ICPC clarifies Chairman’s statement on N2.7 billion diversion

By BENJAMIN BABINE, Abuja

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has said that its Chairman, Professor Bolaji Owasanoye, was misquoted to have said the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs diverted monies meant for the federal Home-Grown School Feeding Programme.

In a statement signed by its spokesperson, Mrs Azuka Ogogua, the ICPC said it sought to clarify what it called ‘erroneous’ reports in the media.

The ICPC wrote:

‘The Commission wishes to clarify that the “school feeding” referred to by the Chairman of ICPC was the feeding of boarding students in Federal Government Colleges, who were all at home during the COVID-19 lockdown. This is NOT the Home-Grown School Feeding Programme being managed by the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development.

‘The Commission had discovered through its review of publications on the Open Treasury Portal that statutory monthly allocations meant for the feeding of secondary school students of SOME Federal Government Colleges were diverted into personal accounts.

‘This statement is issued for the purpose of clarifying the statement of the Hon Chairman. Consequently, the general public is hereby advised to disregard the said reports suggesting a reference to the school feeding programme going on in primary schools. The full speech of the Chairman can be downloaded from the Commission’s website at www.icpc.gov.ng.’ (Text, excluding headline, courtesy Daily Sun)