Halima Shehu, the suspended National Coordinator/CEO of the National Social Investment Programme Agency, NSIPA is a Nigerian who has spent the best years of her life in service both in the private and in public office.
An advocate of the “Renewed Hope, Agenda” who believed enough to stand up, mobilized women, youths and communities in campaign with little funding and little or no security.
She gave her loyalty, voice, energy and time because she believed that under the leadership of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu Nigeria could be healed.
She publicly declared support for PBAT as the APC presidential candidate in 2022.
She sustained personal and professional attacks, lost her job under the previous administration for unflinching support and again lost her job under this administration on false allegations.
To this day, she has not received any entitlements — not while in office and not during suspension.
Your Excellency Mr President a Renewed Hope Nigeria cannot afford to abandon those who bled for it. If we punish honesty, we teach the next generation to be silent. If we restore justice, we teach them to serve with courage.
The false allegations brought against her person has been the darkest part of her life. Her name, a name her parents gave her with honor, a name that served with integrity was dragged into the mud.
The damage is unquantifiable both to self and family who now carry a burden they did not earn, also to her region whose daughters are told “this is what happens when women lead.”
To her faith and to women across Nigeria who now wonder if speaking the truth is worth the cost.
It is also the pain of integrity wounded.
It is the grief of a family legacy stained.
It is the isolation of choosing truth and being punished for it. It is watching doors close and years of service reduced to whispers.
Excellency Sir, haven watched you as a father of the nation evacuate Nigerians from war zones, rescue citizens from xenophobic attacks and grant pardon and compassion to those you have never met and have not stood with you till date. It is imperative that your heart has room for Halima Shehu who stood with you when it mattered.
To set records straight, she single-handedly fought the wrongdoings at NSIPA. The proactive steps she took to fight corruption should earn her honor not dishonor.
On assumption of office at NSIPA, she encountered entrenched issues of opacity and weak financial controls within the Agency. Acting in good faith and in strict adherence to the oath of office, she uncovered and documented serious irregularities.
On 22nd December 2023, she promptly reported same to the Chairmen of the EFCC and ICPC, submitting documentary evidence in support.
She was assured that the matter would be escalated appropriately.
In utter surprise, barely ten days after deposition of facts with appropriate agencies, and without any feedback whatsoever she was suspended from office.
During her short ten-week tenure, substantial sums running into almost Fourteen Billion Naira (N14 billion) were removed from the Agency’s accounts without ger approval, knowledge or authorization in clear violation of established financial protocols. Additionally, unauthorized signatories were reportedly added to NSIPA’s Remita account with the Central Bank of Nigeria without her approval, leading to further transfers outside her authority. As the chief accounting officer of NSIPA these actions occurred beyond her control.
She has a verifiable track record of integrity, accountability and prudent financial stewardship including the successful management of over Three Hundred Million Dollars ($300 Million) in World Bank-supported Conditional Cash Transfer programmes. She was instrumental in fully digitizing the Programme, opening over 1.9 Million accounts for beneficiaries across Commercial Banks, Micro Finance Banks and Payment Service Providers, taking financial literacy to the grassroots which paved the way for accountability and transparency on the Programme.
Her actions at NSIPA were fully consistent with this record and aligned with the Renewed Hope Agenda.
On 2nd January 2024, the very day her suspension was announced, she was scheduled to officially launch the NSIPA “Renewed Hope” Empowerment Programmes targeting the poorest households, vulnerable groups and beneficiaries of the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP).
A program now defunct.
The EFCC did not recover a penny from her
She has served.
She has worked assiduously.
During the Renewed Hope Presidential Campaign (2022-2023), she was appointed to serve as National Director, Social and Humanitarian Directorate of the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign. In that capacity, her Directorate designed and implemented one of the most expansive grassroots humanitarian initiatives of the campaign. Through this programme over 2,000,000 households across more than 55,000 communities nationwide were empowered and uplifted from poverty. Each household benefitted an average of five individuals, cutting across approximately 7,000 political wards throughout the Federation. This people-centred intervention translated into broad grassroots mobilisation and is credibly associated with the delivery of over 3,000,000 votes in support of the Renewed Hope mandate.
It was therefore with renewed dedication that she accepted appointment as National Coordinator/CEO of NSIPA on 18th October 2023. Highly determined to faithfully translate the Renewed Hope vision into tangible outcomes for the poor and vulnerable.
Presently, there’s potent need to seek closure on existing defamation and results from acclaimed impropriety and mismanagement of government funds.
She has written multiple letters to the EFCC pleading for them to conclude and make public their findings.
She has written to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
She has written to the present Minister of Humanitarian Affairs to follow up on the EFCC investigations.
She has also written to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
What other pathways for justice and redress is yet untouched.
This is a pure case of justice delayed justice denied.
Prolonged silence is not admissible.
Her case warrants a closure and direct public release of the investigation reports from the EFCC and ICPC so the truth can be known.
A good selfless truthful service delivery in governance warrants good rewards and not defamation and injustice.
Nigeria we hail thee…!!!
BolaBakare
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