The Federal Government has decided to suspend the N-Power program indefinitely. The announcement came from the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu, during an interview on TVC News this Saturday.
The decision to suspend the program was made due to several irregularities that have come to light. Minister Betta Edu highlighted the need for a thorough investigation into the scheme's financial management and beneficiary status.
One of the major concerns mentioned by the minister was the presence of beneficiaries who were not fulfilling their assigned roles but were still receiving monthly stipends. She emphasized that some beneficiaries should have exited the program as far back as 2022 but were inexplicably still on the payroll.
Edu stated, "We must go back to look into N-Power and understand what the problems are, so we will basically suspend the program for now until we are done with a proper investigation into the utilization of funds in the N-Power program. We want to know how many persons are currently on the program, how many persons are owed, and the amount they are owed. We are totally restructuring the N-Power program and expanding it."
The minister's remarks also shed light on the issue of beneficiaries claiming stipends despite not being actively engaged in their assigned duties. "About 80 percent of them are not working, yet they are claiming salaries," she revealed.
It's important to recall that the N-Power Program was launched by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration with the aim of addressing youth unemployment and fostering social development. However, the recent suspension and investigation suggest that there are underlying issues that need to be addressed to ensure the program's effectiveness and transparency.
