By Damilare Adeleye
Betta Edu, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, has disassociated herself from the N3 billion corruption scandal rocking the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA).
It could be recalled that Hajia Halima Shehu, National Coordinator and Chief Executive Officer of the agency, was suspended on Tuesday by President Bola Tinubu over the allegation.
She was subsequently quizzed for several hours by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, following the development.
Shehu, who has since been released from the custody of the anti-graft agency, was alleged to have during interrogation, implicated the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation in the allegation.
However, in a statement titled “Re-Betta Edu Linked to N3bn NSIPA Fraud Scandal; Baseless Accusations Aimed at Diverting Anti-Graft Agency’s Focus,” Rasheed Olanrewaju Zubair, the Minister’s spokesperson, denied any involvement in the alleged corruption, describing it as false and unfounded.
Dr Betta Edu said the accusations were orchestrated by fifth columnists with the sole intent of tarnishing her well-earned reputation and integrity amid the ongoing investigation of the NSIPA scandal by the EFCC.
Edu stressed that during her four months in office as the minister, she had neither sought nor authorized the withdrawal of N3 billion from the NSIPA funds.
She categorically stated her non-involvement in the current challenges faced by the NSIPA leadership, emphasizing that her name should not be dragged into the ongoing suspension and investigations as sanctioned by the president.
The statement read:”The Honourable Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Betta Edu, is fully aware of the baseless allegations, suspected to be instigated by certain individuals with ulterior motives, aimed at implicating her in the ongoing investigation into the NSIPA scandal by the anti-graft agency.”
“The allegations against the minister were spurious and suspected to have been sponsored by some fifth columnists aimed at dragging her name into the ongoing investigations of NSIPA scandal by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
“Ordinarily, there is no substance in the said publication currently in some online media and does not deserve a response, but there is a need to set the record straight for Nigerians and followers of the current development in NSIPA under the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation to be properly informed,” the statement read in part.
The statement further read, “The conclusion of the well-publicised Verification Exercise led to the expansion of the National Social Register and commencement of payment sequentially and directly from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to various beneficiaries.
“For the records, all the programmes embarked (upon) by the ministry under the current Minister, Dr. Betta Edu, thus far, including Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP), Grants for Vulnerable Groups (GVG) and others secured the approval of Mr President.
“Again, let it be known that there was no time the ministry not (Dr. Betta) withdrew any fund from the NSIPA account, let alone N3 billion without due diligence, and painstaking approval from the appropriate authorities.”