Tinubu Raises Probe Panel On Controversial Social Investment Programmes

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News, News Across Nigeria Saturday, January 13th, 2024

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – President Bola Tinubu has approved the establishment of a Special Presidential Panel to immediately undertake a comprehensive review and audit of existing financial frameworks and policy guidelines of the social investment programmes.

The panel, headed by Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, is saddled with the task of implementing a total re-engineering of the financial architecture of the programmes with detailed modification to procedures guiding the programmes’ implementation moving forward.

According to a statement issued on Saturday and signed by Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Chief Ajuri Ngelale, the establishment of the panel followed Tinubu’s six-week suspension of the four programmes under the National Social Investment Programmes Agency (NSIPA).

The Special Presidential Panel, comprised of ministers representing strategic sectors and would ensure a multi-disciplinary approach to the reform effort, is made up of the following members:

(1) Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy – Chairman

(2) Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare – Member

(3) Honourable Minister of Budget and Economic Planning – Member

(4) Honourable Minister of Information and National Orientation – Member

(5) Honourable Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy – Member

(6) Honourable Minister of State for Youth – Member

The statement further said Tinubu anticipated that the Special Presidential Panel would validate the confidence reposed in it by winning back all lost public confidence in these vital programmes over the years by ushering in a new era of operation based on open and accountable governance frameworks that would prove impervious to abuse and incompetence for the exclusive benefit of disadvantaged households across our nation.