By Christiana Ekpa
The House of Representatives on Wednesday urged the Federal government to place on hold the alleged idea of a new steering committee board under the supervision of the Ministry of Finance to oversee the social investment programmes.
The idea according to the House contravenes the extant law which positions the implementing agency and programmes under the purview of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.
This followed the adoption of an motion urgent motion of national importance moved titled “need to resume the implementation of the national social investment programme in order to alleviate the current increasing hardship faced by nigerians sponsored by Hon Billy Osawaru during plenary in Abuja.
Moving the motion, Osawaru explained that the enabling Act of National Social Investment Programme Agency was enacted in 2023 to address the issue of poverty and hunger across the country as well as to ensure a more equitable distribution of resources to vulnerable populations including children, youth and women.
He also noted that since January this year, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development was suspended and placed under investigation while the Chief Executive Officer and National Coordinator of National Social Investment Programme Agency was sacked and new Chief Executive Officer and National Coordinator replaced.
He said as a result, the implementation of all forms of government intervention such as N- Power Programme, Conditional Cash Transfer Programme, Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme and Home Grown School Feeding Programme that are expected to ameliorate the suffering of people, were placed on hold, pending thorough review of the programme and investigation of the alleged misconduct in the management of the programme.
