The House of Representatives has called on President Bola Tinubu to expedite the investigation of the suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Betta Edu.
The resolution comes after a motion introduced by Billy Osawaru (PDP, Edo) during plenary on Wednesday.
Moving the motion, Mr. Osawaru stated the suspension of the NSIP during “this period of increasing hardship” is “heightening” the challenges of the vulnerable population relying on its assistance and could lead to a rise in poverty levels, social unrest, and “ultimately negatively impacting the overall stability and development” of the country.
He stated that the cases of looting of warehouses and food trucks in many cities across the country as a result of increasing hunger and suffering “signal the need for immediate action” to ameliorate the sufferings of Nigerians, such as the reinstatement of various sorts of social investment schemes.
Mr. Osawaru stated that the intended transfer of social investment programs to the finance ministry violates the law.
“The alleged recommendation suggesting that a new steering committee board under the leadership of the minister of finance should henceforth oversee the social investment programs is not only an anomaly but contravenes the existing law, which situates the implementing agency and programs under the purview of the ministry of humanitarian affairs and poverty alleviation,” he said.
“While there may be legislative actions to amend the National Social Investment Programme Agency Act 2023, up until the Act is completely amended and enacted, the current status quo cannot be reviewed by mere executive action.”
He, therefore, requested that the House urge the government to direct a serving minister of state to oversee relevant clearances and implementation of the social investment projects to “minimize the adverse implication of increasing hunger and suffering experienced by vulnerable Nigerians relying on the program.”.
He also urged the federal government to “place on hold” the planned idea to move the social investment programs to the finance ministry.
The resolution was adopted unanimously by the parliamentarians, without debate, and carried when Speaker Abbas Tajudeen called for a voice vote.
Tinubu suspended Edu in January after she authorized the transfer of N585.2 million to a public servant’s private bank account, the accountant in charge of handouts for poor Nigerians.
The president also directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to conduct a “thorough investigation” of all the ministry’s financial activities.
The investigation included the complete framework of Nigeria’s social investment schemes.
Ms. Edu, 37, has denied any misconduct. Her office stated that she approved the transfer to a personal account for the “implementation of grants to vulnerable groups.”
Furthermore, the president directed the suspension of national social investment programs such as the N-Power Programme, the Conditional Cash Transfer Programme, the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme, and the Home Grown School Feeding Programme pending investigations.
