‘I reported irregularities before my suspension’ – Halima Shehu denies N44bn diversion

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 that nary funds were transferred to her idiosyncratic account.

Speaking during an interrogation connected Arise Television, Shehu said she had alerted anti-graft agencies and different applicable authorities to alleged fiscal irregularities wrong the bureau earlier her suspension successful December 2023.

According to her, she discovered anemic fiscal controls soon aft assuming bureau and raised concerns with the past Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Betta Edu, and different officials.

She alleged that funds were moved without her support and that respective programme managers appointed by the curate operated extracurricular the agency’s established structure.

“There were movements of funds that I didn’t springiness support for, didn’t authorise and didn’t consent to,” Shehu said, adding that transactions were allegedly carried retired without her knowledge.

The erstwhile NSIPA brag further claimed that she formally petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, implicit the alleged violations earlier she was suspended.

Shehu maintained that alternatively than being protected arsenic a whistleblower, she was removed f...