The Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development has refuted claim that the Minister, Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouq, the once rumoured ‘wife’ of the President 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.
