By Zainab Bakare
Former Chief Executive Officer of the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA), Halima Shehu, has dismissed allegations that she diverted ₦44 billion, insisting that no public funds were traced to her or anyone connected to her.
Speaking during a televised interview on Monday, Shehu said she uncovered financial irregularities shortly after assuming office and reported them to the then Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Betta Edu, as well as anti-graft agencies before her suspension in December 2023. She alleged that funds were moved without her approval and that some programme managers operated outside the agency’s established structure.
According to her, she submitted formal petitions to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), but was removed from office about 10 weeks after raising the concerns.
Rejecting claims that she diverted ₦44 billion, Shehu maintained that investigators did not recover any money from her, her family or associates.
“I never transferred ₦44 billion to any personal account. The EFCC never recovered a penny from my account, my family’s account, or any friend’s account,” she said.
She explained that the transactions under investigation involved payments to licensed service providers and financial institutions responsible for disbursing funds to beneficiaries of the Federal Government’s social intervention programmes.
Shehu said she fully cooperated with investigators by providing relevant documents and evidence, while calling on President Bola Tinubu to direct the release of the findings of investigations into the agency.
“My integrity is my asset. I may have made administrative mistakes, but I am not corrupt and I did not take funds meant for poor and vulnerable Nigerians,” she stated.
Her remarks come amid continued public scrutiny of the management of social investment programmes under the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs.
