FG approves payment of stipends to N-Power beneficiaries

The Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development Sadiya Umar Farouq has approved the payment of stipends to the exiting N-Power beneficiaries under one of its National Social Investment Programmes.

The Honourable Minister who disclosed this recently said approval has been given for the payment of the outstanding stipends for the exited N-Power Batches A and B beneficiaries.

“The approval for payments for up to the month of June, 2020 for the two (2) Batches has already been forwarded to the office of the Accountant General of the Federation (AGFs) for final checks and payments.  The only outstanding approval waiting to be forwarded to the Accountant-General’s Office is for the payment of July Stipends for batch B beneficiaries,” Farouq said in a statement.

The Ministry however noted that about 14000 beneficiaries that were omitted by the AGF’s Office during the payment from March to June 2020 could be among those rejected by the GIPMIS payment platform due to discrepancies identified with their accounts as conveyed to the ministry by the AGF’s office.

According to the report from the AGF’s office,  any beneficiary receiving payment from other government payment platforms will be rejected by the Government Integrated Financial Management System (GIPMIS).  Hence their payment will be withheld.

The Minister also explained that the Batches A & B N-Power beneficiaries knew from the beginning as they were informed that the programme is for 24 months.

Furthermore, the non dis-engagement of Batch A beneficiaries after 24 months was done out of exigencies of the time.

In this regard, “we have directed Focal Persons of NSIPs in all the states to submit an updated list and details of the exited N-Power beneficiaries that are interested in participating in the transition plans of the ministry” the Honourable Minister stated.

While continuing, the Honourable Minister added that the incoming Batch C beneficiaries will clearly know the details of their terms of enrollment and exit at the time of entry into the programme to avoid what happened in the case of Batches A & B.

The N-power programme is designed to assist young Nigerians between the ages of 18 to 35 to acquire and develop life-long skills for becoming change makers in their communities and players in the domestic and global markets and given a stipend of N30,000 monthly.