N-Power Stipends: One Week After, FG’s Payment Claim Remains Audio

Exactly a week since the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development said it has commenced the payment of arrears of stipends for batches A and B of the 2016 and 2018 volunteers of the N-Power programme nationwide, AllNews' independent findings has revealed that hundreds of genuine beneficiaries are still yet to receive alert.

Recall that according to a statement issued by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Alhaji Bashir Alkali, last Friday in Abuja, of the over 14, 000 beneficiaries owed since last year (2020), the accounts of 9,066 volunteers were cleared for final payment.

“Based on this reality, the five months allowance arrears of these volunteers, totaling N150,000 each is currently being paid. They have started receiving credit alerts today,” Alkali had said.

But AllNews noted comments of several beneficiaries on social networking service, Facebook, who insist the ministry is lying as usual. Majority of comments online points to non-payment as of the time of publishing this report.

Zion Voice said: “Sadiya Umar words are not to be trusted. Sadiya Umar is not new to exited volunteers. Since our disengagement last year, she has been uttering deceptive words. The only thing she said which has come to pass is the disengagement of npower volunteers. We shouldn't take her words serious. It's her usual tactics to calm volunteers down not to embark on another peaceful protest. We don't need training. We are graduates. We have been trained in our various institutions and the experience we had during our two years npower programme is enough to start up business. So, her so called training is a delay tactics and a cover up to her mess. 
 If she mean her words, let her answer the following questions :
 1 Training on what? 
 2 When is the training commencing precisely? 
 3 The duration of the training 
 4  The amount to be given to exited volunteers after her so called training 
 We need clarification on the aforementioned questions. We are fed up with her tricks and deceits. 
 Sadiya, remember, every word you utter would be used against you tomorrow.”

Umar Ahmad Sirajo said: “I'm surprising if the Hon Minister has Human feelings you told all the National newspapers that payments of the affected Npower Batch A and B beneficiaries have started whilst it is not true what an injustice! this actually shows the level of incompetence of the Minister to handle the affairs of this great Ministry we say no to injustice#”

Satoshi Chukwuebuka stated: “History will never be kind to you all if I don't get my backlogs. 
I don't work with any MDAs as claimed. 
Our accounts were flagged because of one time allowance we received from NDE  (6k) and siwes (15k).  I confirmed this during the verification and your team told us to be at peace and expect our money so long as we're not salary earner from fg.
Work on your system and pay us before we invite disaster to befall on you and your family.
Stop making mockery of able bodied youths because of unemployment.”

Aisha Waziri wrote: “Lies even the backlogs you did not pay anybody barauniya Sadiya.”