National Social Investment: FG debunks fraud allegation
The National Social Investment Office (NSIO) has debunked report that massive fraud has hampered the success of the National Social Investment Programmes (NSIP) of the Federal Government of Nigeria.
In a document from the Office of the Vice President, which was obtained by our correspondent over the weekend, stated that a total of 7,812,201 lives have been directly impacted by its programmes.
The NSIO, which is under the Office of the Vice President, noted that over seven million homes can testify to their efforts, as well as another set of 1,500,000 secondary beneficiaries comprising mainly farmers and cooks can also validate its claims.
The statement, signed by the Special Adviser to the President on Social Investments, Office of the Vice President, Mrs. Maryam Uwais, stated that the ttention of the NSIO has been drawn to misleading media reports alluding that “massive fraud has hindered the NSIP.
According to her, we wish to restate that the intervention programmes are recording significant successes across the States where we have deployed.
“It has become expedient to state that the reports remain a regrettable exaggeration of the attempt by the Special Advisor to the President on Social Investments to update the media about the progress of the programmes, while reassuring the press that some of the challenges being recorded in a few States are being tackled effectively and transparently.”
For instance, “We are encouraged by the unspeakable joy we see on the faces of the 297,973 poor and vulnerable beneficiaries of our National Cash Transfer Programme (NCTP) that is currently being implemented in the 217 local governments spread across the 20 States of the Federation.”
Commenting on whether the instances of sharp practices being perpetrated at the State levels have impacted the quantum of funds available to the NSIO, the Special Adviser clarified that the amount involved in the identified sharp practices were insignificant to affect the desired social impact.
According to her, the NSIO is working with security agencies to curb the breaches, as evidenced in a few minimal instances.
“It is rather curious therefore that several media reports towed the single lane of giving a negative slant to the bold efforts and successes of the National Social Investment Office by the sensational reporting.
“We are pleased to reiterate the fact that, despite some limited process breaches recorded in some rural communities, the Social Investment Programmes are recording profound successes and having the desired impact on lives, as envisaged by Government, as designed and in implementation”, she said.
The special interventions by the Federal Government continue to support the populace by addressing financial inclusion and supporting poor and vulnerable households around the country.
The NSIO will continue to drive the implementation of the SIPs with efficiency, diligence and transparency. And we call on Nigerians to be the true witnesses of the output of our activities.
