The Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development has dissociated itself from the alleged diversion of N2.72 billion meant for feeding pupils during the lockdown, following the outbreak of Coronavirus pandemic.
The ministry explained that the Federal Government Colleges’ school feeding programme, which the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) referred to, was different from the Home-Grown School Feeding, one of the Social Investment Programmes of the ministry.
In a presentation at the second National Summit on Diminishing Corruption, ICPC Chairman, Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, had said: “Preliminary investigation had indicated that part of the N2.67 billion was diverted to private accounts. It also revealed that over N2.5 billion was misappropriated by a senior civil servant in the Ministry of Agriculture and now deceased, for himself and cronies.”
The ministry, which made the clarification in a statement by the Special Adviser to the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Nneka Anibeze, said the statement by ICPC had been twisted and misinterpreted by those it called mischief makers and directed at the ministry.