Ex-N-Power Beneficiary Lambasts ‘Corrupt’ Buhari Minister Sadiya Farouq

Ngozi Ugochukwu, a Batch B N-Power beneficiary on Wednesday condemned Sadiya Farouq, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, for feeding the press with false information about settlement of stipends of many batches A and B beneficiaries.

Recall AllNews had consistently reported the neglect by Farouq and her ministry in respect of owed stipends of 14, 200 beneficiaries.

U dismissed batch B on the way without complete payment, and no encouragement.
Now u say president Buhari is what?
Liars may God give u all what u deserve.
Where is our Balance for the months we worked, and the acclaimed NEXIT loan, that u all claim has been disbursed?

— Ur Sister (@NgoziUgochukw) June 2, 2021

Disengaged N-Power batches A and B beneficiaries continue to express their dismay at the inaction of Nigerian authorities as per the owed stipends of exited beneficiaries and the delayed implementation of the NEXIT by the Federal Ministry of the Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development.

More than six months after the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development asked Batches A and B beneficiaries who are owed multiple months stipends to see their State Focal Person, Farouq, who heads the ministry has continued to ignore their cries.

14,200 bonafide N-Power Batches A and B beneficiaries, who were disengaged from the scheme since July 2020 have not been paid their entitled stipends (many of them owed March to July, and Wema Bank users didn't get paid for June 2020). This, despite the revalidation exercise that happened in October 2020 across major Nigerian states.

Also, since releasing the NEXIT Portal on November 30, 2020 - four months after exiting N-Power Batches A and B beneficiaries, the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development of Nigeria which is saddled with N-Power duties have not effected the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Empowerment Programme.

This is despite the fact that hundreds of ex-N-Power beneficiaries have logged on to the NEXIT portal and provided the required additional information for possible placements into the various CBN intervention options.

But while reacting to the owed beneficiaries’ grouse, Farouq said her ministry and the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation had successfully cleared all outstanding payments.

“We have sorted out all the backlogs of N-Power payments with the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation and we have moved on to the next batch,” she had said in May 2021, according to several Nigerian mainstream media.

This prompted many erstwhile N-Power beneficiaries to fume at Farouq.

AllNews spoke on phone to at least three former N-Power beneficiaries, who all insist Farouq is not being honest.