‘Pure Lies’ - N-Power Batches A And B Beneficiaries Dispute Buhari’s Minister’s Claim Of “We Are Not Owing Any Backlog”

Many batches A and B beneficiaries of the Federal Government’s N-Power scheme are disputing Thursday’s claim by Sadiya Farouq, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, that her ministry is not owing any backlog.

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

Exited 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.

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.

More than 14,000 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 said.

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

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

See some reactions from social media below:

We have not been clear of our backlogs ..this is just a pure lies..anybody withholding our money should pls release the money for us @sadiyafarouq @FMHDSD

— NUKASI OLUWAYEMISI (@NukasiOluwayem1) May 28, 2021

Pure lies, we have not been paid our five months backlogs. What this ppl cannot lie does not exist.

— Lawrence (@AmadiobinnaLaw1) May 28, 2021

Cleared what? I still have outstanding 4 months. This woman na yahoo

— Ben Goodman (@BenLyon_101) May 28, 2021

Big lie. I'm yet to recieve my stipend since last year. @npower_ng @Sadiya_farouq.

— Ben (@Hadeyolla) May 28, 2021

This is a lie.... Sadiya_farouq didn't clear no body...

— Xpensiveme (@mosembohnehemia) May 28, 2021

None of the 14,000 / 80,000 @npower_ng volunteers has been paid any Money . @Sadiya_farouq is a good lair. We have sent petition to the @SPNigeria @ICPC_PE @officialEFCC ,but it is obvious that the #youths of Nigeria are being neglected by President Buhari Bashir Naira pic.twitter.com/VAnhvJGKvt

— Unpaid March, April &May Stipend (@UStipend) May 28, 2021

Stop telling lies Mrs Sadiya farouq and pay us our outstanding npower stipends,God is watching u#npower weeps
#14200 unpaid npower beneficiaries weeps

— Luper Leonard (@LeonardLuper) May 28, 2021

That's not true we did not receive anything

— patience nuhu (@patience_nuhu) May 27, 2021

They have not paid our 5months backlog,that's a big lie and they have never moved us (exited @npower beneficiaries)to the next phase.We are still jobless with our certificates.@Sadiya_farouq of @FMHDSD thought we won't know of her speech there.
Allah will punish anyone that lies

— كل نفس ذاءقة الموت (@FashinaHamed) May 27, 2021

Our accounts are yet to be credited, why will lie just like that? Pls @nnekaikem1 come and clear the air.

— Bakoreejafar (@Bakoreejafar1) May 27, 2021

This is not true, it is highly embrace for President @MBuhari to have lier and deceiver like @Sadiya_farouq of @FMHDSD as a minister. @ProfOsinbajo @officialEFCC @GarShehu @nnekaikem1

— ABDULLAHI ADAMU AHMAD (@abduladamuahmad) May 27, 2021

Established in 2016, the N-Power scheme is one of the national social investment programmes of the federal government targeted at unemployed graduates who were engaged by the government and were paid a N30,000 monthly stipend.