Lawyer advocates for the abolition of social investment programs
In an interview on Channels Television, legal practitioner Inibehe Effiong called on the Federal Government to discontinue the N-Power and other social intervention programs under the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.
Remember that there has been a dispute concerning the suspended minister, Betta Edu, who is facing allegations of financial misconduct.
Effiong contends that the social intervention programs introduced under the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs have not effectively lifted impoverished Nigerians out of poverty.
He remarked, "We've been hearing about N-Power for years. Now, the government is proposing to spend N3 billion to audit the social register, which is scandalous. Why spend N3 billion on an audit? It's embarrassing, considering some of the things we hear in this country.
"So, I am advocating for the complete abolition of these social intervention schemes or programs. They have not reduced the poverty ratio in the country, made no impact on inflation, and failed to enhance the purchasing power of the Nigerian people."
The legal practitioner also urged the government to openly disclose the names of the recipients of the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP) thus far, emphasizing the importance of transparency and accountability.
He asserted that if the government cannot provide a list of individuals who have benefited from these programs, there is no valid reason to advocate for the reinstatement of the suspended minister, as supporters are currently calling for.
He stated, "Today, I am issuing a challenge, and I hope the EFCC will respond to this inquiry. It is insufficient to merely suggest her reinstatement. Who are the recipients?
"I may be a bit partial because my state is mentioned, indicating that millions were intended for indigent individuals in Akwa Ibom, as well as in Cross River, Lagos, and Ogun states."
"If, at the conclusion of the investigation, the EFCC is unable to provide details about the ultimate recipients of this money—such as their identities, account information, and residences—there will be no grounds for the reinstatement of Edu," he stated.
President Bola Tinubu took the step of suspending Edu and the Chief Executive Officer of the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA), Halima Shehu, on grounds of alleged corruption.
The President also halted all programs managed by the Agency, including the N-Power Programme, Conditional Cash Transfer Programme, Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme, and Home Grown School Feeding Programme.
Edu, her predecessor Sadiya Umar-Farouq, and Shehu are presently under investigation by anti-graft agencies for the alleged embezzlement of billions in the humanitarian ministry.
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