By Shola Abayomi.
President Muhammadu Buhari has endorsed the reappointment of Maryam Uwais as Special Adviser to the President on Social Investment Programmes (SIPs).
The President okayed Uwais’ reappointment despite severe criticism of the SIPs under her brief.
It would be recalled that the First Lady, Aisha Buhari had disparaged the Social Investment Programmes for failing to accomplish its objectives in the northern part of the country.
Mrs Buhari, who also questioned the amount of money spent on the purchase of mosquito nets, reiterated that the SIPs achieved below her expectations.
She was quoted as saying: “They have spent $16 million buying mosquito nets. I did not get it, but maybe some people have gotten it. I didn’t get it. But I feel that, that’s my personal opinion, $16 million is enough to fumigate Nigeria.
“I was expecting the social investment programme, N500 billion to be utilised in a different method; in order to achieve the aim. But I don’t know the method they used.
“Most of the Northern States did not get the money. I don’t know – my state didn’t get the money. I don’t know if your state got the money.
“In my state, one local government benefitted from it, out of 22 local governments. I didn’t ask what happened and I don’t want to know.
“For it to fail woefully in Kano is not a good sign.”
Defending the accomplishment of the SIPs, Uwais noted that if Mrs Buhari had availed herself of the information contained in the SIP data and paid attention to it, she would have discovered all beneficiaries of the project.
“I believe that if she (Aisha) were to listen to the information they have there, if she were to check our data, she would be able to find all the beneficiaries”, she said.
President Buhari also reappointed Mr Ade Ipaye as Deputy Chief of Staff to the President on Social Investment, as well as Mallam Garba Shehu and Femi Adesina as presidential spokesmen.
Others appointed, according to a statement issued on Wednesday by Laolu Akande, Senior Special Assistant to the Vice-President on Media and Publicity, include: Adeyemi Dipeolu, special adviser to the president on economic matters; Babafemi Ojudu, special adviser to the president on political matters; Jumoke Oduwole, special adviser to the president on ease of doing business.
Also in the list, are: Mr. Ahmad Rufai Zakari as Special Adviser on Infrastructure, Mr. Obafela Bank-Olemoh, as Senior Special Assistant on Education Interventions, Mr. Louis Odion as Senior Technical Assistant on Print Media, and Mr. Ajuri Ngelale as Senior Special Assistant for Public Affairs in the Presidency.
“All appointees are to serve in the Office of the Vice President. Except for Zakari, Bank-Olemoh, Odion and Ngelale, all the other appointments take retrospective effect from May 29, 2019”, the statement said.