Reps Direct Tinubu to Unfreeze NSIPA Accounts Within 72 Hours
In a decisive effort to address the operational challenges facing the National Social Investment Programmes Agency (NSIPA), the House of Representatives has urged President Bola Tinubu to instruct the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, to ensure that all frozen accounts of the agency are unfrozen within 72 hours.
This resolution was passed during Tuesday’s plenary session following the adoption of a motion co-sponsored by the Deputy Speaker and 20 other lawmakers.
The House emphasized the urgent need to unfreeze the NSIPA accounts to facilitate the smooth resumption of the agency’s programs, which are crucial for poverty alleviation, youth empowerment, and economic inclusivity in Nigeria.
The lawmakers also called on the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management to immediately eliminate all administrative bottlenecks hindering the operations of NSIPA.
They expressed concern that the prolonged suspension of the agency’s activities has adversely affected vulnerable Nigerians who rely on these services for their survival.
According to the House, the challenges facing NSIPA resulted from allegations of financial mismanagement by previous managers of the programs.
These allegations led to the freezing of its accounts and investigations by anti-corruption and security agencies.
However, the lawmakers contended that the continued halt in operations would exacerbate poverty and economic hardship for millions of Nigerians.
The House underscored the importance of restoring the agency’s functions to ensure the effective delivery of social programs designed to alleviate the effects of economic instability on citizens.
During the debate on the motion, lawmakers criticized the lack of funding and administrative inefficiencies that have beset NSIPA in recent years.
They further called on relevant authorities to ensure transparency and accountability in the agency’s management to prevent a recurrence of the issues that led to the current impasse.
