Reps to Tinubu: Unfreeze NSIPA accounts in 72 hours

Reps to Tinubu: Unfreeze NSIPA accounts in 72 hours

On Tuesday, the House of Representatives urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to instruct the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, to unfreeze all accounts of the National Social Investment Programmes Agency (NSIPA) within 72 hours to allow the smooth resumption of the agency’s programs.

The House also resolved that the minister should ensure the immediate release of funds to NSIPA for the payment of outstanding stipends to 395,731 N-Power beneficiaries across the country.

The House also urged the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Nentawe Yilwatda, to promptly eliminate all administrative bottlenecks hindering the smooth operation of NSIPA’s programs.

These resolutions were made following the adoption of the motion titled “Need to Unfreeze the Accounts of NSIPA for the Reactivation of all Social Investment Programmes of the Agency,” jointly sponsored by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Okezie Kalu and 20 other members.

The House also resolved to transmit the resolution to the Senate for concurrence.

In moving the motion, Kalu highlighted that the NSIPA was established under the National Social Investment Programme Agency (Establishment) Act, 2023, with the mandate to empower unemployed individuals, vulnerable widows, orphans, children, persons with disabilities, and senior citizens, among others.

He explained that NSIPA oversees key social intervention programs, including the Grant for Vulnerable Groups, N-Power, the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP), Conditional Cash Transfers (CCT), and the National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme (NHGSFP).

Kalu further emphasized that the “Renewed Hope Agenda” of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration underscores NSIPA’s role in mitigating the impact of economic hardships on the poor and vulnerable.

Kalu expressed concern that, despite NSIPA’s vital role in poverty alleviation, youth empowerment, and economic inclusivity in Nigeria, the agency’s operations had been hindered by administrative bottlenecks, insufficient funding, and frozen accounts.

He noted that the agency’s efforts and the government’s commendable programs were disrupted by alleged financial mismanagement, which led to the suspension of programs, the freezing of NSIPA’s accounts, and investigations by anti-corruption and security agencies.

Kalu pointed out that the suspension of NSIPA’s accounts and ongoing administrative challenges had prevented the agency from fulfilling its mandate, despite more than three months having passed since the President reconstituted its management. He stressed that the frozen accounts contradicted the President’s mandate on poverty alleviation, as it halted key social welfare programs, including conditional cash transfers, small business grants, and school feeding initiatives, thereby undermining economic empowerment efforts.

He further highlighted that the suspension had severely affected the N-Power program, leaving 395,731 beneficiaries owed a total of ₦81,315,440,000 in stipends—funds already allocated under the 2023 and 2024 amended Appropriation Acts, which will expire by the end of 2024.

Kalu argued that unfreezing NSIPA’s accounts was crucial to ensuring that poverty alleviation efforts remain effective, efficient, and impactful, urging swift action to resolve the issue and maintain momentum towards the administration’s poverty eradication goals.

Proofreading by Uchechi Ojo, Sub-editor at NeptunePrime.