Former National Coordinator and Chief Executive Officer of the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA), Halima Shehu, has denied allegations that she diverted ₦44 billion, maintaining that no public funds were ever transferred into her personal account.
Speaking during an interview on Arise Television on Monday, Shehu said she had alerted anti-corruption agencies and relevant government authorities to alleged financial irregularities within the agency before she was suspended in December 2023.
According to her, she uncovered weaknesses in NSIPA’s financial control system shortly after assuming office and reported her findings to the then Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Betta Edu, and other senior officials.
She alleged that funds were moved without her approval, authorisation or knowledge, claiming that several programme managers appointed by the minister operated outside the agency’s official structure.
“There were movements of funds that I didn’t give approval for, didn’t authorise and didn’t consent to,” Shehu said, insisting that the transactions were carried out without her involvement.
The former NSIPA chief disclosed that she formally petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) over the alleged financial violations before her suspension.
She argued that instead of being protected as a whistleblower, she was removed from office barely 10 weeks after raising concerns about the agency’s financial operations.
Refuting allegations that she diverted ₦44 billion, Shehu said investigators never traced any illicit funds to 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 stated.
She explained that the transactions under investigation were legitimate payments made to licensed service providers and financial institutions responsible for disbursing government social intervention funds to beneficiaries.
Shehu also said she fully cooperated with the EFCC throughout its investigation by providing relevant documents and evidence to support her claims.
Calling on President Bola Tinubu to intervene, she urged the Federal Government to make the findings of all investigations into the agency public.
“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 said.
Her comments come as investigations into the management of funds under the National Social Investment Programme and the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs continue to attract public attention.
