FG begins payment to 500,000 N-Power beneficiaries today

By VICTORIA ONEHI

The federal government on Tuesday said all N-Power beneficiaries in the country would get bank alerts for their outstanding monthly entitlement from Tuesday.

The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq, in a statement signed by her media aide, Salisu Na’inna Dambatta, said the payment was meant for the 500,000 N-Power enrollees throughout the country.

Daily Trust reports that some of the N-Power beneficiaries under the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP) in Kogi, had earlier on Tuesday, urged the Federal Government to pay their stipend for March 2020.

Some of them in separate interviews in Lokoja, said the payment of the stipend would enable them to take care of their needs during the COVID-19 lockdown.

But Hajiya Farouq said the ministry has signed the payment mandate, after all due processes were concluded in line with the rules guiding federal government’s public financial expenditure.

“Those responsible for processing the payment must do it in conformity with the necessary rules and regulations to ensure accoubtability.

“Now that the rules were followed strictly and the process concluded, I was given the assurance that they will start receiving credit alerts from their banks today, Tuesday, April 14, 2020,” the Minister said.

The Minister restated the resolve of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari to overhaul the National Social Investment Programmes (NSIPs), including the N-Power component, to ensure transparency, effectiveness, accountability and the judicious application of public resources in running the programmes.

“The Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development will along with relevant partners drive the overhauling process to ensure that the expected benefits of the NSIPs are realised in full,” she noted.

It will be recalled that each participant gets N30,000 monthly allowance from the N-Power Programme – a job creation and skills empowerment programme of the Federal Government, which is designed to help young Nigerians acquire and develop life-long skills to become practical solution providers in their communities. (Daily Trust)