By Ejiro Nesisa
Following the six weeks suspension of four (4) programmes under the Nation Social Investment Programmes Agency (NSIPA) by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, he has approved the establishment of a Special Presidential Panel. In a press statement signed by Special Adviser to the President, Media and Publicity, Chief Ajuri Ngelale made available to newsmen over the weekend, the panel would be led by the Co-ordinating Minister of the Economy and Honourable Minister of Finance, Mr Wale Edun.
According to the statement, the panel is mandated to immediately undertake a comprehensive review and audit of existing financial frame -works and policy guidelines of the social investment programmes in order to implement a total re-engineering of financial architecture of the programmes with detailed modification to procedures guiding the programmes’ implementation.
According to the statement, the Special Presidential Panel is comprised of Ministers representing strategic sectors and would ensure a multi-disciplinary approach to the reform effort.
Accordingly, the panel is made up of the coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance as Chairman, coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare as Member, Honourable Minister of Budget and Economic Planning as member, Honourable Minister of Information and National Orientation as member. Others are Honourable Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy as member and Honourable Minister of State for Youth as member.
The statement further said, President Tinubu anticipated the Special Presidential Panel to validate the confidence reposed in it by winning back all lost public confidence in these vital programmes over the years by ushering in a new era of operation based on open and accountable governance frameworks that would prove impervious to abuse and incompetence for the exclusive benefit of disadvantaged households across the nation.
Part of the statement reads:”This Special Presidential Panel is tasked with immediately undertaking a comprehensive review and audit of existing financial frameworks and policy guidelines of the social investment programmes with a view to implementing a total re-engineering of the financial architecture of the programmes with detailed modification to procedures guiding the programmes’ implementation moving forward”.