Ex-minister spurns summons as EFCC arrests NSIPA ex-boss

Contrary to earlier promise of making herself available for enquiries as Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar-Farouq may have reneged.

In a statement, she had stated: “I remain proud to have served my country as a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria with every sense of responsibility, and would defend my actions, stewardship and programmes during my tenure whenever I am called upon to do so.”

Sources close to The Guardian revealed that some other officials, who worked with her, had also been invited for questioning by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to account for running of the ministry affairs in the four years she held sway under the immediate past administration of ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, added that she was yet to arrive the agency for interrogation as at 5pm, yesterday.

She had got a 10am invitation.

Umar-Farouq was notified last week to appear and offer explanation on  funds reportedly laundered through a contractor, one Mr James Okwete.

Okwete was arrested in connection with an ongoing investigation into a N37 billion allegedly laundered by the ministry under her watch.

His arrest coincided with a probe of three other ministers, who equally served under Buhari, for alleged N150 billion graft.

EFCC, in its invite to Umar-Farouq, said she was being summoned in deference to provisions of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act, 2004 and Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011.

The planned interrogation followed the immediate suspension of Halima Shehu as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and National Coordinator of National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA) by President Bola Tinubu.

She was replaced with National N-Power Programme Manager, Akindele Egbuwalo, in acting capacity, pending conclusion of investigation into activities initiated during her tenure.

NSIPA, which is responsible for managing critical programmes like N-Power and Conditional Cash Transfer, has been under scrutiny in recent times, with concerns raised about efficiency and effectiveness.

Few hours after her suspension, the EFCC, yesterday, arrested and detained her.

Sources said Shehu was picked up in connection with movement of N17 billion belonging to the organisation to some suspicious accounts within one week.

According to a top official, the interception and recovery of the cash followed alleged payment of billions in Naira by the agency without presidential approval.

It was also learnt that EFCC might have recommended Shehu’s suspension.

Her suspension, based on preliminary investigation, was to pave way for an unfettered probe.

Operatives of the anti-graft body, who were drafted to her private office and home, arrested her at about 8pm.

After searching her home and office, she was taken into custody at about 9pm for interrogation.

It was also gathered that EFCC was closing in on a director of the agency, who was allegedly complicit in the huge payments.

In a related development, Africans in Diaspora for Good Legislation has Shehu’s suspension as a fall-out of alleged gang-up that brought in the current administration.

The founder, Ameh Ejeh, claimed that when “elections are manipulated and the people’s mandate taken away, those that rigged their way into such public offices will likely appoint those who supported them into office, not caring if they are fit for public service, even if they lack the integrity, thereby continuing the vicious cycle of corruption.”

He continued: “I don’t think we are going to see anything meaningful out of this. All you see is that they make budgets, allocating resources to themselves in a country that people are suffering, but the government is allocating billions of Naira to frivolous projects, and all of that, when they are supposed to be tackling security, corruption, and things like welfare for the citizenry. Of course, you can’t fight corruption when you come in through corruption.”

While calling on Nigerians to patiently await the outcome of the ongoing investigation, Executive Director, Centre for Gender, Women and Children in Sustainable Development, Prof Olabisi Aina, stated that perpetration of corruption usually goes beyond an individual.

She noted: “When people are found in corrupt practices, we must address these issues, be it a man or a woman, but the circumstance of government is not the same for the man and the woman.

“The system of stealing, bastardising public offices goes beyond the individual, and we need to take recourse into the type of system we operate. If everybody that goes into a particular system comes back with a bad name, then we need to investigate that system, and not the individual, so maybe Nigeria needs to ensure that men and women of honour are able to serve.”