Embattled Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq, has denied allegation that she diverted funds meant for the various government intervention programs to Bauchi State for political purposes.

The Minister also denied abandoning her office and relocating to Bauchi to push the political interest of her husband, Air Vice Marshal Abubakar Sadique (Rtd), who is contesting the 2023 governorship election in Bauchi State on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Farouk was reacting to allegations levelled against her by a group, ‘APC Initiative for Good Governance’ that she had diverted Social Investment Programmes funds meant for the entire country to Bauchi State.

The Minister who reacted through her Media aide, Nneka Ikem Anibeze dismissed the allegations in a statement made available to Journalists in Bauchi last weekend.

According to the statement: “At no time did Umar Farouq divert Social Investment Programmes meant for the 36 states and the FCT to Bauchi, nor did she ever abandon the responsibilities in her office to relocate to Bauchi” .

It further contained that, “On the contrary, she has been working tirelessly and assiduously to ensure that no vulnerable Nigerian is left to go hungry, and to also lift them higher than where she met them” .

Read also:Nigerian govt spent $5bn fighting poverty in five years —Sadiya Farouk

Nneka Anubeze added that, “Since the creation of the Ministry in August 2019, at least 20 million Nigerians have so far been empowered through various programmes and initiatives of the Ministry.

“The Hon. Minister Umar Farouq wishes to categorically state herewith, that she will not be deterred by belly-aching detractors who will stop at nothing to derail the lofty Social Investment Programmes of His Excellency President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration whose declared agenda is to lift 100 million vulnerable Nigerians out of poverty by 2030”, she further claimed.

It was further noted that Sadiya Umar Farouq is a native of Zamfara State and married to a former Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Abubakar Sadique stressing that, “By virtue of her marriage to an indigene of Bauchi state, the full rights of any Bauchi woman have been bestowed on her” .

The Media Aide concluded that, “Therefore, the unregistered and unknown APC Initiative for Good Governance group cannot stop her from reaping or sowing the seeds of development in her husband’s state to the extent of its rightful share from the Ministry she heads, neither can their mischievous falsehood prevent her from supporting the political interest of her husband,”.

It will be recalled that the group had warned the Minister to steer clear of Bauchi politics and face her responsibilities as a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

By Yemi Kanji

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