N-power protesters: N600,000 not part of exit package, FG replies: The Federal Government has said it would not pay N600,000 to each exited N-power beneficiaries or offer them automatic employment as their demands were not part of the scheme.
Recall that over 100 disengaged N-power beneficiaries had staged a protest at the National Assembly, calling on government to offer each beneficiary N600,000, employment and resignisation of the Minister of Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Farouq Umar.
But the Minister, in a statement released yesterday by the Deputy Director, Rhoda shaku Iliya, said government had spent billions to sustain the scheme by recruiting fresh minds.
She said: “The Ministry wishes to state that this demand was not part of the agreement of engagement they signed with the Federal Government, which clearly stipulated that they will be exited after 2 years.
“Furthermore, the government cannot afford the N300 billion they were asking for as grant.
It is noteworthy to state that the FGN has expended hundreds of billions to N-POWER beneficiaries during the last 4 years and is liaising with the office of the Accountant General of the Federation, which is responsible for the payment of their stipends, to ensure that any outstanding legitimate claim is settled.
“The FG cannot afford to continue to pay the exited N-POWER beneficiaries stipends indefinitely, more so that the process of engagement of new beneficiaries has already began.
“The Ministry even though it is not a lending agency is in contact with other Ministry’s, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) such as CBN and NALDA, to see if the exited beneficiaries can key into their empowerment programmes.”