The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC) on Monday grilled a former Sokoto Governor Aminu Tambuwal over suspicious cash withdrawals of N189billion.

Tambuwal, who was in the custody of the anti-graft agency in Abuja, was expected to account for the questionable cash haul during his tenure.

The Ex-Governor, who arrived the EFCC’s Headquarters around 11:30am, was still facing interrogators on the alleged financial crime at press time.

It was unclear if the Ex-Governor will be detained overnight or not.

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A source in EFCC said: “He is being held over alleged fraudulent cash withdrawals to the tune of N189billion.

“The withdrawals are in flagrant violation of the Money Laundering( Prevention & Prohibition) Act, 2022.

“We have isolated all the allegations for Tambuwal, it is left to him to respond. “

EFCC’s spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, declined comments on the matter

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has warned Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC)’s staff against engaging in corrupt practices.

Mrs Ekere Usiere, ICPC Anti-Corruption Commissioner in charge of Rivers and Bayelsa state offices, gave the warning in a statement issued by NDDC’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Mrs Seledi Thompson-Wakama, in Port Harcourt on Friday.

According to the statement, Usiere spoke during the quarterly anti-corruption sensitisation workshop for NDDC staff and further warned that anybody caught in act would face the full wrath of law.

She acknowledged the critical role of the NDDC in the development of the Niger Delta region and stressed the importance of holding periodic meetings to sensitise staff against corrupt practices.

“NDDC staff must distance themselves from corruption, as anybody caught will be prosecuted in accordance with the law,” she stated.

Usiere explained that regular anti-corrupt workshops would enable NDDC employees to understand the impact of corruption on development and how to prevent it.

“This workshop themed, “Infractions/Offences in Anti-Graft Laws; Preventive Measures,” serves as an antidote to corrupt practices,” she said.

Also speaking, Dr Evans Peters, Head of Legal Department at ICPC in Rivers, urged the commission to strengthen its Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit to enhance its effectiveness.

He further advised the NDDC to implement a system for continuous review of corruption-prone processes and procedures, and to develop a code of ethics that would include corruption prevention guidelines for staff.

According to Peters, it is an offence for an individual to inflate contracts, award contracts without budgetary provision, and frustrate investigations.

“In addition, any staff who make false statements and returns, fail to report bribery activities, and conspire to provide false information, or engage in similar acts will be prosecuted.

“Every public servant should take the ICPC Act as a Bible and internalise its tenets, as ICPC frowns heavily on gratification,” he said

Peters further warned that proceeds from crime, or anything beyond a worker’s legitimate income, remained subject to seizure by the government, with the offender still liable to prosecution.

“Anyone caught in corrupt practices could be sent to jail. The law does not condone ignorance,” he added.

Earlier, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, Managing Director of the NDDC, emphasised the importance of adopting measures to tackle corruption and entrench transparency in public service.

Represented by Dr James Fole, NDDC’s Director III of Administration and Human Resources, Ogbuku stated that the workshop formed part of a broader strategy to enhance service delivery in the commission.

“We are passionate about service delivery; hence, we organised this workshop to educate our staff on the need to avoid corrupt acts.

“We want our staff to work with diligence and uprightness while carrying out their duties,” he advised.

Ogbuku noted that the NDDC Board and Management would spare no effort to ensure that ethics and values would be firmly entrenched in the commission.

Embargo on NSIPA account lifted

No fewer than five million households have received N493billion disbursed by the Federal Government as part of its social protection measures.

Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Yusuf Tanko Sununu, stated this yesterday.

He, however, did not indicate the period during which the cash was made available.

He said the ministry has a budget of over N500 billion captured under the service-wide vote for the National and Social Investment Programme.

The fund is expected to be deployed for the implementation of the National Homegrown School Feeding Programme, Conditional Cash Transfer, N-Power training and FarmerMoni, the minister said.

“Already, over five million families, which represent almost 75 million households, have been reached through the rapid response register.

“And over N493 billion has been disbursed,” he said.

Sununu spoke in Abuja at a briefing on ‘sustainable response to address the humanitarian gap arising from the partial suspension of World Food Programme (WFP) operations in the Northeast and Northwest’.

The minister said the funds are disbursed based on the national social register and reflect the report of the multidimensional poverty index in Nigeria.

Sununu said: “The report says that 65 per cent of vulnerable or poor people are in the northern part of the country, while 35 per cent are in the southern part.

“If you look at the urban-rural ratio, it also goes 70-30 per cent.

“Seventy per cent are in the rural areas, while 30 per cent are in the urban areas.

“So the beneficiaries in the northern part of the country are almost 71 per cent, while in the southern part, it’s 29 per cent.

“This is just reflecting the data that we are working with.”

He spoke of a plan to give N300,000 to 21,000 smallholder farmers across the country through the Government Enterprises and Empowerment Programme (GEEP).

GEEP will be a short-to-long-term loan with no collateral and interest-free.

The aim, he said, is to support farmers who may have suffered losses from flooding and other factors.

“The account of NSIPA was suspended. But I’m glad to say that Mr. President has directed that the account should be open. And the account has been opened.

“The GEEP will be funded with part of that money that is returned to the account of the ministry.

“And Mr. President has always given a go-ahead, considering the emergencies in the country, that money should quickly be returned to the account of the NSIPA.

“Added to the release that we are expecting for 2025, I think we are good to go,” he said.

The minister also unveiled plans for the rollout of the Grant for Vulnerable Groups (GVG).

In the bid to accelerate the process, the ministry has put modalities in place.

He said: “We employed about 53 companies that will help us in updating the NIN registration for each of those in our national register who don’t have the account number, NIN and BVN.

“The companies have already mobilised to reach out to numerous vulnerable groups. A lot of IDPs are in the National Social Register.”

Sununu said the Tinubu Administration has designed a strategic plan for homegrown solutions to a myriad of humanitarian challenges.

He said the ministry will ensure transparency and accountability and ensure proper multi-level response coordination.

“Mr. President is focusing on the fact that we must redeem the image of the ministry and institute the principle of accountability and transparency.

“We had to develop a memo to the Federal Executive Council, which has got the approval of the Council, to have the National Council on Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction.

“This will allow us to develop a programme that is not federal, but national.”

The position of Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation is vacant once again because of the election of the Minister, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, as National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Yilwatda had replaced Dr. Betta Edu, who was suspended to allow for the investigation of allegations of misappropriation.