774,000 jobs: Hiccups stall stipend payment

By YUSUF ALLI and FRANK IKPEFAN, Abuja

Some participants of the Federal Government’s Extended Special Public Works Programme have not been paid their stipend due to irregularities in their bank accounts, among other hiccups.

Of the 639, 947 participants registered for the programme, only 394, 433 have been paid as of June 18, it was learnt yesterday.

The government said it has paid N7.888.660billion as a month’s stipend to the 394,433 participants.

According to a document obtained last night, only 463,742 participants were verified.

On Monday, officials from the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), participating banks and the minister’s office met to review the progress so far made in the execution of the programme

The session identified the problems associated with the programme, including shortfalls recorded in registration, verification and payments; non-regularisation of registration; incorrect or inconsistent Bank Verification Numbers (BVNs); inability to use the internet; and the need to avoid wide-scale fraud.

Some participants said they were uncomfortable with the payment system.

It was gathered that some of the aggrieved participants have protested to the presidency over the delay in payment.

A participant said: “It is unfortunate that some of us have completed the mandatory three months but we have not been paid. Some have just received the N20, 000 stipends for only one month.

“I think the objective of the Public Works Programme has been defeated. It is just sad that the payment for this stop-gap job is not being well-handled.”

The Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Mr Festus Keyamo (SAN), told The Nation last night: “All the participants will get their stipends, we are trying to prevent fraud in payment.

“Also, some participants have not completed their programme. No one will be shortchanged.”

The SPW is an ad-hoc programme designed by the Federal Government to provide stop-gap three-month jobs to mainly artisans to earn N20, 000 monthly doing public works.

One thousand youths were to be hired from each of the 774 local government areas, bringing the figure to 774,000.

About N52 billion was earmarked for the programme expected to last for three months, with the monies used for the purchase of equipment, payment of salaries and other logistics.

But only N26 billion has been released for the programme.

After the meeting, a resolution was signed by three representatives from the Office of the Minister, three from NDE and seven from the shortlisted banks.

In a document shared by Keyamo, 463, 742 of the 639, 947 registered participants have so far been verified and are ready for payment by their various banks.

Fidelity Bank has paid 92, 394 participants of the 104, 596 that registered with the bank.

UBA has paid 73, 531 participants of the 100, 800 that registered with the bank; Heritage Bank has paid 61, 800 participants of the 102, 800 that registered with it.

Zenith Bank has paid 58, 732 participants of the 92, 700 that registered with it; Access Bank has paid 58, 638 participants of the 105, 000 in its record; FCMB has paid 32, 696 participants of the 118, 209 that registered with the bank.

Yobe Microfinance Bank has paid 16, 642 participants of the 16, 642 that registered with it.

Those present at the meeting were Olua Davidson, Faniyi Fatogun and Christopher Omoaghe (representatives of the minister); Olaomi Roseline Silvia, Dauda Idris and Samaila B Mamman (NDE) and representatives of the banks.

At the end of the meeting, all parties affirmed that they will continue the rigorous process of registering and verifying all the participants before payments to avoid wide-scale fraud in the programme.

The meeting also agreed that those who have already been selected for the ESPW programme and have issues should approach their various banks to regularise their registration.

The resolution reads: “All parties affirm that they will continue the rigorous process of registering and verifying all the participants before payments in order to avoid wide-scale fraud in the programme.

“The banks will continue the role of registering and verifying the participants from their local branches in different LGAs in order to ensure that most of the participants are resident in those LGAs to achieve the aim and design of the programme of empowering 1,000 Nigerians in each of the 774 LGAs in Nigeria.

“The meeting agreed that those who have already been selected for the ESPW programme and have issues should approach their various banks to regularize their registration. The Bank branches are directed to attend to all participants duly selected using https://banks.specialpublicworks.gov.ng. On no account should they be turned back.

“Those who have been duly captured by the banks but with incorrect or inconsistent BVNs are advised to go back to their banks to rectify the inconsistencies. A link will be provided on the ESPW and NDE websites (www.specialpublicworks.gov.ng and www.nde.gov.ng) for participants to check their BVN status.

“For those who cannot use the internet they should go to the State NDE offices, Liaison Officers of the NDE in their various LGAs or approach the Chairman of their State Selection Committee to avail them the list of those with issues with their BVNs.

“For those who do not have problems with their BVNs but have not received payments, they should go to the banks that registered them to clarify the issues.

“The banks are mandated to issue ATM cards to all participants. Participants are therefore encouraged to collect their ATM cards from the banks so that they can access their payments from various cash points without necessarily going to the banks.

“Participants are assured that their stipends would be paid as soon as all issues are resolved.

“The meeting agreed that banks are no longer restricted to their initially allotted Local Governments.

“Consequently, selected participants are at liberty to approach any of the seven selected banks nearest to the Local Government where they were selected. The Banks are namely Access, FCMB, Fidelity, Heritage, UBA, Yobe MFB and Zenith.

“So far, the NDE has authorised the payments of one-month stipends to all those that have been verified. As shown above, all parties are making strenuous efforts to resolve issues of those yet to receive the first month stipends before the commencement of the second tranche of payments.” *Credit: The Nation