The transfer contravenes various sections of Nigeria’s Financial Regulations 2009, which are meant to prevent fraud and other forms of corruption.

According to the minister’s memo, the fund in question was transferred from the National Social Investment 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.

Edu said in the memo that the official, Bridget Oniyelu, whose private account with the United Bank of Africa the N585.2 million was paid into, is the project accountant.

The memo has gone viral on X, while Edu has been trending for about two days now on the microblogging platform.

Minister Edu’s memo adds another layer of scandal to the ongoing EFCC investigation of the suspended National Coordinator of the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA), Halima Shehu, over alleged N37.1 billion fraud in the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs.

Shehu, in December said over 1.5 million households in the country have received N20,000 from the Conditional Cash Transfer programme of the federal government.

The fraud allegations now taint the government intervention programme.

Edu’s predecessor, Sadiya Umar-Farouk, is being investigated by the EFCC for alleged fraud.

Edu reacts to leaked memo

Through her media aide, Rasheed Zubair, the minister claimed the memo was leaked as part of a plot to blackmail her.

“It is glaring that the same sponsored disgruntled elements who, in the past few days, have been trying to smear the Honourable Minister, Dr Betta Edu and stain her integrity because she alerted the government to the ongoing N44.8 billion fraud in NSIPA. These elements have been trying to link her to a phantom fraud and are behind this latest misadventure,” a statement on Friday from the minister’s media aide stated.

“The evil motive of the mischief-makers behind the circulation of the memo is well-known and should be ignored.

“Of note is the fact that since assumption of duty about five months ago, the Minister has religiously visited different parts of the country like Borno, Zamfara, Niger, Kogi, Plateau, Nasarawa, FCT, Lagos Cross River, etc., and this is done to ensure she delivers on her mandate, remains focused, unbiased, and committed to duty,” the statement added.

Questions for the minister

The minister’s response to the leaked memo, however, failed to address some pertinent questions, begging for answers:

1. Nigeria’s Financial Regulations 2009 does not empower Minister Beta Edu to originate payment requests directly since she is not the ministry’s accounting officer. By making a permanent secretary the accounting officer of a ministry, the intent of the law is to insulate government business from politics and allow government affairs to run smoothly and professionally on some sets of rules and guidelines with which political officeholders may not be familiar.

2 Chapter Seven, Section 713 of Nigeria’s Financial Regulations 2009, which emphasises separating public and personal money in government transactions, states that “Personal money shall in no circumstances be paid into a government bank account, nor shall any public money be paid into a private account (Minister Beta Edu clearly violates this section).”

The section, in addition, says, “Any officer who pays public money into a private account is deemed to have done so with fraudulent intention.” It is very clear that the intent of the law here is to prevent fraud in government business.

3. Why would the minister pay such a huge amount of money to a civil servant instead of electronically paying the beneficiaries directly? What is the mechanism in place for accountability?

4. According to Nigeria’s Financial Regulation 2009, only the Minister of Finance is empowered to issue warrants for the disbursement of appropriated funds. Why is the Humanitarian Affairs Minister, Beta Edu, playing that role here?

5. Why is Beta Edu the one initiating a request for payment of public funds when she is not the accounting officer of her ministry or his appointed representative (as stipulated in the financial regulation)?

6. The National Social Investment Office is an agency under the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs with its own distinct leadership. Why is Minister Beta Edu the one signing off on the transfer of funds from the agency’s account without the input of the organisation’s CEO?

The post The questions minister Beta Edu must answer on N585.2m payment appeared first on New Mail Nigeria.

A top EFCC source confirmed this to Channels Television in a telephone conversation on Wednesday, January 3.

Umar-Farouk held a ministerial position under former President Muhammadu Buhari from August 2019 to May 29, 2023.

A week later, the former minister received an invitation to appear before interrogators at the EFCC headquarters located at Jabi, Abuja, by 10:00 am.

According to the source, she is yet to honour the invitation, and some other officials who served under her had also been invited to provide more information on how the affairs of the ministry were run in the last four years.

The post EFCC to probe former minister Farouk Sadiya over alleged N37bn fraud appeared first on New Mail Nigeria.

A top EFCC official, who confided in our correspondent on Sunday, said the contractor had made useful statements concerning  Umar-Farouk and former directors-general of the ministry.

The development coincides with the probe of three other ministers, who served under former President Muhammadu Buhari, for graft estimated at N150bn.

“It is not only Umar-Farouk we are investigating. Three other former ministers are also under probe. They were allegedly involved in graft to the tune of N150bn,’’ a credible source in the EFCC confided in our correspondent on Sunday.

Sources said Umar-Farouk and some former agencies’ directors-general under the ministry might be arrested by the anti-graft commission following the details of the financial misappropriation so far revealed to investigators by the contractor.

The ex-minister could not be reached for comments on Sunday. Also, when our correspondent contacted her former media aide, Nneka Ikem, she did not pick her phone calls neither did she respond to an SMS sent to her.

Investigation revealed that the N37.1bn was transferred from the Federal Government’s coffers and sent to 38 different bank accounts domiciled in five legacy commercial banks belonging to or connected with Okwete.

Impeccable sources confirmed to our correspondent on Sunday that Okwete, who is being held at the EFCC Headquarters, Jabi, Abuja, had been cooperating with investigators.

According to the EFCC officials, the contractor was arrested four days ago.

A source said, “The contractor, Mr Okwete, who was used in laundering the money had been arrested by the commission. He is currently detained in our custody and has been giving investigators more details that have indicted the former Minister, Sadiya and some DGs under the ministry, and they may be brought in anytime soon too.”

Alleged N37bn fraud

Another source noted, “The contractor involved in the N37.bn fraud has been arrested and would spend Christmas in our custody. He has given some names, and the former humanitarian affairs minister and directors-general in the ministry were linked to the fraud.”

The Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs currently serves as the parent ministry to eight agencies, including the National Social Investment Office, the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals, and the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants, and Internationally Displaced Persons, among others.

Umar-Farouq was the pioneer Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development.

She was appointed by former President Muhammadu Buhari in July 2019 as the youngest cabinet member.

Her work with Buhari dates back to his days as the leader and presidential candidate of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change when she was the national treasurer of the party and later the national treasurer of the All Progressives Congress.

Documents obtained by NewMailNG revealed that following receipt of the funds, Okwete transferred N6,746,034,000 to Bureau De Change Operators, withdrew N540 million in cash, purchased luxury cars with N288,348,600 and bought luxury houses in Abuja and Enugu State with N2,195,115,000.

So far, 53 companies had been traced to Okwete, who was also said to have used 47 of the firms to secure Federal Government contracts amounting to N27,423,824,339.86.

He is also linked with 143 bank accounts in 12 commercial banks of which 134 accounts are corporate accounts linked to different companies.

Checks by our correspondent with the Corporate Affairs Commission revealed that Okwete is a director in only 11 of the 53 companies, while the remaining 42 companies’ accounts were linked to his Bank Verification Number as a signatory to the accounts.

The document revealed, “Between 2018 and 2023, the subject (Okwete) received the sum of N37,170,855,753.44 from the coffers of the Federal Government linked to the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development.

“The money  was sent to 38 bank accounts domiciled in five legacy commercial banks. The suspect transferred N6,746,034,000 to Bureau De Change Operators, N540mn withdrawn in cash, N288,348,600 used to purchase cars and used N2,195,115,000 to purchase choice properties within Abuja and Enugu State.

“Fifty-three companies were traced to the suspect. He used 47 of the companies to lift Federal Government contracts amounting to N27,423,824,339.86.

“Okwete is associated with 143 bank accounts in 12 commercial banks in which 134 of the 143 accounts are corporate accounts linked to different companies.”

The spokesperson for the EFCC, Dele Oyewale declined comments. “I can’t speak on that, please,” Oyewale said.

Meanwhile, in 2020, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission said it uncovered N2.67bn meant for the ministry’s school feeding programme in private bank accounts.

The former ICPC Chairman, Prof Bolaji Owasanoye, disclosed that the commission unravelled N2.67bn in personal accounts, being payment made to some federal colleges for school feeding during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020.

Owasanoye said under the Open Treasury Portal review carried out between January and August 15, 2020, of the 268 Ministries, Departments and Agendas, 72 had cumulative infractions of N90m.

The former ICPC chairman argued that the money was paid when children were not in school.

Despite requests by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project to Umar-Farouq to publish details and names of the suspects, the former minister failed to reveal their names to date.

Reacting to this, SERAP via its official Facebook handle said: “Following the disclosure by the ICPC that N2.67bn meant for school feeding during the COVID-19 lockdown ended up in private bank accounts, we are calling on the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development of Nigeria, Sadiya Umar Farouq to immediately publish details of those suspected to be responsible, or face legal action.

“If the names are not immediately published, we’ll issue a freedom of information request to ensure that those involved are named and shamed.

“We’ll also pursue appropriate legal actions to hold suspected perpetrators to account, in the public interest.

“Diverting funds meant to feed school children [who are already disproportionately affected by corruption], especially during COVID-19 is a blatant violation of the rights to education, health, and dignity, as well as the government’s own COVID-19 transparency frameworks.

“Corruption in school feeding increases distrust in the government. The Federal Government must ensure transparency and accountability measures are fundamental to all school feeding and other initiatives in the context of COVID-19, to ensure the children receive the support they need.”

The post N187bn fraud: EFCC arrests humanitarian ministry’s contractor, probes four Buhari ministers appeared first on New Mail Nigeria.

Sadiya Umar Farouq, minister of humanitarian affairs, disaster management and social development, chaired the inauguration in Abuja, on Thursday.

NASIMS is the central management platform for the administration and coordination of national social investment programmes (NSIP) under the ministry.

Farouq said the development is in continuation of the ongoing strategy by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government to lift 100 million people out of poverty in ten years.

She said the batches ‘A’ and ‘B’ had already been implemented, adding that 500,000 beneficiaries will benefit in the first stream of the ongoing process for batch ‘C’, while the same number of Nigerians will benefit in the second stream.

“I am delighted that we are gathered today for the launch of the Batch ‘C’ on the National Social Investment Management System (NASIMS),” she said.

“The N-Power cluster, which is a combination of many sub-cluster initiatives is aimed at providing opportunities in skills acquisition, competency building, and entrepreneurship training among the poor for human capital development.

“The N-Power, Government Enterprise Empowerment Programme, National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme, and Conditional Cash Transfer are undergoing series of strategic realignment and restructuring with the view to optimise their operations and maximise their impacts.

“Today, we have reached another milestone in the process of recruiting and onboarding of the Batch C N-Power beneficiaries, beginning with 500,000 beneficiaries.”

Farouq said the new batch will drive skills acquisition for beneficiaries, with the goal to ensure that they are economically active and possess the right vocational skillset to attract gainful employment when they graduate.

She said the beneficiaries will be paid N30,000 each as monthly stipend, adding that the scheme will increase national employment indices and ensure the productive engagement of millions of youths.

“It would relate and stimulate the economy, since the beneficiaries will be paid a stipend of N30,000 per month, thus improving their disposable income levels as well as positioning them as better economic agents,” she said.

“To ensure transparency, institutional memory and dynamic impact assessment of the N-Power cluster, it will now be administered through the NASIMS, designed to optimise and complement the structural reforms of NSIP and other activities of the ministry.

“As we launch the N-Power Batch C today, all N-Power Batch C applicants are required to log into the N-Power self service portal on www.nasims.gov.ng

“Furthermore, a dedicated support helpline has been provided to aid applicants through the process above. For complaints and enquiries, applicants are advised to call +234(0)1888501 1 or email support.npower@nasims.gov.ng.”

In his remarks, David Ibhawoh, the ICT consultant on NASIMS, said the ministry has invested so much on the portal that it would not experience crash or challenges.

According to him, those that applied for the N-Power batch ‘C’ programme before the closing date are the only eligible candidates that can access the portal.

“They can use the email address they applied for the programme to gain access to the portal — all their information are there in the portal. If you did not apply, you can’t access the portal. It will not recognise you,” he said.

“The portal has a computer-based test, which an applicant is expected to take and then and see his or her scores without any delay.

“There are emails and chat services in the portal to interact with the ministry. It is the first step of information sharing.”

TheCable had reported that more than one million Nigerians applied for the N-Power batch ‘C’ programme in less than 48 hours after registration commenced.

The post FG inaugurates third N-Power batch on social investment system appeared first on New Mail Nigeria.

In the aftermath of the #EndSARS protests, several warehouses, suspected to contain COVID-19 palliatives, were looted and vandalised in some parts of the country.

Tambuwal, who spoke on Tuesday while addressing citizens on the government’s effort to check riots in the state, said Sokoto has no hoarded relief materials meant for distribution.

He said the Sokoto has only received two categories of palliatives since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said the first relief materials received from the Coalition Against COVID-19 (CACOVID) was a bit delayed because the donors wanted the materials to be pooled together before distribution. He added that as soon as this was achieved, the distribution was done.

He said the delay in the sharing of the second category, received on October 17 from the federal government, was on the request of Sadiya Umar Farouk, minister of humanitarian affairs, who wanted to be around when the distribution starts.

“Sokoto state has no case of hoarded relief materials meant as COVID-19 palliative. The state never recorded both the protest and the attendant mayhem.

“There was one by Coalition Against COVID-19 (CACOVID), which was a donation by an ensemble of philanthropists.

“The distribution of this category was a bit delayed months ago because the donors wanted the donations to be pooled.

“As soon as that was achieved, we distributed the materials under the supervision of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alhaji Sa’idu Umar.

“The other category were those items brought by the federal government through the office of the minister of disaster management, humanitarian affairs and social development, Sadiya Umar Farouk.

“The items were received on Oct. 17, precisely nine days ago. The little delay we had in distributing the FG palliatives was at the instance of various requests by the minister.

“She needed to be personally around when the exercise started. She made the requests five times before turning up. So, it is not our fault that the items are still being distributed as we speak. It was the minister who said we should wait until she comes. And that was what happened.”

He appealed to residents to cooperate with the distributors at all levels for a seamless exercise. He also commended the people of the state for maintaining peace amid the #EndSARS protests.

The post Palliatives distribution in Sokoto delayed at minister’s request – Tambuwal appeared first on New Mail Nigeria.

On March 30, President Muhammadu Buhari announced a lockdown in Lagos, Ogun and the federal capital territory (FCT) for a period of 14 days. The president later extended the lockdown by another two weeks to further check the spread of COVID-19.

Buhari had announced that the federal government would provide palliatives to support Nigerians while they stay at home.

But addressing journalists in Abuja, Sadiya Umar Farouk, minister of humanitarian affairs, disaster management and social development, said the ministry would use the social register to identify poor Nigerians in need of palliatives.

“You are aware that the president in his broadcast of Monday, April 13, directed that we expand the beneficiaries of the conditional cash transfer by one million and in this regard, we are going to focus more now on the urban poor,” she said.

“These are people who depend on the informal sector to earn their livelihood; they are daily wage earners and these are the people that we are really going to focus on more as well as people living with disabilities.

“Well, we have three options. One, we are going to use the national social register that we already have. Two, we are also going to focus on the urban poor as I mentioned by using their verified BVN accounts to get them, that is, people that have an account balance of N5, 000 and below.

“We are also using the mobile networks, to know people that top up the credit units for their phones with maybe N100 or less. These are people that we consider to be poor and vulnerable. So, these are the three options that we are exploring and I am sure that by the time we get this data, we will be able to give this intervention.

“Let me also say that we have a standard. Twenty five percent of the total population is what we will take out. It cannot go round everywhere, but we are starting from somewhere. Twenty five percent of let’s say the location of Lagos State, for example, is what is going to benefit from this intervention that we are doing. Going forward, we might expand it but this is what is obtainable for now.”

The post Nigerians who recharge their phones with more than N100 won’t get palliatives – FG appeared first on New Mail Nigeria.

Schools, markets and shops have been shut down as a result of the pandemic which has put most of the world on lockdown.

Speaking during the briefing by the presidential task force on COVID-19 on Tuesday, Sadiya Umar Farouk, minister of humanitarian affairs, disaster management and social development, said the government already has a social register with details of those considered as the vulnerable in society.

This, she said, covers 35 states of the federation with around 2.6 million households mapped across the country.

Farouk also disclosed that internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the north-east have received two months rations of relief materials.

On Monday, she said the federal government had commenced cash transfer to Nigeria’s poorest households to cushion the effects of the pandemic.

The post 11m poor Nigerians will get COVID-19 palliatives, says FG appeared first on New Mail Nigeria.

Buhari had headed to Borno from Ethiopia where he attended the African Union summit.

It was gathered that the president who left the state around 4pm neither visited the scene of the attack nor hospitals where those who sustained injuries in the attack are being treated.

The president arrived at the Nigerian Air Force base in Maiduguri minutes before 1pm and was received by Babagana Zulum, governor of Borno; Babagana Monguno, national security adviser; and Sadiya Umar Farouk, minister of humanitarian affairs, disaster management and social development.

From the air force base, the president moved to the palace of Abubakar Elkanemi, the shehu of Borno, and from there to the presidential lodge of the government house, Maiduguri, for a brief refreshment after which he departed the state.

At the shehu’s palace, the president told the monarch that he was in Borno on transit to Abuja, to share the pains of the people following the incident in Auno and other attacks in the state.

Buhari said he wondered how Boko Haram survived up till now. “As commander in chief, I campaigned both in 2015 and last year on three fundamental issues which include security; you cannot preside over an institution or a country if it is not secure. This is just common sense, everybody knows this even those that have not gone to school know this.

“This Boko Haram or whatever they are, cannot come up to Maiduguri or environs without the local leadership knowing because traditionally the local leadership is in charge of security in their own respective areas. So with my understanding of our culture, I wonder how Boko Haram survives up till now.

“We are working for you in this country. As commander in chief, I am dealing with the security institutions and I believe there is an improvement in security.

“I urge the people of the state to cooperate with with the law enforcement agencies and let us deny Boko Haram access to our loyal citizens and encourage displace people to go back to the land.”

The president also asked Nigerian youth to cooperate with the government to help them get a better future.

“If they don’t cooperate with the government, they are endangering their future. I am already 77, how many years do I expect under normal circumstances?” he said.

Urging Borno people to support the military, Buhari added that he is determined to do his best towards ending the insurgency.

The post Boko Haram can’t survive without local support, says Buhari appeared first on New Mail Nigeria.