The National Social Investment Programmes Agency (NSIPA) has called on the House of Representatives to urge President Bola Tinubu to mandate 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 reached during Tuesday’s plenary session following the adoption of a motion co-sponsored by the Deputy Speaker and 20 other lawmakers.
The House emphasised the urgent need to unfreeze NSIPA accounts to facilitate the smooth recommencement of the agency’s programmes, which are vital for poverty alleviation, youth empowerment, and economic inclusivity in Nigeria.
The lawmakers also urged the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management to immediately remove all administrative bottlenecks hindering the operations of NSIPA.
They expressed concern that the prolonged suspension of the agency’s activities has adversely impacted vulnerable Nigerians who rely on these interventions for survival.
According to the House, the challenges facing NSIPA stem from allegations of financial mismanagement by previous handlers of the programmes, which led to the freezing of its accounts and investigations by anti-corruption and security agencies.
However, the lawmakers argued that the continued halt in operations would worsen poverty and economic hardship for millions of Nigerians.
The House emphasised the importance of restoring the agency’s functionality to facilitate the delivery of social programmes designed to cushion the effects of economic instability on citizens.
While debating the motion, the lawmakers decried the lack of funding and administrative inefficiencies that have plagued NSIPA in recent years.
They further called on relevant authorities to ensure transparency and accountability in the management of the agency to prevent a recurrence of the issues that led to the current impasse.
