The Ministry of Humanitarian
Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development has refuted claims that the
Minister, Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouq, was reprimanded by the Presidency.
Mrs. Rhoda Ishaku Illiya,
Assistant Director of Information in the ministry, said this in a statement on
Friday in Abuja while reacting to online reports alleging that Farouq was
reprimanded by the presidency.
She stressed that at no time had
the Presidency reprimanded the Minister for “excessive use of power and
employment of staff beyond the financial capacity of the Ministry”.
The Minister has at no point
employed any support staff, as employment in the Federal Civil Service is
guided by laid down rules and procedures and cannot be carried out at the
instance of the Minister.
“The staff of the Ministry to
date including the Minister’s staff were deployed from other MDA’s with their
salaries and emoluments still domiciled in those MDAs.
“The Minister has at no point
stopped payment for the Home Grown School Feeding Programme. It is pertinent to
state that the Minister has approved payment for the programme up to the 31st
of January 2020.
“The Ministry wishes to reassure
the general public that all decisions taken by the Minister and Management of
the Ministry are guided by extant rules and regulations.
“We appeal to media practitioners
to ensure that they are guided by the ethics of their profession and always
verify stories before going public with them.
“They should also place public
interest above other interests in the discharge of their duties,” she said.
She called on Nigerians not to be
distracted by unfounded stories aimed at distracting the Minister and the
present administration from addressing poverty, creating wealth and entrenching
inclusion in the country
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