Former National Coordinator and Chief Executive Officer of the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA), Halima Shehu, has rejected allegations that she diverted ₦44 billion, insisting no funds were ever transferred to her personal account.
Speaking in an interview on Arise Television, Shehu said she had raised alarms about financial irregularities within the agency before her suspension in December 2023. She explained that upon assuming office, she discovered weak financial controls and reported her concerns to then Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Betta Edu, and other officials.
“There were movements of funds that I didn’t give approval for, didn’t authorise and didn’t consent to,” she said, alleging that programme managers appointed by the minister operated outside the agency’s structure.
Shehu claimed she formally petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) over the violations, but was suspended barely 10 weeks later.
Rejecting the corruption allegations, she stressed:
“I never transferred ₦44 billion to any personal account. The EFCC never recovered a penny from my account, my family’s account, or any friend’s account.”
She explained that the transactions under scrutiny were payments made to licensed service providers and financial institutions tasked with disbursing funds to beneficiaries of government social programmes.
The former NSIPA chief said she fully cooperated with investigators, providing documents and evidence to support her claims. She urged President Bola Tinubu to ensure the findings of the probe are made public.
“My integrity is my asset. I may have made administrative mistakes, but I am not corrupt and I did not take funds meant for poor and vulnerable Nigerians,” she added.
Her clarification comes amid heightened scrutiny of financial activities linked to social investment programmes under the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs.
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