A Non-Government Organization, Advocacy for Advancement of Peace and Harmony in Africa Initiative (ADAPHAI) has called on the Vice-president, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, to honourably quit his position and submit himself to investigation.
It said the statement made by the President’s Wife, Mrs Aisha Buhari over the disbursement of funds meant for Social Investment Programme, which is being handled by the office of the Vice President, stands as a damning indictment on the number-two citizen of Nigeria.
ADAPHAI held that based on the background of the Vice President and his personality, the most honourable step to have been taken is to relinquish power and create room for thorough investigation to clear himself.
The group maintained that the recent outburst by Mrs Buhari was the latest suspicion constantly expressed by Nigerians in the past on the manner and method the office of the Vice President runs a social safety net of that magnitude.
This was contained in a press statement signed by the National Coordinator of ADAPHAI, Comrade Sulaimon Suberu, a copy of which was made available to DAILY POST on Monday.
It stressed that despite the huge budget the government claimed was earmarked for the programme, there is little or no significant impact on the standard of living of Nigerians across the federation.
According to the statement, efforts towards taking vulnerable people from abject poverty anywhere in the world are being harnessed with utmost truth and high degree of transparency, devoid of controversy.
“The recent statement made by the First Lady on the crude method adopted by the office of the Vice-president in the disbursement of funds to vulnerable Nigerians through the Social Investment Programme confirmed the fear incessantly expressed by many on the level of sincerity and fairness putting into that scheme.
“As an organisation, we have continuously expressed concern on how the lump sum of N500bn could be injected into the economy and the standard of living of citizenry would still abysmally remain the same.
“It is indeed interesting that such concern has also been expressed by the President’s wife; who knows, may be the First Lady was actually speaking the mind of the President.
“Our position is that, in a sane clime, the Vice-president must have relinquished power by now and make himself available for stringent questioning and scrutiny .
“Going by the personality the Vice-president portrays, we consider the option of excusing himself from the presidency most honourable path for him, and come out in the open to clear himself,” ADAPHAI’s statement read.