The Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management has been indicted for diverting the funds meant for the implementation of Grant for Rural Women (GRW), part of the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP) aimed at tackling poverty across the country.

In December 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic was at its peak, the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management initiated the disbursement of N1.01 billion to rural women across 15 states.

According to an investigative report by The ICIR, the implementation of the project in Jigawa, Kano and Kaduna was full of irregularities, corruption and lack of transparency and accountability.

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“The sum of 20,000 each was supposed to be disbursed to 16,000 vulnerable women in rural areas in Kano, Kaduna, and Jigawa State,” the report reads in part.

“A further breakdown showed that 8,000 women were targeted in Kano, while Kaduna and Jigawa states had 4,000 women each as intended beneficiaries. This implies that the sum of N320 million was meant to be disbursed across the three states.”

The report reveals that Oladapo John Ogunyanmodi, Musa Yusuf Dauda, and Devine Sekibo, who received the money for disbursement in the three states, are only names on paper.

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“On the 29th of December 2020, just three days to the end of the year, Oladapo John Ogunyanmodi received N86.4 million into his account with payment description, ‘Non-personal advance payment’, as a grant for rural women in Jigawa State, although 4,000 vulnerable women were targeted in Jigawa State, while this money paid into Oladapo’s account could go for 4,320 poor and vulnerable women in the state which is over the projected beneficiaries.”

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“On the same day, just as Oladapo, it was also tracked to the payment record that Musa Yusuf Dauda was paid N73.6 million as money meant for rural women in Kaduna State which can only go for 3,680 vulnerable women which is a shortfall against the 4,000 vulnerable women announced, which is below the number announced as the total beneficiary, while Devine Sekibo the third person also received 140.8 million, an amount which can only go for 7,040 vulnerable women, as against the 8,000 vulnerable women in Kano State.”

Tracking the project implementation in the three states, three names of those who supposedly received the funds were strange to the locals, according to the report.

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In Jigawa, Bama Chamo, who was the state’s spokesperson, could not explain how the funds were disbursed, while in Kaduna, an official revealed that only 1000 names out of 7,000 supposed beneficiaries were taken from the Kaduna State Social Register.