Bettagate Triggers reforms in FG’s intervention programmes
With the suspension of all programmes administered by the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA) by the Federal Government, indications have emerged that the ongoing probe of the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu, over an alleged N585 million fraud in the ministry would birth far-reaching reforms in government’s intervention programmes targeted at the poor and vulnerable.
This is even as stakeholders have said that flaws in the leadership recruitment process in the country is the major reason corruption thrives in Nigeria to the extent that public officials entrusted with funds and materials to distribute to the poor and vulnerable would siphon them.
The stakeholders, comprising Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), religious leaders, technocrats and public affairs analysts, also told The Guardian that the failure of past administrations to tackle corruption in the fuel subsidy regime paved the way for the financial scandal in the Humanitarian Ministry, arguing that if the government had taken justice to those who perpetrated fraud in the fuel subsidy regime, there would have been no need for the removal of subsidy as well as provision of palliatives to poor Nigerians.
They maintained that corruption has eaten deep into the fabric of the nation, urging the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), Police and other anti-corruption agencies to seriously beam their searchlights on other Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and ensure that those who are siphoning public funds are fished out and brought to justice.
Nevertheless, the decision of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to suspend “all NSIPA-related activities, including but not limited to all distributions, events, payments, collaborations and registrations” may be targeted at heeding these calls.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, who announced the suspension of the programmes last Friday evening, had explained that the move was further to the ongoing investigation of alleged malfeasance in the management of the agency and its programmes.
In a statement signed by a Director of Information in the office of the SGF, Segun Imohiosen, which was made available to newsmen, Akume said: “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 (the “Programmes”) have been suspended for a period of six weeks in the first instance.”
The SGF further said: “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has also raised significant concerns regarding operational lapses and improprieties surrounding payments to the Programmes’ beneficiaries.
