Insisting she was framed for exposing massive corruption rather than committing it,Halima Shehu,suspended National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA) Chief Executive Officer, has appealed directly to President Bola Tinubu to direct the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to publicly release its probe report into her tenure.
Shehu was suspended by President Tinubu in January 2024 following allegations of financial impropriety at the agency. Subsequently, the EFCC interrogated her as part of a broader investigation into NSIPA’s management. However, the anti-graft agency has yet to publish its findings.
In an open letter addressed to the president, Shehu denied all allegations of embezzlement, maintaining that no money was recovered from her by investigators. She asserted that her stewardship was consistent with her record of public accountability, insisting that rather than engaging in corrupt practices, she was actively fighting entrenched financial irregularities within the agency during her less than four-month tenure.
Read also: Ekiti revenue hits N2.75bn monthly as tax compliance rises without enforcement
According to Shehu, she uncovered severe internal control failures shortly after assuming office and formally reported these infractions, along with supporting documentary evidence, to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on December 22, 2023. She alleged that she was suspended just ten days after blowing the whistle, without receiving any initial response from the anti-corruption agencies.
Detailing the scale of the alleged irregularities, the former NSIPA head claimed that nearly 14 billion naira was withdrawn from the agency’s accounts without her knowledge or authorization. She further alleged that unauthorized signatories were fraudulently added to NSIPA’s Remita account with the Central Bank of Nigeria, allowing massive transactions to occur completely outside her control as chief accounting officer.
Shehu highlighted the severe emotional, financial, and reputational toll the ordeal has taken on her family, noting that her entitlements have been withheld since her suspension. She expressed frustration that prior written appeals to the EFCC, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, and the President have all gone unanswered.
Citing her past public service record including supervising the digitization of the World Bank-supported conditional cash transfer scheme Shehu urged the president to intervene. She emphasized that releasing the report is critical not only for her personal closure and vindication, but also to restore the confidence of women aspiring to public leadership in Nigeria.
