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Humanitarian Affairs Minister Writes Accountant General, Directs Payment Of Public Funds Into Private Account

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Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation
The private account belongs to Oniyelu Bridget Mojisola, identified as a project manager by the minister.

Dr Betta Edu, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation asked the Accountant General of the Federation, Mrs Oluwatoyin Sakirat Madein to send public funds to a private account, according to a letter obtained by SaharaReporters

The private account belongs to Oniyelu Bridget Mojisola, identified as a project manager by the minister.

A letter from the minister with reference number: FMHAPA/HQ/OHM/S.208 to the Accountant General of the Federation, Mrs Madein dated December 20, 2023, asked that over N585 million should be sent to a private account.

The letter signed by the minister, Dr Edu, is titled ‘Mandate for Payment of Grant for Vulnerable Groups in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Lagos and Ogun States Respectively’.

The letter reads;

“I hereby approve the payment of the cumulative sum of five hundred and eighty-five million, one hundred and eighty-nine thousand, five hundred naira (N585,189,500.00). These are payments for programmes and activities of the Renewed Hope Grant for Vulnerable Groups.”

 

 

 

 

The details show that N219,429,750.00 was for 2023 Grant for Vulnerable Groups in Akwa Ibom State; N73,828,750.00 was for 2023 Grant for Vulnerable Groups in Cross River State; N219,462,250.00 was for 2023 Grant for Vulnerable Groups in Lagos State while N72,468,750.00 was for 2023 Grant for Vulnerable Groups in Ogun State.

 

The letter said the payment of N585,189,500.00 –the total sum – should be made to a UBA account: 2003682151 belonging to Oniyelu Bridget Mojisola.

 

“This payment should be made from the National Social Investment Officer account with account number: 0020208461037 to the Project Accountant’s details listed above,” it added.

 

“A system that allows the Accountant General of the Federation to send public funds into private accounts based on requests by ministers encourages corruption”. As seen on Saharareporters

 

“If a minister can ask the Accountant General of the Federation to move public funds into a private account and the AGF will do it, then it is no wonder the last AGF stole plenty of money,” a source said.

 

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is prosecuting former Accountant-General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris and Geoffrey Akindele alongside Mohammed Usman and Gezawa Commodity Market & Exchange Limited on charges of fraudulent diversion of public funds to the tune of N109.5 million.

 

Idris and Akindele were accused of committing criminal breach of trust while being entrusted with certain property, to wit N84,390,000,000 between February and November 2021 by “dishonestly receiving the said amount from the Federal Government through Godfrey Olusegun Akindele, trading under the name and style of Olusegun Akindele & Co”.

 More Accusations

As a public servant, Idris was also accused of collecting an equivalent of N15.1 million from Akindele between February and December 2021 to accelerate the payment of 13 per cent derivation to nine oil-rich states in the country through the Office of the AGF.

 

Earlier, SaharaReporters reported that it exclusively obtained documents showing how the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) moved N226,188,500 million to Kogi, Bayelsa and Imo states through the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation ahead of the November 11, 2023 governorship elections.

 

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) held governorship elections in Imo, Kogi and Bayelsa states on November 11, 2023.

 

In the election characterised by irregularities including vote-buying thuggery and pre-recorded results, APC candidates were declared victorious in Imo and Kogi states while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate and incumbent Governor of Bayelsa State secured re-election.

 

However, documents obtained on Thursday show that the funds were moved to the states on November 4 and 6 respectively in the name of providing palliatives for indigent and underprivileged people.

 

But government sources said the funds were mobilised to the states days before the elections to buy votes under the cover providing funds for vulnerable people in the states.

Still on that

“It was all a ruse to buy votes for APC and their candidates in the elections using the programme for vulnerable people as cover; that was why the events were done a few days before the governorship elections in the three states,” one of the sources said.

 

A breakdown of the disbursement of the funds shows that N72,374,500 was moved to Kogi State on November 6, 2023, through the Director of Finance Account, National Social Investment Agency, just five days before the governorship election.

 

Also on November 6, the ministry approved and moved N72,423,250 million to Bayelsa State under the ministry’s 2023 grant for vulnerable groups programmes.

 

On November 3, 2023, a total of N81,390,750 million was moved to Imo State under the same guise of providing grants to vulnerable groups, just seven days before the governorship election.

 

According to the documents, the Minster of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Edu personally approved the moving of the funds to the three states.

 

On October 31, 2023, the Nigerian House of Representatives summoned Edu to brief the chamber on the status of the federal government’s conditional cash transfer programme to 15 million households.

 

In a motion of urgent public importance, the House expressed concern over the handling of the programme, citing a lack of transparency and alleged fraudulent practices.

 

The lawmakers asked the minister to provide details on the collation of data and the distribution of funds.

More information

President Bola Tinubu launched the conditional cash transfer programme in October as part of his efforts to address poverty and vulnerability in the country.

The programme aims to provide monthly cash transfers of N25,000 to each of the 15 million beneficiary households for three months.

 

The invitation of the minister by the House comes amid reports of irregularities in the program’s implementation, including allegations that some beneficiaries had been excluded while others had been paid multiple times.

 

The lawmakers asked the minister to provide details on the collation of data and the distribution of funds.

 

However, efforts to reach the minister failed as she did not answer calls from SaharaReporters. She also did not reply to text messages sent to her mobile line.

 

Stat tuned for more updates.

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Politics

Importance of Conducting Elections

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IMPORTANCE OF CONDUCTING ELECTIONS

Importance of conducting elections. Elections are a voting process in which the public chooses who should lead the country in representative institutions such as the Parliament and Legislative bodies. All citizens of the nation are eligible to vote once they turn 18.

IMPORTANCE OF CONDUCTING ELECTIONS

IMPORTANCE OF CONDUCTING ELECTIONS

1. Leadership choice

Every individual who participates in elections has the ability to select their own leader by voting for the designated politician or political party.

2. Change of leadership

In any democracy, the people have the final say, therefore if they disagree with the policies of the current administration, they can express their views. They can alter the government by carefully selecting their next set of votes. 3. Political participation: One can always take part in the conversation if they believe that a problem is not being addressed by the majority of political parties or that their solution needs to be modified. This is because they are responsible citizens.

3. Self-corrective system

Because of the regularity of the Indian election system, it serves as a sort of check on the political parties’ work, reiterating that they will not form the government if they are not effective enough in their job.

4. Preserve Democracy

The ability to vote is essential to a democracy’s viability. A high turnout of voters demonstrates a healthy, involved public and enhances the legitimacy of the democratic process.

5. Act as a Voice for Your Community

By casting a ballot, you can make sure that the issues and demands of your community are heard. For underrepresented communities in particular, voting is crucial to ensuring that their concerns are heard and taken into consideration.

6. Affect Local Issues

Compared to national elections, local elections frequently have a more direct and immediate effect on your day-to-day. Participating in these elections’ influences community services, schools, and local governance.

7. Encourage Civic Duty

Being a responsible citizen includes voting. It’s a chance to get involved in your nation’s civic life and contribute to the common good.

8. Create a Better Future

Also, voting is ultimately about creating a better future. It is a means of guaranteeing that the world we leave for the following generation is just, equitable, and prosperous.

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Politics

Ways to Cope with Political Stress

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WAYS TO COPE WITH POLITICAL STRESS

Ways to cope with political stress. In the face of personal and political turmoil, we may improve our coping skills and fortify our resilience. Here are eight methods for navigating the effects of politics on mental health that are effective by therapists and supported by science.

WAYS TO COPE WITH POLITICAL STRESS

WAYS TO COPE WITH POLITICAL STRESS

1. Manage what you can

It can be beneficial to use what little power we do have when we feel out of control. That could entail formulating a list of specific actions to take if you’re an activist.

2. Make the most of your advantages

To manage and reframe stress, make use of your special abilities and traits. In order to move forward, you must look backward by remembering what has previously worked for you in times of extreme stress and applying those techniques.

3. Watch how much media you consume

Staying away from news and social media during political events can be challenging. The likelihood of experiencing negative mental health impacts associated with politics is somewhat lower for those who are better knowledgeable about politics and the workings of the political system.

4. Remain in the present

We have a tendency to predict the worst when our nervous systems are hypervigilant and we are feeling apprehensive. When it comes to overcoming the stress reaction, mindfulness can be an effective solution.

5. Take it as a chance to reconsider

Research indicates that following stressful occurrences, the rates of marriage, births, and divorces all rise. This is because significant disruptions, especially those that endanger our health and welfare, frequently inspire us to reevaluate our priorities.

6. Handle loss and sadness

It’s useful to recognize and express grief to move on from a political event that has had a major impact on your mental health. Connecting with like-minded others, asking a mentor for insight, and/or seeking professional mental health assistance are some examples of how to do this.

8. Put self-care first

Our stress levels rise when we neglect self-care practices, such as spending time in nature, exercising frequently, maintaining a good diet, and getting adequate sleep, during internal or external upheaval. tal health practitioner.

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Politics

Political Apathy and Causes

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POLITICAL APATHY AND CAUSES

Political apathy and causes. Apathy or lack of interest in politics is known as political apathy. This encompasses apathy against voting, indifference toward information, and apathy toward public gatherings, politics, elections, and voting. Apathy among voters is defined as their lack of interest in representative democracy elections. Low voter participation among eligible voters is frequently attributed to political indifference or disinterest. in places where voting is required, and the donkey votes in places where voting is not. Every nation or entity where voters are allowed experiences this phenomenon to some degree. Because election results may not represent the whole eligible voter population, political disinterest has raised worries about representative democracy.

POLITICAL APATHY

POLITICAL APATHY

Causes;

1. However, a lack of political will. The belief of a person that their actions do not influence those of the government.

2. Meanwhile, political vacuousness is the belief held by an individual that political decisions lack clarity and predictability. The absence of political norms.

3.  Although, Perception is The idea that norms or regulations meant to regulate political relationships are broken and that deviating from the norm is frequent.

4. However, political exclusion means rejecting political standards and objectives that are universally accepted and shared by society’s members.

5. Also, disillusionment with politics. Disinterest in politics or political participation on the side of a person due to the negative actions of the ruling class, such as politicians creating controversies by engaging in dishonorable behavior. • feeling uneasy about the options available and the least of two evils precept in two-party systems • strategically voting, in which the electoral system encourages voting for a less desired alternative to avert an undesirable outcome; • wasted votes, in which a voter does not gain representation in the final election outcome.

Solutions

1. However, an electoral system. that decreases ballot waste, lowers obstacles to new political parties entering the field, boosts proportionality, decreases presidential, and lowers voting age can all help combat political indifference and raise young suffrage and educational attainment.

2. Meanwhile, civic technology Using more contemporary tools like social media, software, and websites, civic technology aims to mitigate the impacts of political indifference. To increase voter engagement and turnout, several civic technology businesses aim to link citizens with elected officials and the political process.

 

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