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Tag: N power

  • N-Power Beneficiaries Announce Nationwide Protest Over Nine-month Unpaid Stipends

    N-Power Beneficiaries Announce Nationwide Protest Over Nine-month Unpaid Stipends

    N-Power Beneficiaries Announce Nationwide Protest Over Nine-month Unpaid Stipends

    N-Power beneficiaries across Nigeria have announced their intention to stage a nationwide peaceful protest on Wednesday, December 13 at 10:00 AM, demanding the immediate payment of their outstanding nine-month stipends.

    The announcement was made on Friday in a statement signed by Adamu Yusuf Fari, the National Assistant Secretary General of N-Power beneficiaries, who expressed deep regret for the situation and disappointment with the lack of response from the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.

    Fari further noted that the unfulfilled promises made by the Npower management to resolve the issues are nothing but “failed projects.”

    “It is with deep regret that I must inform our teeming beneficiaries that the Ministry for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation has not paid our monthly stipends for the past nine months,” Fari stated.

    “This is a serious issue, and we have tried to work with the Npower management to resolve it, but they have not responded to our concerns despite our numerous attempts to resolve the issue. The promises made are nothing but failed projects.”

    He added that the beneficiaries have then decided to hold a nationwide peaceful protest to draw attention to this issue and to urge the ministry to take action.

    “It is vital that we remain respectful and peaceful during the protest and that we do not engage in any violent or illegal activity,” Fari noted.

    “We remain committed to resolving this issue through peaceful and respectful means, and we urge the minister and her members to take immediate action to pay the outstanding stipends.”

    Fari also stated that the issue is “a matter of fairness and justice,” and the association will continue to advocate for a solution that is beneficial to all parties involved.

  • FG To Pay Nine Months N-Power Arrears From November

    FG To Pay Nine Months N-Power Arrears From November

    FG To Pay Nine Months N-Power Arrears From November

    The Federal Government has announced its readiness to commence the payment of nine months backlogs to N-Power beneficiaries who are on the programme beginning from November.

    It announced this on Monday through the N-Power National Programme Manager, Akindele Egbuwalo, who disclosed this during a meeting with some N-Power beneficiaries at his office in Abuja.

    Egbuwalo in a statement issued by the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, stated that the main purpose for the temporary suspension of the programme was to address all matters directly affecting beneficiaries.

    He was quoted in the statement to have stated that as a result of the temporary suspension of the programme for thorough restructuring and forensic audit, funds had been recovered from the existing payment service providers.

    “Plans have been put in place by the programme to commence disbursement of the nine months outstanding stipends to beneficiaries from November 2023. Payments will be carried out in instalment,” Egbuwalo stated.

    He said the N-Power programme would be continued as the Renewed Hope Job Creation Programme under the supervision of the humanitarian minister.

    Egbuwalo said the scheme would be expanded to target five million beneficiaries in five years, where one million youths would be absorbed each year under the graduate and non-graduate stream.

    Sani Garba, a beneficiary from Yobe State, who was present at the meeting, said the concerns of beneficiaries were mainly regarding the delayed nine months stipends.

    He said a national protest had initially been planned by different clusters of N-Power beneficiaries due to inadequate information.

    “Sir, as you have clearly explained the current situation of payment to us, myself and other cluster of beneficiaries represented here are assuring you that we have understood your position and taken your assurances, there is no need for any protest,” he stated.

  • FG Suspends N-Power, Begins Probe Of Scheme

    FG Suspends N-Power, Begins Probe Of Scheme

    FG Suspends N-Power, Begins Probe Of Scheme

    Over one million Nigerians have lost their jobs under the N-Power programme of the Federal Government following the indefinite suspension of the scheme by the government.

    The N-Power programme was established by the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari to address youth unemployment as beneficiaries were paid N30,000 monthly stipend.

    It is a component of the National Social Investment Programme put in place by the previous administration through the on-boarding of 1.5 million unemployed Nigerian youths (mostly graduates), providing capacity building, targeted tenured employment and structured of-boarding unto various career paths.

    In February this year, figures obtained from the Humanitarian ministry in Abuja indicated that the programme had enrolled 200,000 youths in Batch A; 300,000 in Batch B; 510,000 in Batch C1; and 490,000 in Batch C2.

    Although the number of beneficiaries who had exited the scheme could not be confirmed at the time of filing this report, it was gathered that virtually all enrolees in batches C1 and C2 were still enrolled in the scheme, representing about one million persons.

    Many N-Power beneficiaries teach in primary schools across the country.

    But on Saturday, the Federal Government announced the indefinite suspension of the programme and vowed to investigate the funds spent on the scheme.

    The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu, announced the indefinite suspension of the programme during a live interview on TVC News.

    Edu said the programme had been marred by irregularities, adding that the government had launched an investigation into the utilisation of funds since the inception of the scheme.

    She added that some of the beneficiaries of the programme were not found in their places of assignment, yet they were receiving monthly stipends.

    Edu also stated that some of the N-Power beneficiaries ought to have exited the programme in 2022, but were still on the payroll.

    She said, “We must go back to look into N-Power and understand what the problems are; so we will basically suspend the programme for now until we are done with proper investigation into the utilisation of funds by the N-Power programme.

    “We want to know how many people are basically on the programme right now; how many people are owed and the amount they are owed. We are totally restructuring N-Power and expanding it.

    “There are lots going on. We met people who were supposed to have exited the programme since last year and they are still claiming that they are teaching.

    “Sometimes, we contact the schools or the places where they are working and they are not there. They are not working, yet they keep claiming that they are being owed eight or nine months’ stipends. About 80 per cent of them are not working, yet they are claiming salaries.”

    Previous investigations

    The N-Power scheme has been marred by irregularities as the humanitarian ministry had in a response to an enquiry by The PUNCH in December 2022 detailed how some of its officials were being investigated.

    In the response, which was signed by the immediate past Permanent Secretary, Nasir Sani-Gwarzo, the ministry said it was aware of publications regarding ongoing investigations in relation to fraud allegations in the programme.

    It said, “We wish to state as follows: the ministry has deployed a well-rounded mechanism for the selection of eligible beneficiaries from across the country and this has been in place since the inception of the programme.

    “Working with our service provider, programme beneficiaries are on-boarded, trained and deployed to pre-selected places of primary assignment.

    “When it came to our notice that there might have been sharp practices by some personnel of the payment service provider involved in the payment processes of the beneficiaries, the matter was immediately referred to the ICPC for a thorough investigation.

    “We are aware that certain persons have consequently been invited for interrogation as part of the ongoing investigations.”

    The former permanent secretary said the ministry had carried out thorough reinforcement of its systems to eliminate all anomalies and prevent similar occurrences in the future.

    He added, “To this end, we are in close collaboration with the ICPC to support the successful determination of the investigation.

    “The public may wish to note that in a bid to ensure transparency and accountability in the implementation of the N-Power and other National Social Investment Programmes, namely the National Home Grown School Feeding Programme, Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme and the Conditional Cash Transfer, the ministry has over time involved other government MDAs, security agencies and Civil Society Organisations in monitoring and compliance checks across the 36 states of the country and the Federal Capital Territory.

    “We want to assure all N-Power beneficiaries of the Federal Government’s continued commitment to the programme and the subsequent exit/of-boarding channels activated.”

    The ministry had also urged all programme beneficiaries to continue to apply themselves to their utmost at their places of primary assignment.

    “All monthly stipends will continue to be paid in line with programme expectations,” the ministry had stated.

  • FG Will Rejig N-Power Scheme, Pay Beneficiaries- Betta Edu

    FG Will Rejig N-Power Scheme, Pay Beneficiaries- Betta Edu

    FG Will Rejig N-Power Scheme, Pay Beneficiaries- Betta Edu

     

    Dr Betta Edu, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, says plans are underway to rejig the N-Power scheme to accommodate more people and ensure prompt payment of beneficiaries’ stipends.

    Edu disclosed this in a statement on Sunday by her Special Adviser, Media and Publicity, Mr Rasheed Zubair, in Abuja.

    The statement reported the Minister as saying that the challenges faced by N-Power beneficiaries in terms of delay in payment of their stipends would soon be addressed.

    “We will change the modalities so that people will get their delayed stipends, include more people, and relaunch it with a renewed hope concept,” she said.

    She also said, the ministry planned to establish humanitarian hubs across the 774 local government areas in the country, adding that would be a long-term goal towards eradicating poverty in Nigeria. She explained that the hubs would accommodate homegrown commodities, which would be sold at cheaper rates to Nigerians.

    The statement also said the ministry would send its staff to all the local government areas to get feedback in addition to engaging in digital tracking of the palliatives.

    According the statement, the digital tracking of the palliatives is aimed at determining the time, location, household, and individuals they are delivered to.

    ”This is to ensure transparent and effective disbursement of palliatives; we also plan to bring on board independent monitors to ensure the relief materials reached those in need.

    “Under my watch, the ministry will address poverty through Job creation, cash transfer to poor Nigerians.

    ”We will ensure engagement with the Nutrition Department, the establishment of Micro Small and Medium Enterprise and provision of stimulus to their Business”. She assured Nigerians of her commitment to curtail the humanitarian crisis in Nigeria through a prompt response.

    “Nigerians should be rest assured that all existing empowerment schemes within the National Investment Programme will be rejigged to cover more people effectively. Edu assured citizens of President Bola Tinubu’s huge economic interventions to meet their short and long term needs.

    “Mr President has a huge economic plans for Nigeria; some with short term goals while some with long term goals and Nigerians should please trust the process”

  • N-power Announces Deadline For Beneficiaries To Validate Account Details

    N-power Announces Deadline For Beneficiaries To Validate Account Details

    N-power Announces Deadline For Beneficiaries To Validate Account Details

    Nigerian government empowerment scheme, N-Power, has called on all eligible Batch C2 beneficiaries to validate their account details on the organisation’s website latest on Saturday, March 31, 2023.

    N-power spokesperson, Chinenye Nwaogu, disclosed this in a statement in Abia state on Wednesday.

    “In line with the deadline stated above, it is very important for the Npower batch C2 beneficiaries who are yet to validate their account details to do so to enable them to claim the payment of their stipends,” Nwaogu said.

    “Failure to validate the account could prolong stipends payment for a beneficiary. Please, endeavor to complete the validation process before the closing date.”

    The validation link was sent out in a message with instructions to batch C2 beneficiaries with invalid accounts on their payroll to enable them to get their account revalidated and possibly paid.

    Recently, N-Power said that it is working to ensure that a backlog of beneficiaries’ stipends is cleared.

    “Dear Graduate Beneficiaries, we hope that you have resumed your duties in your different Places of Primary Assignments (PPA),” N-Power tweeted.

    “We are working tirelessly to ensure that beneficiaries’ stipends and those with backlogs are cleared,” N-Power said on Twitter.

    N-Power’s assurance was in response to a recent protest by some beneficiaries over the nonpayment of their allowances.

    The government empowerment scheme had also warned beneficiaries who refuse to report for work without any genuine excuse or official permission from their supervisors.

    N-Power is a scheme set up in Nigeria by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2016, to address the issues of youth unemployment and improve social development.

    The scheme was created as a component of the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP), to contribute to the government’s plan of lifting 100 million people out of poverty by creating opportunities to enhance the productivity of the Nigerian youth, according to the humanitarian affairs, disaster management and social development ministry.

  • N-Power To Accommodate Additional Five Million Beneficiaries- FG

    N-Power To Accommodate Additional Five Million Beneficiaries- FG

    N-Power To Accommodate Additional Five Million Beneficiaries- FG

    The President Muhammadu Buhari, has ordered the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development to increase beneficiaries of the N-Power programme by five million.

    N-Power is a youth empowerment scheme of the Federal Government under the National Social Investment Programme that provides a platform for skills acquisition and development for hundreds of thousands of beneficiaries.

    The Humanitarian Affairs Minister, Sadiya Farouq, said the President directed her ministry to accommodate more N-Power beneficiaries, adding that Batch-C of the scheme, which admitted over one million persons, had been inaugurated.

    She disclosed this at the handing over of feeding utensils by the humanitarian ministry to beneficiaries of the National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme, another NSIP scheme, in Nasarawa State.

    In her remarks at the event, which was made available to our correspondent in Abuja, Farouq said the NSIP was the government’s key social protection mechanism for many vulnerable groups.

    She said, “We have recently inaugurated the Batch C N-Power scheme, which is aimed at helping over one million unemployed Nigerian youths to gain useful experience and technical skills that they can convert into small businesses to further support themselves.

    “This is in line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s directives for the expansion of the programme to accommodate an additional five million beneficiaries.”

    The minister, who was represented by a Deputy Director in her ministry, Daguleng Ishaku, said a total of 195,000 utensils were handed over to Nasarawa to deepen the state’s school feeding programme.

    She said, “The school feeding programme for which we have gathered today provides one free meal to over nine million pupils in primary schools across the country.

    “In Nasarawa State we are providing funds to the state selected aggregators and 2,768 vendors and to feed 194,649 pupils, in 745 schools across the 13 Local Government Areas. In that value chain alone hundreds of jobs are created every day and people are earning.”

    The Focal Person, NSIP, Nasarawa State, Usman Jibrin, explained that the programme started in Nasarawa in 2019 with a total number of 1,200 cooks and 86,329 pupils.

    “At present, we have a total number of 2,768 cooks and 194,649 pupils benefitting from the programme. A total amount N1.498bn was expended in Nasarawa under the programme from January 2019 to October 2021,” he said.

    Jibrin said the fund was provided by the Federal Government, adding that it had positively impacted on the lives of all beneficiaries in the value chain ranging from the vendors, suppliers, cooks and pupils.