…Urges EFCC to recover funds meant for 3.29m vulnerable households
Mujeeb Akindoyin
Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to investigate and prosecute those allegedly responsible for the failure to account for N33.75bn earmarked as cash transfers for poor and vulnerable Nigerians.
Falana also urged the anti-graft agency to work with the Auditor-General for the Federation to recover the money if investigations establish that the funds were diverted.
The legal practitioner, who is the Chairman of the Alliance on Surviving COVID-19 and Beyond, made the demand in a statement on Sunday following revelations contained in the 2024 Annual Report on Non-Compliance/Internal Control Weaknesses in Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the Federal Government.
The report by the Auditor-General for the Federation, Shaakaa Kanyitor Chira, raised concerns over the Federal Government’s inability to provide sufficient evidence that N33.75bn in cash transfers actually reached the intended beneficiaries.
The funds were reportedly meant for more than 3.29 million vulnerable households under the National Social Investment Programme.
Falana said the revelation was disturbing, particularly because the government had introduced mechanisms designed to strengthen beneficiary verification and prevent the inclusion of fictitious or “ghost” recipients in the cash-transfer scheme.
He therefore called on the EFCC to immediately investigate the alleged financial irregularities and establish what happened to the funds.
“The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission should liaise with the Auditor-General of the Federation with a view to recovering the missing N33.75 billion,” Falana said.
He added, “All the characters involved in the shameful conduct should be arrested and prosecuted without any delay.”
Falana’s demand comes against the backdrop of previous allegations of financial impropriety involving officials connected with the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and the National Social Investment Programme Agency.
He recalled that former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq, had been investigated by the EFCC over alleged money laundering involving more than N37.1bn.
He also cited the suspension of former Humanitarian Affairs Minister, Betta Edu, following a December 2023 directive involving the transfer of N585m in public intervention funds to a private bank account.
Similarly, the former Chief Executive Officer of the National Social Investment Programme Agency, Halima Shehu, was suspended and questioned over alleged suspicious movement of funds.
Falana urged the EFCC to conclude investigations into the various allegations and make its findings public.
The National Social Investment Programme Agency was established under the NSIPA Act 2022 to coordinate major social intervention programmes, including N-Power, the National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme, the National Cash Transfer Programme and the National Social Safety Net Programme.
The senior lawyer also raised concerns over the implementation of the $3.05bn development package unveiled by President Bola Tinubu in July 2026.
The package, supported by the World Bank, is designed to deepen poverty reduction, strengthen human capital development and expand economic opportunities across the country.
Falana urged the Federal Government to strengthen transparency and accountability mechanisms to ensure that funds allocated for poverty reduction reached their intended beneficiaries.
He also proposed the establishment of a monitoring body comprising credible civil society organisations to oversee the disbursement and implementation of the development funds.
According to him, stronger independent oversight is necessary to prevent the diversion or abuse of public resources meant to support Nigerians living in poverty and other vulnerable groups.
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