With the suspension and investigation into the allegations, Dr Akindele Egbuwalo, the National N-POWER Programme Manager, has been appointed in an acting capacity as NC/CEO pending the conclusion of the investigation.
Her suspension is coming about three months after the confirmation of her appointment by the Senate.
Before Halima’s appointment, she worked as the National Coordinator of the Conditional Cash Transfer Programme and had previously served with the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development.
That was between 2017 and 2022.
Meanwhile condemnation and criticism have greeted the announcement of the suspension of the National Social Investment Programme Agency Boss, Halima Shehu.
The latest is coming from the Executive Director of Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Comrade Auwal Ibrahim Rafisanjani.
Mr. Rafisanjani who gave the charge on the trending report underscored the need to checkmate the excesses of Ministers overseeing Agencies and Parastatals.
Rafisanjani urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to follow due process in handling issues relating to the suspension or removal of public officers and political appointees confirmed by the Senate.
The suspended Shehu who was billed to handover starter packs to Victims of Kidney harvesting at New Karu Local Government Areas of Nasarawa State, was alleged suspended via a letter purportedly signed by the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu.
As at the time of filing this report, the Presidency, Office of the Secretary to.the Government of the Federation (OSGF) and the Minister yet to make any official statement to the alleged suspension of the NSIPA National Coordinator/CEO.
Before her recent confirmation by the Senate, Hajia Shehu was the National Programme Coordinator of National Conditional Cash Transfer Office (NCTO) under President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, successfully managed the scheme transparently with success stories.
She also digitalized the National Conditional Cash Transfer programme with a view to ensure transparency and accountability in the deployment of the fund to millions of beneficiaries across the country.
While stressing the need to ensure strict adherence to due process, the CISLAC helmsman argued that any public officer and political appointees can only be suspended or removed if such person is declared to be corrupt, incapacitated, or resign as provided by extant laws.
He said: “They (Ministers) need to coordinate and provide leadership not to create confusion and not to make the place to be effective and inefficient.
While responding to the question on whether the Minister has the power to issue a letter of suspension to another appointee of the President who was screened and confirmed by the Senate, Comrade Rafisanjani argued that government must follow proper and transparent due process on the issue that warrants suspension or removal, adding that “you can not just sack. Even small workers you cannot outrightly sack them like that.
“If the President appointed her and you have any cause to remove her, the Presidency should have also gone through the same process of appointing and removing but if you do this as an outright thing, it would suggest that we are not a country of due process. on.
One of the top official of Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation who spoke under condition of anonymity with Humanitarian Correspondents, attested to the integrity of the NSIPA National Coordinator during the last administration.
The official who expressed shock over the allegation said: “She (Shehu) has not even done any programme yet.
She is just getting ready and making plans to hit the ground running this January. I don’t know what went wrong”.
