House of Reps directs President Tinubu to unfreeze Fed Agency’s accounts issues deadline
House of Reps directs President Tinubu to unfreeze Fed Agency’s accounts issues deadline
The House of Representatives has called on President Bola Tinubu to direct the unfreezing of the National Social Investment Programmes Agency (NSIPA) accounts within 72 hours.
This resolution was made on Tuesday after Deputy Speaker Ben Kalu, along with 32 other lawmakers, presented a motion advocating for the swift action.
The House also urged the minister to ensure the immediate release of funds for the payment of overdue stipends to 395,731 N-Power beneficiaries across the nation.
Additionally, the House called on the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Nentawe Yilwatda, to swiftly remove all administrative obstacles hindering the effective operation of NSIPA’s programs.
These resolutions followed the adoption of a motion titled “Need to Unfreeze the Accounts of the NSIPA for the Reactivation of all Social Investment Programmes of the Agency,” which was jointly sponsored by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Okezie Kalu and 20 other members.
In presenting the motion, Kalu emphasized the critical role of NSIPA, established by the National Social Investment Programme Agency (Establishment) Act, 2023, in empowering vulnerable groups such as unemployed individuals, widows, orphans, persons with disabilities, and elderly citizens.
He outlined that NSIPA oversees key social intervention programs, including the N-Power scheme, Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP), Conditional Cash Transfers (CCT), and the National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme (NHGSFP).
Kalu highlighted that the “Renewed Hope Agenda” of President Tinubu’s administration reinforces the importance of NSIPA’s mission to mitigate the effects of economic shocks on Nigeria’s poorest and most vulnerable populations.
He expressed concern that, despite the significance of NSIPA’s programs in poverty reduction, youth empowerment, and economic inclusion, its operations had been severely impeded by financial mismanagement, administrative delays, and the freezing of its accounts.
He noted that the suspension of NSIPA’s accounts and subsequent investigations into alleged financial mismanagement had disrupted essential social welfare programs, including cash transfers, business grants, and school feeding initiatives.
With over three months passing since the appointment of a new management team for NSIPA, Kalu pointed out that the frozen accounts continued to block the agency’s ability to carry out its mandate.
Kalu specifically addressed the adverse effects on the N-Power program, which left 395,731 beneficiaries owed a total of ₦81.3 billion in outstanding stipends.
He emphasised that these funds had already been accounted for in the 2023 and 2024 amended Appropriation Acts, which are set to expire at the end of 2024.
Restoring NSIPA’s access to its accounts, Kalu argued, would align with the President’s commitment to poverty alleviation and ensure that the agency’s programs remain effective and impactful.
He urged swift action to resolve the issue, stressing that delays would undermine the government’s broader goals of poverty eradication and economic empowerment.
The House also resolved to send this resolution to the Senate for concurrence.
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Two men docked for allegedly defiling underaged girl
Two men docked for allegedly defiling underaged girl
The police in Lagos on Friday, charged two men before an Ikeja Chief Magistrates’ Court for allegedly defiling an 11- year-old girl.
The defendants are: Prince Tomnyie, 40, a businessman, who resides at Agege, and Micheal Adenuga, 24, a furniture maker, who resides at Atere Street in Lekki.
They are standing trial on charges of defilement, and had each pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The prosecutor, ASP Adegoke Ademigbuji told the court that they committed the offence sometimes in December 2024, and September 2025, at Langbasa Ajah and Igbara Lekki, Lagos .
The prosecutor alleged that the victim’s father, had taken his daughter for medical check and it was discovered that the minor had been defiled.
The prosecution alleged that the victim had told her father that his friend, Tomnyie, defiled her sometimes ago.
Ademigbuji alleged that the victim also mentioned the second defendant’s name who lives in their neigbourhood.
The offence contravenes the provisons of section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos, 2015.
The Chief Magistrate, Mr L. A Owolabi, granted the defendants bail in the sum of of N600,000 each, with two sureties each in like sum.
He adjourned the case until March 5, for mention. (NAN)
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Report any officer asking for money for release of suspect as Police insist bail is free
Report any officer asking for money for release of suspect as Police insist bail is free
The Police Command in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has insisted that bail is free, and called on the public to report any officer asking for money to release a suspect on bail.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the FCT, SP Josephine Adeh, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Abuja.
Adeh spoke in reaction to public outcry that some police officers were demanding money to release suspects on bail in the territory.
She said the report of the erring officers would serve as a deterrent to others, adding that it was fraudulent to demand for money to release a suspect on bail.
Adeh blamed the yielding to such fraudulent demand on ignorance on the part of the victims who refused to stand on their rights.
“A similar case was reported where an officer demanded money to release a suspect on bail and when the matter was reported, we requested for evidence from the victim.
“The evidence was provided because the money was transferred to the officer’s account and actions are being taken on the issue.
“So, I encourage the public to take advantage of the FCT Police Complaint Response Unit (CRU) lines on 08107314192 to report such misconduct with evidence,” she said.
Adeh urged the public to always insist on their rights and refuse any form of payment to release a suspect on bail.(NAN)
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Former President sentenced to five years in prison by Court
Former President sentenced to five years in prison by Court
South Korea’s former president Yoon Suk Yeol was on Friday sentenced to five years in prison for obstruction of justice.
The Seoul Central District Court found that the 65-year-old conservative, with the help of the presidential security service, had tried to prevent his own arrest and deleted multiple documents related to the investigation against him.
Yoon shocked the nation by imposing martial law on December 3, 2024, amid a budget dispute with the opposition, plunging the country into a political crisis.
He justified the drastic measure as necessary to protect South Korea’s democratic order and accused the left-leaning opposition of being infiltrated by communists with ties to China and North Korea, though he provided no evidence for these claims.
In a separate trial, prosecutors have sought the death penalty for Yoon on charges of incitement, with a verdict expected on February 19.
While the death penalty remains legally in force in South Korea, it has not been carried out for nearly 30 years.
Yoon’s actions previously alarmed international investors and led to withheld investments, damaging the reputation of South Korea as a political and economic model for the region.
Since last summer, South Korea has been led by President Lee Jae Myung, a left-leaning centrist and long-time political rival of Yoon. (dpa/NAN)
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