We Are Not Investigating Osinbanjo – Reps
The House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts, on Tuesday, said it is not investigating the office of the Vice President, or the person of Prof Yemi Osinbanjo as erroneously insinuated in some quarters.
Hon. Woke Oke, the Chairman House Committee on Public Accounts, gave the clarification while addressing the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget & National Planning, Mrs Olusola Idowu.
One explained that the ongoing investigations was aimed at getting documentary evidences of the school feeding procurement under the National Social Investment Programme carried out by Federal Ministry of Budget & National Planning.
Since it’s implementation in 2016 until October 2019, the SIPs was domiciled in the office of the Vice President, with VP Yemi Osinbanjo as chair of the steering committee that oversights the National Social Investment Office.
The NSIO provides standard delivery mechanisms, with objectivity, collaboration, synergy transparency, efficiency and pro-active monitoring in mind. To assure of close collaboration and impact, focal person from each State were nominated by the Governors, to supervise the state’s activities in relation to each of the four programmes.
The Office of the Vice President has never been involved in financial transactions or disbursement of funds for the SIPs.
The Ministry of Budget and National Planning, was in charge of all matters regarding financing, budgeting, procurement and disbursement of funds allocated and released for the NSIPs.
He said, “By our records, the office of the Vice President is responsible for policy formulation and monitoring of the National Aocial Investment Programme.
“Issue bothering on procurement was handled by the Ministry of Budget and National Planning which has now merged with the Ministry of Finance.
“We have it on record that the Ministry of Budget and National Planning handled all issues of procurement from 2016 to September 2019 when the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs was created.
“Our request is for the Ministry of Budget and National Planning to make available all relevant procurement records for the various items under NSIP. Our investigation has nothing to do with the office of the Vice President but the Ministry.
