BY UKET OKA, Calabar
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Betta Edu, has denied any involvement in the alleged fraud in the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA).
Dr. Edu made the denial in a statement entitled: “Re-Betta Edu fingered in N44 b NSIPA fraud scandal: A tissue of lies, spurious allegation to divert anti-graft attention,” signed by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to Minister, Rasheed Olanrewaju Zubair, and made available to journalists in Calabar, Cross River State capital on Thursday.
Zubair noted that the news of the minister’s alleged involvement in the fraud allegation currently reported by some unnamed online platforms was suspected to have been sponsored by some fifth columnists aimed at dragging the hard earned reputation and integrity of the minister into the investigations of NSIPA scandal by the anti graft agency.
“The attention of the Honourable Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Betta Edu has been drawn to spurious allegations suspected to have been sponsored by some fifth columnists aimed at dragging the hard-earned reputation and integrity of the Honourable Minister into the ongoing investigations of NSIPA Scandal by the anti-graft agency.
“Ordinarily, there is no substance in the said publication currently in some online media, and does not deserve a response, but there is a need to set the record straight for Nigerians and followers of the current development in NSIPA Under the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.
“There was no time the Minister, Dr. Betta Edu requested any funds, talkmore of withdrawing any amount of money to the tune of N37 billion since assumption of office as the Minister from National Social Investment Programme Agency’s (NSIPA) coffer in the last four months, Albeit one month quoted in the said sponsored ‘Fake News’,” the statement said.
It explained that the Verification of the National Social Register (NSE) as quoted in the said publication online was approved not only by President Tinubu, but also by the Federal Executive Council in line with the Renewed Hope Mandate to expand the NSR as well as imbue it with integrity.
Zubair further noted that the conclusion of the well-publicized verification exercise led to the expansion of the National Social Register and the commencement of payment Sequentially directly from the CBN to various beneficiaries.
“For the records, all the Programmes embarked on by the Ministry under the Present Minister, Dr. Betta Edu, thus far, including the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP), Grants for Vulnerable Groups (GVG), and others secured the approval of Mr. President.
“Again, Let it be known that there was no time when the Minister (Dr. Betta) withdrew any fund from the NSIPA account let alone N44 billion without due diligence, and painstaking approval from the appropriate authorities.
“The Honourable Minister wishes to inform the general public that she has no hand in the current travail of the leadership of NSIPA, therefore her good name should not be dragged into the ongoing suspension and investigations as approved by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” the statement maintained.
He also stressed that the responsibility of Providing services to vulnerable Nigerians and pulling 50 million out of the poverty index within 42 months in line with President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda has taken the Minister across the length and breadth of Nigeria and is achievable.
Zubair called on both the online and conventional media outfits to desist from being used to drag the good name of the minister into the current Investigation in a bid to divert the anti-graft and that of Nigerians.