimate public interests.”
The letter, read in part: “The public interests in safeguarding against the perception or appearance of impropriety or corruption also require your government to remove the opportunity for abuse inherent in the payment of public funds into private accounts.”
“The Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended], the country’s financial regulations and international obligations impose a fundamental obligation on your government to ensure transparency and accountability in the spending of public funds meant for socially and economically vulnerable Nigerians.”
“Your government has a legal responsibility to ensure full compliance with the Financial Regulations 2009, prohibiting the payment of public funds into private accounts, to reduce vulnerability to corruption or risks of the funds being diverted for personal ends or other unlawful purposes.”
Government officials hold positions of public trust. Public officials are expected to ensure compliance with Nigerian laws and international standards in the discharge of their public functions.”
“The persistent lack of transparency and accountability in the spending of public funds meant to take care of the poor raises issues of public trust, makes the funds vulnerable to corruption or mismanagement, and undermines the integrity of poverty intervention programmes.”
“Your government has a legal obligation to probe and prosecute allegations of abuse of office and corruption in the spending of public funds meant to improve the conditions of vulnerable Nigerians.”
“SERAP is concerned that successive governments have failed to ensure transparency and accountability in the spending of public funds budgeted for social safety-nets and poverty alleviation programmes and projects.”
“Any risks of corruption in the spending of public funds meant to take care of the poor would erode the effectiveness of the government’s oft-repeated commitment to address the impact of the removal of fuel subsidy on vulnerable Nigerians.”
“We would be grateful if the recommended measures are taken within 7 days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter. If we have not heard from you by then, SERAP shall consider appropriate legal actions to compel your government to comply with our request in the public interest.
“Any failure to investigate these grave allegations, bring suspected perpetrators to justice and recover any diverted public funds would undermine the integrity of the government’s poverty intervention programmes”
“It would also create cynicism, and eventually citizens’ distrust about the ability of your government to prevent corruption or the appearance of corruption in the programmes.”
“Nigerians have the right to be free from poverty. Any risks of diversion of public funds budgeted to lift vulnerable Nigerians out of poverty would pose both direct and indirect threats to human rights, and exacerbate extreme poverty in the country.”
“It would also undermine your government’s legal obligations to effectively and progressively address and combat extreme poverty as a matter of human rights.”
“SERAP also urges you to direct Betta Edu to publish details of spending of public funds drawn from the account of the National Social Investment Program (NSIPA), an agency under the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Allegation, including the names of beneficiaries and details of the amounts received by them since 29 May 2023.”
“SERAP urges you to instruct the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to jointly track and monitor the spending of any public funds drawn from the account(s) of the National Social Investment Program (NSIPA).”
“According to our information, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Betta Edu, in a memo dated 20 December 2023 reportedly requested the Accountant General of the Federation, Oluwatoyin Madein, to transfer public fund – N585.2 million – into a private account of an official in her ministry.”
“According to the memo, the money was transferred from the National Social Investment Program office account and is meant for disbursement to vulnerable people in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Lagos, and Ogun states, under the federal government poverty intervention project called Grants for Vulnerable Groups. N219.4 million is to be transferred to the vulnerable people in Akwa Ibom State, N73.8 million to Cross River State, N219.4 million to Lagos State, and N72.4 million to Ogun State.”
“SERAP is seriously concerned that years of allegations of corruption and mismanagement in the spending of public funds meant to support and assist vulnerable Nigerians and entrenched impunity of perpetrators have undermined the ability of successive governments to support those most in need.”
“Section 15(5) imposes the responsibility on your government to ‘abolish all corrupt practices and abuse of power’ in the country.”
“Under Section 16(1) of the Constitution, your government has a responsibility to ‘secure the maximum welfare, freedom and happiness of every citizen on the basis of social justice and equality of status and opportunity.’ Section 16(2) further provides that, ‘the material resources of the nation are harnessed and distributed as best as possible to serve the common good.’”
“Chapter 7, Section 713 of the Federal Government’s Financial Regulations 2009, provides: ‘Personal money shall in no circumstances be paid into a government bank account, nor shall any public money be paid into a private account.’”
“Articles 5 and 9 of the UN Convention against Corruption also impose legal obligations on your government to ensure proper management of public affairs and public funds, and to promote sound and transparent administration of public affairs.”
.Sack Betta Edu now, PDP insists
Similarly, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) had demanded the immediate sack and prosecution of the embattled Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Betta Edu over the alleged looting of N44 billion National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA) fund, including the N585.2 million audaciously diverted by her to a private account.
The PDP made the demand in a statement issued on Sunday by Debo Ologunagba, its National Publicity Secretary.
The party in the statement stressed that the continuing stay of Betta Edu as Minister is provocative and amounts to stealing from a people and daring them to do their worst.
The PDP statement reads: “The exposed fraud in the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs is just a tip of the iceberg of the unprecedented treasury looting, unbridled stealing and plundering of resources going on in the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led All Progressives Congress (APC) administration which has practically brought the nation’s economy to its knees.
“Is it not tragic and heartbreaking that a Minister entrusted with public funds to support millions of poor Nigerians who have been impoverished by the APC, turned around to divert hundreds of millions of naira meant for the wellbeing of the poor?
“The continuing stay of Betta Edu as Minister is therefore provocative and amounts to stealing from a people and daring them to do their worst. It further confirms our Party’s position that the Tinubu-led APC government is a cesspit of corruption; a haven for thieves and treasury looters.
“Nigerians were shocked by reports of how Betta Edu and the suspended National Coordinator of NSIPA, Halima Shehu allegedly engaged in brazen looting of billions of Naira while Nigerians who the funds are meant for are deprived and abandoned to excruciating hardship and misery.
“Equally disheartening is the reports of how Betta Edu allegedly directed the transfer of the N585.2 million NSIPA money into the private account of one of her fronts in clear violation of Chapter 7, Section 713 of Nigeria’s Financial Regulations, 2009 which expressly prohibits the payment of public money into a private account.
“For emphasis, Section 713 of Nigeria’s Financial Regulations, 2009 provides that “Personal money shall in no circumstances be paid into a government bank account, nor shall any public money be paid into a private bank account. An officer who pays public money into a private account is deemed to have done so with a fraudulent intention”.
“The apparent fraudulent intention by Betta Edu in diverting public funds into a private account; an action which was appropriately declared illegal by the Accountant General of the Federation, Oluwatoyin Madein, is consistent with APC’s character and proclivity for plundering of public resources.
“The lack of remorse by the Minister especially in her lame attempt to justify the illegal diversion of funds meant for poor Nigerians is also consistent with the insensitivity, heartlessness, impunity and criminal audacity inherent in the APC administration.
“A very disturbing information in the public domain indicates that the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs is allegedly working with two prominent APC officials in the Presidency and the National Assembly, who are alleged to be using Ministers and other officials of government to divert billions of naira to personal accounts.
“Additional information reveals that there are moves to use the suspended National Coordinator of NSIPA, Halima Shehu as a scapegoat so as to sweep the involvement of the Minister and the said APC leaders under the carpet.
“What Nigerians demand of President Tinubu at the moment is to demonstrate commitment to the fight against corruption by immediately sacking Betta Edu, hand her over for investigation, prosecution and take steps to recover the stolen N44 billion and channel the fund recovered towards the wellbeing of Nigerians.
“The PDP also demands that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) immediately invite Betta Edu for questioning and take further steps to commence a system-wide investigation into the alleged large-scale corruption and treasury looting pervading in Ministries, Agencies and Departments (MDAs) under the APC administration”.
Tags: Betta EduFGPDP
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Meanwhile, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged President Bola Tinubu to direct the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Mr Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, and appropriate anti-corruption agencies to promptly and thoroughly probe the alleged payment by the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Betta Edu of N585.2 million meant for disbursement to vulnerable people in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Lagos, and Ogun states into a private account.”
APC chieftain urges Tinubu to monitor flow of poverty alleviation funds
Meanwhile, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun, Mr Olatunbosun Oyintiloye has appealed to President Bola Tinubu, to keep an eagle eye on how the funds allocated to different poverty alleviation programmes in the country is being spent.
Oyintiloye, while speaking with newsmen on Sunday in Osogbo, said that the passion of the president to alleviate poverty among the masses must not be allowed to be truncated by selfish individuals.
The APC chieftain said that all necessary strategy must be put in
place to ensure that different poverty intervention programmes by the president have positive impacts on the lives of the less privileged Nigerians.
“We have a president that is monitoring everything being done in his government and that why we have absolute trust him. We must encourage and support the president to keep eagle eye on these interventions programmes to prevent diversion.
“Since the money is meant to alleviate poverty among the masses, every necessary strategy must be in place to ensure that allocated money have positive impacts on the lives of the less privileged Nigerians”, he said
Oyintiloye, a member of the defunct APC Presidential Campaign Council, however, commended the president on the N150 billion allocated for poverty alleviation programmes in year 2024.
He said that the allocated amount would go a long way in impacting positively lives of several Nigerians.
The APC chieftain said that the money which was to be spent under the National Poverty Reduction and Growth Strategy (NPRGS) would stabilise and improve the livelihood of the vulnerable masses.
He also noted that the money allocated under the four pillars of macro-economic stability, industrialisation, structural policies/institutional reforms and redistributive policies/programmes of government under the NPRGS, was a development.
It will be recalled that the NPRGS was approved by the Federal Executive Council in 2021 during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari to address poverty, particularly in rural areas.
The programme is to run for 10 years (2021-2031), with an estimated implementation cost of $1.6tn at an annual average of about $161bn.
Oyintiloye, a former lawmaker, said that the allocated fund would assist in fighting poverty, create economic growth and employment.
The APC chieftain, who said millions of Nigerians were living in poverty, stressed that various interventions by the president to alleviate poverty must be commended.
He also commended the president for allocating N10.35 billion to the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation to fight poverty in 2024 appropriation law.
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