Suspension Of NSIPA CEO, Halima Shehu Wrong – PDP Group Tells Tinubu

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been asked to review the suspension of Halima Shehu as the National Coordinator and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA).

A group known as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Forever Initiative made this known at a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday,

Recall that President Tinubu suspended Shehu from her position on Tuesday over alleged corruption, and she is currently in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Before being appointed NSIPA CEO, Shehu was the National Coordinator of the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) programme under the Muhammadu Buhari administration.

Addressing the press, the President of the PDP group, Obande Obande, said Shehu’s suspension did not follow due process because no investigation was done before her ouster.

Obande said the President should tell Nigerians if the corruption allegations levelled against Shehu are indeed true or not.

He also called on Tinubu to ask the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to question the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu, over her role in Shehu’s appointment.

The group’s President said that members of a political party only want to help the President do what is right.

He said: “It is also very undeserving that Mr President would approve a suspension of his appointee without investigation or setting up an investigative panel to unravel the allegations that must have led to the suspension.

“Information at our disposal revealed that the Honourable Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation may have questions to answer as Ms Halima had worked with her for three years when she was the APC National Woman Leader and possibly influenced her appointment at NSIPA.

“What must have gone wrong? We want President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to quickly intervene and address Nigerians if truly there are missing funds and how the funds got missing.

“Investigation will reveal the real culprits who are stealing or trying to steal public funds.

“We wish to call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to look into the suspension of Ms Halima Shehu with a view to reverse it, especially with the speedy appointment of Mr President’s kinsman Akindele Egbuwalo as her replacement which was recommended by Minister Betta Edu, a decision rather seen as hasty and a pointer to the fact that some information will be carpeted.”