Former National Coordinator and Chief Executive Officer of the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA), Halima Shehu, has denied allegations that she diverted N44 billion, insisting she never transferred any money into any personal account and that she reported alleged financial irregularities within the agency to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and other authorities before her suspension.
Speaking in an interview with ARISE NEWS on Monday, Shehu said she resumed office on October 18, 2023, with extensive knowledge of the ministry, having previously worked on the Conditional Cash Transfer Programme and participated in the ministry’s establishment.
“I was appointed on the 18th of October, 2023, by the President. And when I got appointed and resumed work, it’s a ministry I had worked before. Since the establishment of the ministry, I was part and parcel of the formation of the ministry. So I know every programme that took place under the ministry, exactly how much funds were left from the previous administration in the ministry for each programme.”
She said she played a key role in digitising the Conditional Cash Transfer Programme and introducing financial literacy to improve transparency and accountability.
“I was fully instrumental in digitising the programme, bringing financial literacy for transparency and accountability into play. Together with the World Bank team, I brought financial literacy into play, bringing the informal sector into the formal sector. We opened over 1,900,000 accounts of beneficiaries, taking financial literacy to the grassroots. Those were some of the biggest achievements that allowed for transparency and accountability.”
She also spoke about her role in the Tinubu-Shettima presidential campaign.
“After the Tinubu-Shettima campaign, in which I played a major role, I was the National Director for the Social and Humanitarian Directorate of the campaign. Under that leadership, I mobilised women and youth, including beneficiaries that we had empowered at the Conditional Cash Transfer Office. That movement contributed to the Tinubu-Shettima campaign and was instrumental in bringing about almost three million votes to this administration.”
She said that after assuming office as NSIPA chief executive, she discovered what she described as weak financial controls within the agency.
“When I got to office… I discovered weak financial controls. Money was being touched without accountability. So I began to do my own audit. I also called the attention of the minister, who was my boss, Betta Edu. I also called the attention of the permanent secretary… to see how such movement of funds could be accounted for and to let the minister know that, under the mandate of NSIPA, she didn’t have any right to be touching the funds the way she was touching them.”
She alleged that the minister appointed more than 10 officials into NSIPA in violation of the agency’s mandate.
“She had appointed over 10 people in my agency, which was a violation of the mandate of NSIPA. I, as the CEO, was supposed to make the appointments of the programme managers who were supposed to help me deliver on the mandate assigned to me.”
According to her, transactions bypassed her office entirely.
“There were movements of funds that I didn’t give approval for, I didn’t give authorisation for, and I didn’t consent to. Transactions never came to me. They started from Betta Edu to the programme managers that she appointed, who were only reporting to her.”
She further alleged that the programme managers were instructed not to report to her.
“She never called me for a meeting, and any letter I wrote to her office, she never responded. She asked all the programme managers never to report to me except her.”
She also claimed that more than $300 million was drawn from an $800 million World Bank-supported programme without her involvement.
“I had to reach out to the World Bank Country Director and the team and let them know that that office was under my purview. On no account should they directly work with the minister because I cannot account for her excesses.”
Shehu said she reported the alleged financial violations to the EFCC before she was suspended.
“On the 21st of December, 2023, before my suspension, I called on the EFCC Chairman while I was in office and handed over a letter stating all these violations of financial regulations in the agency. Monies moving out of the CBN accounts… I documented and handed everything over. The letter was addressed to His Excellency, the President.”
She said she also reported the matter to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
“Before my suspension, I called on the ICPC Chairman to let them know all the ongoing issues in the agency, including additional unauthorised signatures that were added to NSIPA’s account without my approval.”
She said she was surprised that no action followed her reports.
“I thought I was supposed to be honoured for the proactive measures I took. I thought I was supposed to be protected, but my suspension came just 10 weeks after I had escalated to them.”
Rejecting the allegation that she diverted N44 billion, Shehu maintained that no money was ever traced to her.
“I never transferred N44 billion to any personal account. I never did, and I stand by that. Never. The EFCC never recovered a penny from my personal account, or from my family’s, or from any of my friends’ personal account.”
She explained that the transfers in question were payments to licensed payment service providers engaged for the social investment programmes.
“The way the programmes are supposed to be implemented is by transferring the funds of the programmes to commercial banks, payment service providers regulated and licensed by the Central Bank or microfinance banks. Then they disburse to the beneficiaries.”
She said she fully cooperated with the EFCC’s investigation.
“The EFCC has investigated me. I helped them to do their job while I was in office. I did a whistleblowing. I gave them documents and I gave them facts.”
Questioning the outcome of her petitions, she said:
“How come all the reports I gave to the EFCC didn’t matter? How come I was the first to register the complaints, but I got a reprisal instead of an honour?”
She disclosed that after receiving no response from the EFCC, she wrote to the commission, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and President Bola Tinubu.
“My integrity is my asset. It’s a legacy I carry all around. I have a verifiable track record of managing 300 million World Bank funds. I’ve never taken a penny off anyone.”
Appealing directly to the President, Shehu said:
“I’m pleading with the President to intervene, to let them clear my name. I’m not saying I am perfect. There may be administrative lapses, but I am not corrupt, and I did not take the funds of the poor and vulnerable for myself or for anyone.”
Boluwatife Enome
