By Ridwan AREMU
The 14,021 exited Npower beneficiaries that were owned five months outstanding allowances, by the federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, has said that they haven’t been fully paid their outstanding five months stipend allowances by the Ministry.
In a statement on Friday by the Spokesperson of the affected beneficiaries, Comrade Ridwan, the beneficiaries condemned the lopsided payment made to just 6%(907) of the affected beneficiaries, contrary to 9,066 figures released by the Ministry, last week Friday.
Ridwan noted that, the federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Social development and Disaster Management hastily initiated the payment to 907 of the affected beneficiaries to avert a protest what was later held in Abuja on Monday, and had since stopped the payment.
He maintained that all the affected beneficiaries have not been fully paid and have been left to untold hardships, as a result of the hanky-panky and delay tactics deployed by the Ministry in the payment of their five months outstanding allowances.
“We were shocked, bewildered and perturbed to have noticed that, the purported payment was made to only 907, which is just 6% of all the affected Beneficiaries and not to 9,066 verified accounts of the beneficiaries, as claimed by the Ministry in its press release. We strongly condemn the hanky-panky and delay tactic deployed by the Ministry of Humanitarian in the payment of our five months outstanding allowances after 11-month that we submitted our Bank Statements, for verification to the Ministry. The delay in the payment of our outstanding stipends, has left majority of us in untold hardships”
The Beneficiaries, however, call on the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, disaster management and Social development to effect the payment of remaining 13,411 of the Beneficiaries’ verified Accounts immediately and ensure that the “further investigation” that was earlier promised to be carried on 4,955 unverified accounts of the affected beneficiaries, is hastily carried out. He urged the Ministry to uphold transparency in the said investigation.
Read the full Statement below:
PRESS RELEASE ON LOPSIDED PAYMENT OF OUTSTANDING STIPEND ALLOWANCES TO BATCH A & B N-POWER VOLUNTEERS.
The attention of the 14,021 exited Npower beneficiaries that were owned five months stipend allowances, has been drawn to the lopsidedness in the payment of our outstanding allowances which reportedly commenced on Friday, 17th September 2021 by Federal Ministry Of Humanitarian Affairs, Social development and Disaster Management shortly after the Ministry released a press Statement to that effect and stopped on Wednesday, 22nd September, 2021.
We were shocked, bewildered and perturbed to have noticed that, the purported payment was made to only 907, which is just 6% of all the affected Beneficiaries and not to 9,066 verified accounts of the Beneficiaries, as claimed by the Ministry in its press release. We strongly condemn the hanky-panky and delay tactic deployed by the Ministry of Humanitarian in the payment of our five months outstanding allowances after 11-month that we submitted our Bank Statements, for verification to the Ministry. The delay in the payment of our outstanding stipends, has left majority of us in untold hardships.
Furthermore, We have noticed with great concern that, the Ministry hastily initiated the lopsidedness payment to 907 of us , just to avert the 20th September,2021 protest that was held in Abuja and to show to the public that, it has fulfilled its promises to all the affected beneficiaries. We use this medium to inform the general public that, the federal ministry of humanitarian Affairs, disaster management and Social development, hasn’t fully paid a total of N1.3bn to 9,066 verified accounts of the exited Beneficiaries, contrary to the news in the print and online news media, on the payment.
We hereby call on the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social development headed by Hajia Saddiya Umar Farouq, to pay the remaining 13,114 of the verified accounts, that are yet to be paid five months outstanding allowances (N150,000), and ensure that the “further investigation” that was earlier promised to be carried on 4,955 unverified accounts of the affected beneficiaries, is hastily carried out. We urge the Ministry to uphold transparency in the said investigation.
As we put off the tentative ignition key on this, we thank all Leadership of 36states+ FCT N-power Reps for their unflinching support thus far. We equally appreciate all concerned Nigerians that have in one way or the other, compelled the federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social development on the payment of our five months outstanding allowances and other issues that concern all exited Npower beneficiaries. Please, it’s not yet Uhuru on this. We promise to inform the Public, once all affected Beneficiaries are fully paid their outstanding stipend allowances.
Thank you.