The Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation Dr Betta Edu said that she was not in connection with the alleged movement of N44 billion intercepted and recovered from some of the accounts by the EFCC.
On Tuesday, January 2024, the EFCC operatives arrested the National Coordinator and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Social Investment Program Agency (NSIPA), Halima Shehu in connection with the movement of N44 billion from the Agency’s account to some suspicious accounts in December 2023.
She said the interception and recovery of the cash followed some alleged payments of billions of naira by the agency without Presidential and FEC approval.
“Based on a preliminary investigation, EFCC recommended to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, that Halima Shehu be suspended indefinitely,” she explained.
The suspended National Coordinator and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Social Investment Program Agency (NSIPA), Halima Shehu works under the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.
According to Dr. Edu, On assumption of office Shehu defied the Presidential Directives to work with her to pay 400,000 beneficiaries of N-Power.
Following the defiance, the Presidency asked her to work with the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation to pay the N-Power beneficiaries for the first month.
Dr Edu said that the N585,198,500.00 was approved for her for the implementation of Grants to Vulnerable groups in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Ogun, and Lagos States.
She said: “So far, over N39.5 billion has been intercepted and recovered from some of the accounts by the EFCC.”
Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Minister, Rasheed Olanrewaju Zubair said After Halima’s suspension, she suddenly turns into a whistle-blower.
Zubair in a statement said that Halima Alleged that Betta Edu has looted over N500 million from the money.
Made available to Truth Live News on Saturday the SA media asked “If Halima was doing the honest job of whistle-blowing, why did she wait until her arrest and recovery of more than N39 billion from her before blowing the whistle?
“When did Halima become CBN to warehouse and keep “safe” over N44 billion of FG’s money until she was arrested?
“Is Halima’s vain whistle an attempt to divert attention from her sleaze and ongoing travails with the EFCC where she reports daily or a veil to hoodwink Nigerians?
“Why are Nigerians more interested in the N500 million that got Presidential approval and has been spent in four States than the N44 billion allegedly stolen by Halima Shehu?