The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused the administration of President Bola Tinubu of turning its social intervention programmes into a platform for corruption, following an Auditor-General’s report that N33.75bn in cash transfers to 3.29 million households could not be verified.
The opposition party made the allegation in a statement issued on Monday by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi.
The ADC said the findings by the Auditor-General of the Federation reinforced concerns over the management of social investment funds under the current administration.
According to the party, the inability to verify the beneficiaries of the N33.75bn raises serious questions about the transparency and accountability of the government’s cash-transfer programme.
The party alleged that social investment under the Tinubu administration had increasingly benefited government officials rather than vulnerable Nigerians targeted by the interventions.
The ADC also recalled controversies surrounding the management of the National Social Investment Programme at the beginning of the administration.
It alleged that N585m was transferred to a private account under former Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation Minister, Betta Edu, before the transaction triggered public controversy.
The opposition party further alleged that N44bn went missing from the National Social Investment Programme Agency under its former National Coordinator and Chief Executive Officer, Halima Shehu.
It said the latest Auditor-General’s report, involving N33.75bn that could not be matched with verified beneficiaries, was another indication of weaknesses in the management of social intervention funds.
“Let us call this what it is. Not mismanagement. Not an oversight. It is an organised racket, which this government has run under the guise of a social intervention programme,” the party said.
The ADC alleged that Nigerians facing economic hardship were being deprived of funds intended to support them, while calling for greater accountability in the implementation of social intervention programmes.
The party also criticised the government’s handling of previous allegations involving officials overseeing social investment programmes.
It recalled that the government had suspended Betta Edu following the controversy surrounding the N585m transfer, but alleged that she was subsequently appointed to the President’s campaign council.
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The ADC said the latest report involved an unaccounted N33.75bn contained within a broader N78bn intervention fund and argued that the development warranted a comprehensive investigation.
The party further questioned the government’s decision to announce a larger $1bn social intervention package despite what it described as unresolved accountability concerns surrounding previous interventions.
The ADC argued that expanding the programme without first strengthening transparency, beneficiary verification and financial controls could expose more public funds to misuse.
It called on the Federal Government to demonstrate concrete measures to prevent leakages and ensure that social intervention funds reach the Nigerians for whom they are intended.
