NSIP Probe: Reps Reveals VP Osinbajo’s Position On N1.7tn NSIP Funds

Contrary to reports, the House of Representatives on Tuesday, August 11 stated categorically that its investigation of the National Social Investment Programmes of the Federal Government is not about the Vice-President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo.

The house stated that it was aware that the office of the VP was only responsible for policy formulation and monitoring of the programme.

The submission was made by Chairman of the House Committee on Public Accounts, Wole Oke while speaking on the NSIP probe yesterday when the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs Olusola Idowu, appeared before the panel.

Naija News recalls that the committee had earlier summoned the former Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun; the incumbent Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed; and Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Farouq, to give explanations on how N1.7tn appropriated for the implementation of the NSIP from 2016 to September 2019 was handled.

In the same development, the house committee demanded explanations from the incumbent and former permanent secretaries and desk officers named in the implementation of the NSIPs in both the ministries and the National Social Investment Office.

On Tuesday, Oke noted that the House was aware that the Office the Vice President was only responsible for policy formulation and monitoring of the programme.

However, the house committee chairman while speaking before the panel on Tuesday said, “By our records, the Office of the Vice President is responsible for policy formulation and monitoring of the National Social Investment Programmes.

“We have it on record that the Ministry of Budget and National Planning handled all issues of procurement from 2016 to September 2019 when the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs was created.

“A total of N1.79tn was budgeted for the programme, for which over N600m was expended. Our interest now is on the Home Grown School Feeding Programme and that is what the ministry is to give us records of procurement.”

“We are not available for anybody to use to malign anybody. We want to put that on record that we are not investigating the office of the Vice President.”

Mr Oke, however, requested that the Permanent Secretary and her team should meet a three-man sub-committee set up to reconcile the ministry’s audit queries and report back.

In another news, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) has berated the Federal Government led by President Muhammadu Buhari for failing to fulfil its campaign promises.