Tag: Sadiyya Umar Farooq

EFCC invites Buhari minister, Umar-Farouq over alleged N37bn fraud

Aminu Imam

Days after expressing willingness to defend her actions while serving as minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has invited Sadiyya Umar-Farouq for questioning. The invitation os part of an ongoing investigation into the N37,170,855,753.44 allegedly laundered under her watch through a contractor, James Okwete. According to a document, Ms Umar-Farouq was asked to appear before interrogators at the EFCC headquarters, Jabi, Abuja on Wednesday, January 3, 2024, to explain the alleged fraud. The document read in part: “The commission is…

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Alleged N187bn fraud: 4 Buhari’s ministers under probe, as EFCC arrests FG’s contractor

Aminu Imam

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFC ) has arrested a contractor, James Okwete, in connection with the ongoing probe into the N37bn allegedly laundered by the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development under former Minister, Sadiyya Umar-Farouk. A top EFCC official, who confided to newsmen on Sunday, said the contractor had made useful statements concerning Umar-Farouk and former Directors-General of the ministry. The development coincides with the probe of three other ministers, who served under former President Muhammadu Buhari, for graft estimated at N150 billion. “It…

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EFCC uncovers N37bn fraud in humanitarian ministry, indicts Buhari’s minister, contractor

Aminu Imam

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has uncovered a total sum of N37,170,855,753.44 allegedly laundered in the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs under former minister, Sadiyya Umar-Farouk. According to reports, details of the ongoing probe revealed that the money was transferred from the Federal Government’s coffers and sent to 38 different bank accounts domiciled in five legacy commercial banks belonging to or connected with a contractor, James Okwete. Following receipt of the funds, Okwete allegedly transferred N6,746,034,000.00 to Bureau De Change Operators, withdrew N540,000,000.00 in cash, purchased luxury cars with…

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‘FG spends N1.3tr on school feeding, N-Power, others’ – Sadiyya Farouq

Aminu Imam

The Federal Government, yesterday, said it invested a sum of over N1.358 trillion to improve the lives of vulnerable Nigerians through its National Social Investment Programmes (NSIP) in the last seven years, from 2016 to 2022. These social programmes include N-power; Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme, (GEEP); National Home-grown School Feeding Programme, (NHGSFP); Conditional Cash Transfers, and Independent Monitors, (IM). Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiyya Farouq, disclosed this when she was featured on the 23rd edition of the President Muhammadu Buhari (PMB) Administration scorecard series…

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Humanitarian Minister blames Zainab Ahmed of masterminding N206bn budget padding

Aminu Imam

Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development, Sadiyya Farouq, has blamed the Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed, for adding N206bn to the humanitarian ministry’s budget. Farouq, who appeared before the Senate Committee on Special Duties on Monday to defend its 2023 budget, claimed that the ministry requested some projects for the North-East Development Commission and the National Social Safety Net Project in the 2022 Budget, which were not released, but was surprised to see an inflated amount in the 2023 budget of the ministry. A controversy ensued at…

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Zamfara Attacks: Over 10,000 homeless, scores still missing, says Minister

Aminu Imam

The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiyya Umar-Farouq says over 10, 000 people have been rendered homeless while scores are still missing in fresh attacks on Zamfara communities where bandits killed over 200 citizens. Mrs. Umar-Farouq said homes were razed after over 500 bandits arrived in the villages on motorcycles. According to an issued statement by her media aide, Nneka Anibeze, “More than 500 bandits on motorcycles reportedly attacked five villages and razed their homes after killing over 200 people”. Condemning the killings in Anka and…

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FG spends N500b yearly on poor, vulnerable Nigerians – Minister

Aminu Imam

…’Despite measures, 90m still in abject poverty’ – CSOs The Federal Government has injected over $1 billion (about N500 bn) into the National Social Investment Programme, (NSIP) yearly geared towards positive change in the lives of the poorest and most vulnerable in the country. The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiyya Umar Farouq, disclosed this yesterday in Abuja, while flagging off a programme aimed at training 1,850 youths from across the country on Point-of-Sale (POS) business. According to the minister, the training will enable the beneficiaries…

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“FG Intervention funds: SERAP sues FG, Sadiyya Farouk

Aminu Imam

…Seeks details of ‘payment of N729bn to poor Nigerians‘ The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, (SERAP), has filed another lawsuit against the Federal Government of Nigeria at the Federal High Court, in Lagos The agency asked the court “to compel the Federal Government to disclose details of proposed payments of N729bn to 24.3 million poor Nigerians, including the mechanisms and logistics for the payments, list of beneficiaries, and how they have been selected, and whether the payments will be made in cash or through Bank Verification Numbers or other means.”…

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FG Intervention: “We’ve shared N9.5bn to vulnerable Nigerians in Katsina” – Minister

Aminu Imam

The Federal Government says it has so far disbursed N9.5 billion as conditional grant to 142,000 poor and vulnerable households in Katsina State. Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiyya Umar-Farouk, disclosed this while distributing palm-top computers to 108 independent monitors of the social investment programme in Katsina yesterday. Umar-Farouk said President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the expansion of the Social Register to accommodate more poor and vulnerable Nigerians in the conditional cash transfer scheme. The minister, represented by Director, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Aminu Tukur,…

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“We’ll feed 5m additional school pupils” – Sadiyya Farouq

Aminu Imam

The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiyya Umar Farouq, has said that the Federal Government will enrol an additional 5 million pupils into its National Home Grown School Feeding Programme, (NHGSFP), by 2023. The expected new intakes are to add to the existing over 9 million pupils, who are already benefiting from the programme. The Special Assistant to the Minister on Corporate Communications, Mrs. Halima Oyelade, said yesterday, that the Minister disclosed this during a stakeholders’ meeting for the enumeration of beneficiaries and scaling-up of the…

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