The Minister for Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development, Hajia Sadiya Farouq, has asked the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to mention those involved in the diversion of school feeding funds to private accounts.
Farouq, in a statement on Monday by her media aide, Nneka Ikem Anibeze, was reacting to a report by ICPC chairman, Professor Bolaji Owasanoye, that part of the N2.67billion meant for the school feeding programme has been diverted to private accounts.
According to the statement, the minister has distanced herself from reports linking her to the diversion of the funds and urged mischief-makers to stop twisting the report released by the ICPC boss.
She noted that the school feeding in question is different from the Home Grown School Feeding which is one of its Social Investment Programmes under her supervision.
Farouq added that the fund mentioned by Owasanoye is not handled by her ministry neither does it pass through her office.
The statement reads: “The Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development wish to dissociate itself from a trending report in the media titled “N2.72b for School Feeding During Lockdown Diverted To Private Accounts”.
“The report emanated after a presentation by the Chairman of @ICPC_PE, Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye at the 2nd National Summit on Diminishing Corruption and was presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari, at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Monday.”
“The report states thus “preliminary investigation had indicated that part of the N2.67billion was diverted to private accounts. It also revealed that over N2.5 billion was misappropriated by a senior civil servant (name withheld) in the ministry of agriculture and now deceased, for himself and cronies”.
