Ibekimi Oriamaja Reports.
Sadiya Umar Farouq, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development, has denied allegations made by the All Progressive Congress, APC Initiative for Good Governance, that she diverted Social Investment Programmes (SIP) funds to Bauchi State in order to advance the political interests of her husband, Air Vice Marshal Abubakar Sadique (Rtd).
According to The Track News Abubakar will run for governor of Bauchi State on the APC platform in 2023.
The Bauchi-based group also accused the Minister of abandoning her office and relocating to the State due to her husband’s ambition, according to a statement issued by one Nasiru Cigari.
The Minister quickly responded, calling the report false through her Special Adviser, Nneka Ikem Anibeze.
She described those behind it as “belly-aching detractors who will stop at nothing to derail President Muhammadu Buhari’s-led administration’s lofty SIPs, whose declared agenda is to lift 100 million vulnerable Nigerians out of poverty by 2030.”
To clarify, she stated that, prior to Bauchi, at least 20 million Nigerians had been empowered through the Ministry’s various programs and initiatives since the Ministry’s inception in August 2019, with the majority of beneficiaries hailing from Benue, Delta, Enugu, FCT, Kaduna, Kano, Lagos, Oyo, and Rivers states.
Farouk also denied reports that she had quit her office job to relocate to Bauchi.
“The Hon. Minister left immediately after launching the Cash Grant for Vulnerable Groups, with Mr. President programs expected to return to the office this week.”
“Nigeria’s Sadiya Umar Farouq is a tribalized politician, mother, and wife.” “She spread love evenly to the poor and vulnerable, regardless of their country of origin, tribe, or religion,” according to the statement.
