Miffed by the announcement of President Muhammadu Buhari’s
administration that their April stipends have been paid, some N-Power
beneficiaries have publicly debunked the claims.
Last Saturday, the Humanitarian Ministry claimed that April
stipends had been credited to beneficiaries under the N-Power scheme.
Admitting that there was a slight delay, the Minister,
Sadiya Umar Farouq, blamed it on Government’s Integrated Financial Management
Information System, GIFMIS.
GIFMIS is an IT-based system to improve the management of
public expenditures and enhance accountability in ministries and agencies.
But in separate SOS e-mails, aggrieved
beneficiaries rubbished the payment claims.
A complainant, Stephen (surname withheld), said he was
“amazed” by the minister’s statement.
He wrote: “I want to tell you that none of us in my PPA
(Place of Primary Assignment), even in Kaduna State generally, has received any
money from her for April allowance.
“I’m sending this message to you so that you can help us
press for the payment of our allowances( April and May). The press is the last
hope of the masses. I know through you, a solution will come to our problem.”
Also, Loveth (surname withheld), sent the following: “Most
of the N-Power beneficiaries have not been paid April and May stipends. I am
surprised the people in charge are claiming we have all been paid. Please, we
all have not been paid.”
Jethro, (surname withheld) another beneficiary also reacted
in a similar manner.
The beneficiaries also alleged that some have not gotten
their March payments.
“Out of a hundred, ten percent received and they concluded
that all beneficiaries have received. She (Farouq) doesn’t know what
beneficiaries are facing. Since they came to office, we have been facing lots
of setbacks, please help us”.
In her press release, the minister said: “I can now announce
that all N-Power beneficiaries from Batch A and B have been paid their April
stipends.”
Farouq further assured that details will be provided as soon
as May stipends are paid.
The N-Power programme was inaugurated by President Buhari in
2016 under the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP).
Its mandate is to lift citizens out of poverty through
capacity building, investment and direct support.
The government said the N-Power scheme has enrolled about
500,000 beneficiaries – 200,000 from Batch A (September 2016) and 300,000 from
Batch B (August 2018).
The Buhari administration continues to face criticisms over
its handling of projects that involve the disbursement of cash and food items.
Aside the controversy trailing N-Power stipends, the
Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT), the National Home Grown School Feeding
Programme (NHGSFP) and other similar schemes, have been enmeshed in fraud
allegations.
Nigerians have repeatedly asked the Nigerian government to
publish a list of programmes’ beneficiaries, amounts expended and other details
for transparency and public scrutiny.
Last week, Nigerian Patriots (NP) declared that the feeding
project was a scam and insisted that officials be probed.
Former Deputy National Chairman of opposition Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP), Bode George, said, “Pumping money into the school
feeding programme while schools are not open is a little absurd.
“It is a redundant, unworkable palliative. In a nation where
there is no standard numbering of houses, how do you get the food to the
beneficiaries? This is more than laughable. It is tragic.”
In her reaction, the minister explained that the idea of
“take-home rations is not unique to Nigeria, neither is it a scam”.
Farouq said it is “a globally accepted means of continuing
to have access to nutrition and nutritionally-rich foods, despite disruptions
to the traditional channels of school feeding”.
I did not receive my March, April and May. My deployment letter was removed from the portal,i tried re-uploading it again is not accepting it. I Sent emails to the support on several times is bouncing back. I checked N-power group on facebook many people have similar problems. Pls help me inform the minister to come to our aid.
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