Presidential Panel On Social Investment Programmes Submits Report To Tinubu, Makes Recommendations

The Presidential Panel on the National Social Investment Programmes (NSIP) has submitted its report to President Bola Tinubu and also made recommendations.

Naija News learned that the panel led by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, recommended the removal of the programmes from the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.

This platform understands that the programmes are implemented by the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA) domiciled under the humanitarian ministry.

The programmes includes N-Power Programme, Conditional Cash Transfer Programme, Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme, and Home Grown School Feeding Programme.

Recall that President Tinubu had suspended Halima Shehu as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NSIPA over alleged financial malfeasance and appointed her replacement.

A week later, the president also suspended the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Betta Edu, after a memo surfaced wherein she asked the Accountant-General of the Federation, Oluwatoyin Madein, to transfer N585 million to a private account.

President Tinubu then ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate the allegations against Edu and Shehu. Days later, both women faced officials of the anti-graft agencies.

He also directed that the panel led by Edun to conduct a comprehensive diagnostic of the financial architecture and framework of the programmes with a view to conclusively reforming the relevant institutions and programmes

According to TheCable, the panel, in the interim report on Saturday, recommended that the programmes should be resumed to alleviate the sufferings of poor and vulnerable Nigerians.

The panel added that a new committee under the leadership of Edun should oversee the social investment programmes.

The report reads in part: “Convene a steering committee/board under the leadership of the Hon. Minister of Finance and coordinating Minister of the economy to oversee the coordination of programmes.

“Determine the future of the NSIPA by advocating for a proper review and amendment of the NSIPA act.”

In a chat with the news platform, a government official, who pleaded anonymity, said before the social investment programmes are transferred to a new body for implementation, the relevant laws would have to be amended.

He said: “The executive bill sent by the Muhammadu Buhari administration to the national assembly, placed the NSIPA, which is in charge of these social programmes, in the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.

“A bill would have to be sponsored to amend the principal act.

“Anything outside of that is illegal and against the laws setting up the NSIPA.”