Sadiya Farouq, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, who was rumoured to be President Muhammadu Buhari’s second wife, has denied been queried by the Presidency.
YaahooJournalist learned that “Buhari rumoured wife” was placed under close supervision as part of efforts by the federal government to supervise developments within the N-Power scheme which is directly under the supervision of her ministry.
According to reports, the minister was reprimanded by the Presidency for alleged excessive use of power, abuse of office and employment of staff beyond the financial capacity of her ministry.
However, a statement on Friday by Rhoda Ishaku Illiya, Assistant Director of Information in the ministry, dismissed the reports.
Mrs. Illiya stated that Sadiya Umar Farouq did not employ any support staff, adding that employment in the Federal Civil Service is guided by laid down rules and procedures.
According to her, all staff of the Ministry, were deployed from other MDA’s with their salaries and emoluments still domiciled in those MDAs.
Illiya said: “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.”
The development is coming months after Farouq was rumoured to have been picked as a second wife by President Buhari. The rumoured wedding between the President and the minister did not see the light of the day.
